After Life (Netflix)

It would be easy to dismiss this latest six-episode offering from Ricky Gervais as a middle-aged man using his grief over the death of his wife as an excuse to behave like an arsehole. Indeed some critics have. But it seems likely they did not watch beyond the first episode, which does point that way. All that is keeping Tony going after Lisa’s death from breast cancer is his obligation to their dog. He continues to walk through motions of doing his job, as a journalist covering pointless stories on a community paper; visits his Dad in a care facility; and sees a useless psychiatrist in an attempt to address his deep depression. He resorts to drugs and alcohol while watching videos of and from his dead wife and is several times brought back from the brink of suicide by his dog. Dark, clever, funny and sad, After Life expresses some bleak themes, but ultimately offers hope of a way through. A few scenes are quietly devastating, but they contrast with a gradual move towards a lighter time for Tony as he sheds some of his self-absorption. What gets him there is the quiet support of his colleagues and some new friends; a random array of supportive women – among them a nurse, a widow and a sex worker - who demonstrate that a little kindness goes a long way. Penelope Wilton, Ashley Jenson, Roisin Connaughty and Kerry Godliman add depth and strength to a solid supporting cast. The final episode is a tad preachy in a departure from the more nuanced approach of those earlier, but all in all After Life is a worthy successor to Derek.