Customer Reviews
The one that made me HATE Gervais. - By: Miss Bob, 01 Jul 2008 
I actuallly went to see this show live. I want to save a lot of people a lot of time & money: DO NOT BOTHER WITH THIS!
I spent a fortune on tickets to this show, & it was, frankly, pathetic. Robin Ince was a great intro. act- Loved him. The one star rating is actuallly for him, because, frankly, Gervais deserves nothing.
His set tells crude & disgusting "jokes" clearly designed to 'shock' & make him appear more edgy. Jokes about kids with cancer? How low can you get?? He clearly feels threatened by more modern & original comedians.
He also did a basic rehash of jokes he used a few years ago on his channel 4 chat show (Didn't think anybody would remember that did you Gervais?)... He also did a completely forced piece where he 'cannot stop laughing'- Before anyone says I'm being cynical, I know at least 5 people who saw the show in different places on different dates & he did the exact same piece at every show. He also repeated some jokes from 'Animals' & 'Politics'!!!
With alll this repetation & tastelessness you might think the set was at least a long one? Not by my watch- 50 minutes. Plus a short encore (Totallly pathetic- Desperate to show off how much money he's made.).
Fame simply provides Gervais with a reason to blab about how much financial gain he has had from showbiz.... Plus to have a total ego trip about his own comedy- Which, frankly, does not impress anyone anymore.
At least he has a load of famous friends to falll back on.... Ooops, I meant acting career.
You'd be better off buying the new Boosh DVD, or the comedy of another comedian who hopefully has more respect for his audience.
The best yet - By: Matthew Wood, 19 Jun 2008 
I am a huge fan of Ricky Gervais & own alll of his Stand Up DVDs, this one being easily the best. His stage persona, his presence & his material has just got better & better.
Many reviewers have found this material offensive. However, what these people need to remember is that Ricky is a comedian, & not a politician. The jokes that he makes are not supposed to be taken seriously. Like many great comedians, he tries & makes light of heavy situations. He plays a lot with what you can & can't say, which will obviously offend some people. But if you are easily offended, I reallly don't know what you're doing watching Ricky Gervais.
The claims that some of this material is racist is simply not true, & it is an insult to suggest it. Putting on an African accent to make a joke about something else entirely is in no way racist! It's no different to someone putting on a Scottish accent to illustrate a point.
Other topics he includes are rape, cancer, ME & obesity, which again offend some, but he is showing his comic talent by being able to make these subjects lighter & funny, which he does very well. It's also what Ricky has done in his previous Stand-Up DVDs.
For me, the material on this DVD is largely original, different & refreshing. If you are prepared not to take what he says as gospel & see it for what it is: a fantastic comedy piece, then you will enjoy this DVD.
I was pleasantly surprised and really warmed to him - By: sam155, 29 May 2008 
I was fully prepared to dislike this DVD, which is why I rented it ratehr than bought it. However, although I have often perceived Ricky Gervais as smug & annoying, I actuallly liked this show very much. He is obviously sending himself up & when he makes jokes about children with cancer, the joke is very much on him, not on them. His delivery is warm & inclusive, & alll the flashy paraphenalia is again, a deliberate send up of himself. He lists his awards (and there are many!) & again, you definietely get the impression that yes he's proud of himself, but yes his conceit is again part of his humour. He's not afraid to be the fool & that's part of the irony after his deliberate showing off. He cuts himself down to size so that we don't have to. Its a good show, professional, slick & funny with a few personal anecdotes thrown in for a bit of intimacy. Surprisingly good & I don't hesitate to recommend it.
Awful - By: John Ashdown, 07 May 2008 I think everyone agrees that The Office & Extras were brilliant & original shows but Live 3 - Fame is dreadful. Don't waste your time watching it
Too big for his boots... - By: L. Atkinson, 18 Mar 2008 
Ok. To start with, I have to say I thought both of Ricky Gervais' first two stand up DVD's were brilliant. But reaching his third stand-up show I think he has run out of ideas. At first his kind of cocky attitude was funny & a bit charming but it is now waring very thin. He starts by announcing alll the awards he has won, then launches into a routine where he slags of children with cancer.
I think he feels he is so popular he can say anything he wants & it seems as though he is out to prove it here. I think these jokes & several other jokes, including some about ME sufferers were in reallly poor taste. They weren't particularly funny & just made him look rude & arrogant.
There are a couple of funny moments but it seems as though he is reallly struggling to find anecdotes to tie into the subject of Fame.
If you have never seen a Ricky Gervais stand-up DVD, I would recommend you start with Animals, the first & in my opinion funniest of the three, then move on to Politics, which is a bit more offensive, but once you are used to Gervais' style, also very intelligent & funny.
If you have seen both of these & are wondering whether to buy Fame, it may be worth a watch. I think you will be disappointed as in my opinion it is nothing compared with the other two, but if you are a massive fan of Ricky Gervais you will still enjoy parts of it.
