Derek Review

Sometimes you find happiness in strange places.

That’s the case with TV dramedy Derek.

Derek, played by Ricky Gervais, is a single 50-year-old who spends his time working in a British nursing home. He lives with the caretaker, and all of his friends seem to be residents of the nursing home. Derek loves his coworker Hannah. (When asked what he would do with £20,000, Derek said he’d buy her a house and car.)

The staff’s lives are entirely centered on their jobs. You get the sense they don’t have any friends outside of one another. For example, one night the staff throws a party for the residents and their families. During the party, Derek ends up getting so drunk that he spends the night throwing up in the bathroom while Hannah sits outside the stall.

Even when they don’t have to be at the nursing home, they are. They bring in dogs for an afternoon so the residents have furry friends to play with. The residents end up enjoying the company of the animals so much that Hannah asks if the dogs can stay overnight. The woman in charge says the animals can only be around if one of the staff members is awake the whole time. And thus, the staff stays up all night so the residents can fall asleep with the animals.

I think the show is really funny. The staff is just trying to make the best of the time they spend at the nursing home. In one scene, everyone is outside doing yard work when Kev dares Derek to lick a toad. Derek does it —  no questions asked.

The show is in the form of a mockumentary, similar to The Office or Modern Family. While it is very entertaining, it draws attention to serious situations. In one episode, councilmembers announce they have to cut funding to the nursing home and the residents will have to be moved into other homes. The staff goes around getting petitions signed because they believe that moving the residents will be detrimental to their health.

Obviously, the actors are British. There are certain references that I don’t understand, but for the most part, the humor translates.

I give the show three out of five stars. While I did enjoy it, it’s not something I’d necessarily rave to my friends and family about. Derek is very unlike Gervais’ usual work because it is more touching than rude. As Vulture says, it’s at least worth seeing so you can form your own opinion.

Both seasons of Derek are available on Netflix.