"This Life" 30 years on

[topcat2014]

Anyone looking forward to this being re shown next week?

I lived in a house share of law graduates at the time, some were training to do the bar, others doing solicitors apprenticeships. It was never allowed because the others hated it! I think it particularly annoyed them that people assumed they all had exciting sex lives and dramatic lives like the characters when in reality they just worked and came home and were quite dull really. What fascinates me most about remembering it now was that flatmates got to dictate what I watched. We had one TV in the sitting room which also had the only dining table and chairs so you had to eat dinner watching whatever the person who came home before put on. Two of the flatmates never went anywhere and had the TV on all evening. Is it OK that I'm still annoyed 30 years later!

I spent the first few episodes thinking it was terribly unrealistic for Miles to be so friendly with rulebreaking Anna and involved with chaotic Delilah, then got to episode 4 and realised he’s trying both to be better than his Dad and to rebel against him. It was a good character pay-off.

I am enjoying it. And yes, I agree we don’t see this pacing (or subtle characterisation/plot development) so much now that writers know the audience is only half-watching while scrolling their phones!

Just been googling and she's a therapist now.

Miles meeting people through Time Out made me laugh, what a blast from the past everyone used to do that . Prehistoric Tinder 😂

I thought this aged pretty well. I was in house shares in the 90s so I remember the stress of your food being gobbled.

I enjoyed all the story lines this time round except Egg moaning and looking for himself 🥱. And his dad (!). Interestingly I saw an interview with the great D Nardini (what an absolute star - just as good now as then, the best lines) she said she didn’t think Anna would go for Egg’s dad as he wasn’t attractive enough.
I totally agree! It should have been someone significantly sexier do it made it credible.

The soundtrack has also aged brilliantly and I think Ricky Gervais was a music consultant. Jane Fallon was a producer I think - I would love to hear here memories.

Apparently the budget was tiny

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m002sw81

Yes it had a cult following at the time ,it remember it being on quite late at night on BBC2 🤔

I was hooked and couldn't wait for each next episode.

I never watched it in the 90's, really enjoying it this time round. It's reminding me of my house sharing days and when people didn't have phones all the time. Anna is such a great character. I was watching it the other night then put the Huw Edwards drama on, the actor playing Warren played the victim's Dad. It was poignant seeing the actor so young then middle aged.

Its made me realise how much society has changed in 30 years
I would hope we are all a lot more accepting of people being gay now and its not something someone hss to hide from their family?
When i think it was Anna looking for the house phone so she could invite people to the party these days we would just Whats app people or message them
And all the smoking everywhere .

And all the smoking everywhere . Quite.

It seems so strange to think of when I was watching things like This Life we had modems and no mobile phones.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p00ccmtl

I really didn’t like this reunion episode.

I think the exec producer was trying to get something else made so used this as part of a deal. The deciding factor I think was the cast did a group payment deal (like the Friends cast) and so they all got a great chunk of money and the chance to meet up.

But the storyline was, IMO, absolutely dreadful and I think Amy Jenkins any Tony Whatever seem a bit ashamed of it nowadays.

I think Jenkins could have done something much deeper and darker than this sort of cartoon plot. The Korean gf was unforgivably badly drawn. Nardini looks uncomfortable. Andrew Lincoln is always game but he always gives me a slight whiff of ham. Jack Davenport is solid but not really convincing on a horse with floppy hair. Milly is just reduced to misery and then hysteria. What a reduction of a good character. Warren has a boring role. Really disappointing. I would argue to never watch it and to leave the whole house at Miles’s wedding for ever.

I wonder if Ramon Tikarum was asked and was unavailable or whether they felt he was dispensable.

The interesting thing would be to have had Rachel included but maybe Natasha Little (what a great actress) wasn’t available.

It needed much grittier script I think but maybe that wouldnt have been wanted by the commissioners.

I'd forgotten that Anna shagged Egg's dad! She had so many great lines too, my favourite was something like "if I'd known you were going to throw a drink in my face, I'd have opened my mouth"!

Never saw the appeal of O'Donnell. I get the attraction of an older man if he was a sexy silver fox type but O'Donnell most definitely was not.

I watched This Life the first time round and loved it - but I think it was of its time. (which does not mean it wasn't good) Just watched the film of On the Beach - Nevil Shute - of it time but still good ) I thought Egg was pathetic , but mayhap because he reminded me of an ex boyfriend.

I am in the Jack Davenport - Oh how very yes camp.

This was of its time also but Tanita - sister of -

Yes i agree about O' Donnell,
He's not objectively attractive and he comes across as rather insipid
As you say a sexy silver fox ,would have been more realistic

I thought exactly the same @2Rebecca!
Mile's is supposed to be tough and ruthless, no way would he have put up with her.
Egg was annoying, with all his silly footy stuff. Him and Millie weren't well matched.
I also thought Miles was hot at the time, but now think that haircut is a bit shit!

Egg is Rick Grimes in the Walking Dead. I still think of him as Egg.

I agree have just binge watched series one and two over the past couple of weeks and watched the reunion to day it was awful
And didn't make a lot of sense as you say it would have been better to leave it at Miles ,s wedding.

DH and I call him The Walking Egg 😆

Brilliant 🤣

I didn’t watch any of them in the 90s at all ( was vaguely aware of it , but only just)
I am now hooked and I love that they do all the things you can’t now like smoking in pubs! Love Anna and I can see where Fleabag got her inspiration for that character! They are pretty self absorbed and back stabbing , but the acting and the locations are great and it’s unusual as they are all so abrasive with each other, but also have a grudging respect too.
Kira I find annoying , but I can see she wants to better herself. The second series is more work focused.
I am enjoying it and the music , but Egg is so shitty.
I can’t help feeling that Milly deserved better than him.

The walking Egg 🤣🤣🤣

Anna was fascinating, like an irresponsible friend you can't help liking. Egg was so bloody irritating that I STILL don't like Andrew Lincoln in ANYTHING.

I like Anna. We would never be friends , but she is someone I’d be fascinated by her and her general demeanor is just so infectious. A real character

I like Nicki too, but agree Egg is a man child, all that laughing and messing about. He is mega annoying isn’t he.