Ep 1. Ben Stiller

Extras is a comedy television series that follows the life of an aspiring actor, Andy Millman (played by Ricky Gervais), who is stuck in an endless cycle of bit roles as a background actor. In each episode, Andy finds himself working as an extra on different film and television sets. In the first episode, Ben Stiller, the Hollywood actor and director, is in town filming a movie, and Andy and his friend and fellow extra, Maggie, are desperate to get noticed.

The episode opens with Andy and Maggie standing outside the set, trying to come up with a way to get noticed by Ben Stiller. They spot Patrick Stewart, the actor who plays Captain Picard in Star Trek, and decide to ask for his advice. Patrick Stewart suggests that they should pretend to be important people and that Ben Stiller will notice them.

Andy and Maggie follow Patrick’s advice and come up with elaborate stories that they use to impress the cast and crew on the set. Maggie pretends to be a stylist while Andy pretends to be a writer. They both manage to get themselves noticed by the production team and even end up getting invited to the wrap party.

Meanwhile, on set, Ben Stiller is frustrated with the lead actor, Ross Kemp, who is struggling to deliver his lines. Ben Stiller decides to step in and help by giving Ross some acting tips. This results in a hilarious scene where Ben Stiller and Ross Kemp swap roles, and Ben Stiller shows off his acting chops.

At the wrap party, Andy and Maggie are thrilled to have been invited and are hoping to get a chance to meet Ben Stiller. They spot him across the room and work up the courage to speak to him. However, things don't quite go as planned, and the encounter ends up being more awkward than they had hoped.

Overall, the episode is a hilarious insight into the world of extras and the lengths they will go to get noticed. The humor is both cringe-worthy and relatable, and the cameos from famous actors like Patrick Stewart and Ben Stiller add to the enjoyment of the show. Throughout the episode, we see Andy wrestle with his dreams of becoming a successful actor and the reality of his situation as a background extra. It's a show that anyone who has ever had aspirations of making it in showbiz can relate to, and ultimately, it's a show about the underdog, which makes it endearing and entertaining.