Ricky Gervais Meets Garry Shandling (pt. 1 of 5) 

One aspect in which Ricky Gervais is superior to me is that I would have never shown my face in public again after this. I would have wandered off into the woods to die.

"That's my ass detector and its gone off...because you're here." LOL RIP Gary.

01:32 where he catches himself saying “that I - we are fascinated by” reveals the self-indulgence of this project. It’s 20% about the stars and 80% about Ricky attempting position himself as there equal.

Garry being dead does not make this any less painful to watch...

this clip has been planted in my brain ever since i watched it years ago.

That is odd...that is what most people say about Ricky Gervais these days. He is CLEARLY his own biggest fan.

"Don't ask me back on this fucking show again" RIP Peter Falk.

Ricky Gervais has always tried too hard to get other comics to like him and I love seeing someone not falling for it.

Geoff sent me here

The Larry Sanders Show is incredible. I think I recall Ricy Gervais said it was either his favourite or second favourite show ever. Garry Shandling is incredibly funny. I love both of them.

Much behind the scenes that people are missing. I say this as a Ricky Gervais fan. When they set this whole thing up, Gary and Ricky were filming their shows simultaneously - both agreed that they would shoot Gary's bit before Ricky's bit - but when the day came Ricky showed up with the cams rolling as though he was just going to shoot his interview first and Gary was caught off guard. The result is this awkward interview with Gary being deliberately uncooperative cause he's annoyed.

"What are you, controling?" I have never heard anybody phrase something like that before.

I recognise a lot of the outside shot locations from playing GTA V.

RIP Garry Shandling. Always made me laugh!

Shandling has said he was spooked to see Ricky in his kitchen with the cameras and that he was trying to give Ricky the hint to turn them off until the proper interview started. Unfortunately, Ricky didn't get the hint and let the cameras roll, so what we're left with is a very awkward, cringe-inducing interview.

shandling is one of the pioneers and all time kings of awkward comedy and he still has it here

R.i.p. Garry Shandling.

holy shit this is like watching a boxing match, and one guy is running away because he thought he was a professional and he's suddenly realizing he's barely an amateur.

don't touch me... LOL

I found this interview fascinating. It must be one of the most awkward interviews of all time.

i agree this is fascinating. Ricky Gervais seems so tightly wound and manic whereas Garry seems centred. It's pretty clear that Garry doesn't like Ricky's work.

R.I.P Garry

Gervais -Oh, like he cares - he laughs AT people, Garry laughed WITH humanity. The difference is stark.

I think its just two masters of awkward comedy jousting with each other.

Here's the behind the story - Shandling on Pete Holme's podcast says Gervais and he were each trying to be guests on each others shows, which was the cause of the confusion. His low-key, introverted podcast was originally scheduled first, but his former producer stupidly forced Gervais ahead, which had a completely different extroverted BBC tone. Shandling decided to try the middle road and combine the tones of both shows, while Gervais remained clueless. In the end it's obvious to me that (by part 4) Shandling deconstructed Gervais as acting exactly as one of the guests on the Larry Sanders Show in front of the camera and fails at holding up a show without the phony 'HA-HA TOUCH THE GUEST' energy.

Oh man, I thought his annoyingness and self-centeredness would be something subtle. He is meeting a guy with a very different approach, kind of a legend/idol in his own words, and there he is, in a black t-shirt, commanding him around in his own bigass house like he was the court jester. Not sure it's the truth, but the impression I got is someone who loves humor meets someone who decided to be funny in an attempt to be liked. I love how this startled him so much that he decided to cancel the rest of the series. This is gold.

For true fans, this is absolutely perfect. Shandling still has it.

Gosh I'm so sorry I started to watch this. I like(d) both of them so much.

If you watch Garry Shandling in interviews, this is just how he is. Even on his Larry Sanders DVD. He's just doing his shtick.

The problem - as Garry Shandling said - is that Ricky Gervais is "in his head" - he thinks he is the most important person in any room, and that he can order other people around - even when he's in their house. He's witty and talented - and an obnoxious git. (Edit - Garry probably got increasingly irritated - as I have - by Gervais' obviously fake laughter.)

Gary: You wanted to be awkward and uncomfortable interview? I’ll teach how to make it so.

Pure gold so wonderful. Shit is appreciated as antiques but never fresh from target

For what it's worth, Garry Shandling gives an explanation of what happened that day on Pete Holmes's "You Made It Weird" podcast.

This is golden

there is an interview with Garry where he explains what went wrong here. He was told that there would be two interviews and the first would be a very intimate interview where he asks Ricky questions, a serious interview and then another interview with Ricky in charge but the producers set up the wrong interview first and wrong footed Garry. He didn't even expect all the light and cameras to be set up at that time so Garry is actually trying for a more serious interview, more psychological and Ricky is doing a normal BBC type interview. This is why it comes off as incredibly awkward.

For perspective, you should read the recent GQ article about Shandling that illustrates his perspective of the situation. Also, it's pretty clear that Ricky Gervais just shows up at his house doing his thing and starts touring around, which clearly peeves Shandling. Besides these two people never met before, and there is no rapport, and Ricky acts like he owns the place just because its his show.

I love this. It's amazing. Gary confronts the ego of the world.

Anytime Ricky Gervais does something, I always come back here & watch to restore balance.

I wonder if Garry decided to do this interview in character, then he found Ricky a bit annoying, then the whole thing went downhill from there.

Nice...wish it was all together. On to part two!

I need to watch The Larry Sanders Show again. Practically lost it at the clip of Hank pathetically asking to be invited to the party. Comedy gold.

I thought hank was Dr Phil at first!

RIP Garry...loved all of it - thanks.

I was enjoying this interview

Lol, this interview literally turned into another episode of the Office with all the awkward and stilted communication so characteristic of it.

Lol, "He hunts fake deer." I love you Ricky (nohomo)

If you were any more wrong, you'd end up in a parallel universe.

Brilliant.

This is really a great example of what the media and comedy world is like. Most people look at comedy thinking: "Oh what nice, funny people" But this is media, comedy and the atmosphere when the camera is switched of.

Sam Harris sent me

WOW so many commenters haven't a clue, this is Shandling's act

feels like an episode of extras

Folks, this is all a set-up and it's brilliant.

You need to watch the Larry Sanders DVD to see what was really going on here. Shandling was in the middle of being incredibly reflective, revisiting old relationships, and trying to get the people he spoke to be as real as possible. Gervais was coming at it from a completely different angle, and unfortunately they clashed horribly. Shandling came across as hostile, when really (if you see the other interviews he was doing at the time this one was made) he wasn't.

Garry is so extreme in this that he has to be doing a bit and just saw it through to the end! Haha!

Oh wow the chemistry between them... rip Garry, a shame I barely new his stuff but appareantly a briliant guy.

R.I.P. Garry Shanding--Ricky Gervais tweeted. "We've just lost a comedian who greatly influenced an entire generation"

It’s so weird. The comments on here used to be completely in support of Ricky, now you can’t find a single comment supporting him. Is the uploader deleting them?

Was I the only one who kept thinking the bald guy was Dr. Phil?

If I was Ricky I'd have asked the camera man for the footage at the end of the interview and thrown it in the bin. I'm amazed this shambles saw the light of day.

RIP Garry, i love this interview

"I don't think either of has a problem" LMFAO. Two very, very funny men who excel at making awkward situations hysterical.

poor Ricky

In an interview on Opie and Anthony, this interview was brought up and Ricky said that Gary called him a few days later to apologize. Apparently he was going for a bit, and after hearing they weren't going to use the interview, felt bad that he didn't do it straight.

This is too familiar. I feel like all my interactions with people are this hostile.

I am Ricky's biggest, most loyal fan, but when you think about it, since he was the interviewer, he should have allowed Shandling to set the comedy tone, but instead he injected his own distinct style of humor immediately in the hopes/confidence that Garry would be totally receptive. This didn't "go wrong" due to the arrogance or daftness of Shandling, because he's a legend and he knows he didn't need this interview. It went off because their sensibilities at this moment weren't complimentary.

Shandling is hysterical! it's a whole bit he's doing here

instantly reminded of this interview when i heard the news, this is a classic he doesn't give any shits

"Nice house, is it council?" That tickled me real bad

This is fucking GREAT.

What a great set of interviews. I'm a fan of both of these fellows. Gary is a bit harder to read, but I think he had a lot of fun doing this interview.

This is a work!

*The thing which you believe makes yourself above everyone else certainly does not.

Shandling is such a genius

Garry is destroying Ricky, a joy to watch. Ricky is so empty and dumb. He does not get Garry´s Joke: "I prefer beige and blue, makes me looking more straight." - "More straight?"

Peter Falk going at Shandling is awesome

the part where Ricky walks on and Shandling just stays there . .. now thats funny

Going through Shandling's fridge as soon as he entered. That would irritate me a bit, too.

R.I.P Garry Shandling We Miss You I Like You Did The Voice Of Verne From Over The Hedge

I haven't seen much of Shandling's work at all. But even I can tell what he's going for here. Self-parody is a good description. He's doing a bit with a fellow comedian that he hoped could keep up. No malice here.

It actually wasn't staged. Ricky has spoken about it since, saying Garry commented later on the phone that he was trying something which didn't quite work. Ricky didn't come up with it.

He met the master

i found this so funny

So this is the famous meeting.

It was actually Ricky's fault, this guy doesn't realize that he was getting trolled by Shandling's own brand of humour

Ugh. This is painful.

What is the name of the song that starts at the beginning?

Ricky might have played along if Garry wasn't a childhood hero of his, but I think he was thrown because of that. The tension and awkwardness is unbearable, just like a scene from The Office or Extras.

Rest in peace Garry.

David Brent interviewing Larry Sanders

i get the feeling gary is purposefully sending up the whole point of the interview

Garry said he was doing a bit, but nobody told Ricky, so its two shows going on at the same time, it was perfect because its different 😂

I want this to be so much less awkward so bad!!!

Ricky is his own rolling "laugh track": "Look guys, i was laughing about my "joke", so better do the same!" He is so cheap.

This is what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object.

a very sinister man...

As Judd Apatow said about this today on Neal Brennan's podcast, Shandling justified all of his behavior here as an "art experiment" and a lesson in awkward humor, but Apatow calls it out as "cruel" and "hostile." It was actually a peek into Shandling's darker side, despite his later attempts to say it was all a comedic exercise. Ricky Gervais did nothing wrong here, the schedule mix-up was not his fault and he was not aware of it. Today, it is just a fascinating time capsule of cringe humor that "The Office" would go on to make mainstream.

Judd Apatow on The Nerdist Podcast sent me here

Despite all the comments here, this is a brilliant exposition on the nature of comedy and fame, and life. I suggest all of you watch the full 5 parts. This is not "comedy" it's "about comedy." If you're watching this to laugh, you'll be disappointed. This is not 7 minutes of "talk show." If you want to see a great analysis and two brilliant minds "playing the dozens" and talking shop, this is for you. Thanks, Lonerboner, even though you played this down. Very rewarding to watch the whole thing.

Brilliant. There's nothing like seeing Gervais squirm for real! Shandling should legally have to accompany him on all of his ass-kissing endeavours.