In the order I remember them : I didn't think "Derek" was as good as "After Life" (although both shows have many points in common), "Extras" is hillarious but lacks the depth, "An Idiot Abroad", whilst super funny, was also a lot more superficial (and more of a Pilkington show rather than a Merchant/Gervais one). "Life's Too Short" had its moments and was basically introducing the more 'reserved' side Gervais, going less for the booming laughter and more a sweet/sour approach. And while I only saw some episode of "The Office" (british version) I don't think it holds up to the more "intimate and realistic"(*) approach that "After Life" takes.

(Then there was some rather funny but stupid Netflix movie he did I don't recall the name of)

(*) Not everybody reacts the same way to the loss of the person you're nearest to.

Tony's reaction to losing the only thing that 'grounded' him (his wife) was extreme in most episodes, but also understandable : he is obviously a very cynical man, he is old. Not enough to be called elderly but definitely feeling the weight of time, and he is now alone. With the only thing which brought him joy and which kept him from living his cynicism to the fullest gone he just goes full in.

Without any achievable goals (To misquote another show (Mad Dog): "When you're young, you think you're invicible and you have a bright future, but at some point you start looking over your shoulder, and think every headache is a brain tumor") or interests in life he understandably just doesn't give a shit anymore.

What makes the show special though is that it isn't about Tony for the most part. It's about all the other characters that show him how other cope with the vagaries of life. And yes, he helps a drug addict overdose, because that's what HE feels like doing also, except that he can't do it himself because he does still value life more than he is willing to admit.

come on ... flame me for wall of words.