Capturing The Zeitgeist:  Gervais bravely put his own name on this mock chat show host, further blurring the line between performer and performance that would become his trademark.

However, Gervais was ahead of the curve here.  The show was cancelled after a single run, and has been pretty much disowned by its star since.

The Ironic Smirk: The show depended on Gervais' self-mocking misanthropy.  Unfortunately, since nobody knew who he was, nobody got the joke.