Golden Years (Comedy Lab)

"Golden Years" is filmed in a mockumentary style.^[5] Certain scenes feature "talking head" interview segments with Gervais's character, interviewed by Merchant off-screen, which is a format similar to that used in The Office.^[5]

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Gervais plays Clive Meadows, the main character who has a David Bowie obsession. Clive Meadows is the 32 (or 37, he is somewhat unclear) year old co-owner of 'Video Zone', a video rental company based in Reading. The show follows Clive as he prepares for his appearance on the ITV talent show Stars In Their Eyes.

Vulture's Ramsey Ess wrote that the episode is "mostly uneven" in its humour, feeling like a demo tape for Gervais and Merchant's later series, The Office. Ess noted that Gervais's character has no redeeming qualities, which makes sympathising with him when he reaches his lowest point a difficult task. He concluded by writing that, "Without this show, there probably wouldn’t have been an Office, so in that regard, it’s a good thing that it was made. But beyond that, Golden Years offers only the spark of what Gervais and Merchant would create together."^[5]

The documentary style of the show and in particular the behaviour of Gervais's character present like prototypes for The Office and its lead character David Brent.^[5]