'Ricky Gervais Show' gets mixed reviews

The Ricky Gervais Show was given a mixed reception when it aired on HBO on Friday night.

The animated reworking of the comedian's British podcast, which includes Karl Pilkington and Stephen Merchant, was awarded with praise and criticism from American critics.

Robert Lloyd of the Los Angeles Times said the show was "generally amusing and pretty to watch", adding that he enjoyed "the way it rambles". However, Lloyd was less complimentary of the animation, advising viewers to close their eyes, insisting "the jokes will work just as well".

Washington Post critic Hank Stuever praised Pilkington for his performance, declaring: "Pilkington is a delightful discovery: He is the rube/savant, with his head rendered in perfectly spherical, Charlie Brown lines and his worldview expressed with a Charlie Brown glumness."

The New York Daily News, despite admitting the programme was "often funny", were generally critical. David Hinckley described it as "self-indulgent", adding: "No surprise there. Crass, oblivious narcissism is a core value of almost all the Gervais characters, including the ones he played on HBO's Extras, his original British version of The Office, and at the recent Grammy Awards."

Robert Bianco of USA Today was also cutting in his analysis: "It sort of defeats the purpose of TV when you can improve a show by shutting your eyes.

"But the pleasure is all the podcast's alone. The purposely retro animation, which turns Gervais into a more cheerful Fred Flintstone, not only adds nothing to the mix - it subtracts."