Once upon a time, comedians did stand-up shows. They pushed the line and occasionally offended. There was hand-wringing and some mirth, and, like all such periods of inclement weather, the clouds parted, the sun came out again, and life rolled on.

As the centrepiece of controversy, Ricky Gervais was always hard to cast as the bad guy. This is, after all, the man who nailed Hollywood to a cross at a succession of skewering Golden Globes telecasts. He took potshots at #MeToo arch-villain Harvey Weinstein and even his employer, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.

Ricky Gervais in Armageddon.Credit: Netflix

“Do I pander to the 200 privileged egos in the room, or do I try and entertain a global audience of 200 million people sitting at home........

© The Sydney Morning Herald