MAUREEN SUGDEN
FOR a generation of viewers, it was a zeitgeist show that became the most memorable television drama of the 1990s. Now the BBC is preparing to re-air This Life’s first series in full over the course of just one week, as fans call for a reboot.
This Life?
The drama, which aired on BBC Two in 1996 - followed by series two a year later and a reunion special in 2007 - focused on the lives and loves of five 20-something law graduates, embarking upon their careers while sharing a house in London.
What was the appeal?
It became a word-of-mouth cult hit during an era when you couldn't binge on TV, but had to wait a week for the next episode, with viewers climbing steadily to around a regular 4 million.
Airing during the peak of the "Cool Britannia" Britpop period, the soundtrack and witty dialogue hooked viewers, while critics gasped at some of the taboo storylines, with the series drawing headlines for its depiction of casual sex and drug-taking.
Who wrote it?
Amy Jenkins, daughter of Guardian columnist Polly Toynbee and political journalist Peter Jenkins, wrote the series, before going on to become a novelist.
It made some of the stars household names?
Andrew Lincoln, who played Egg, is the biggest star nowadays, going on to appear in Love Actually and in the hit US series, The Walking Dead, as the main protagonist, Rick Grimes.
Who else?
Scots actress, Daniela Nardini, who hails from Largs in Ayrshire, played hard-drinking, chain-smoking, straight-talking Anna Forbes in the series, and won a BAFTA for her portrayal of the character. In recent years, she has appeared in Waterloo Road, Two Doors Down, Bob Servant and the movie, Sunset Song.
Jason Hughes, who played Warren Jones, appeared in Midsomer Murders, while three of the additional cast - Luisa Bradshaw White, who played Kira; Steve John Shepherd, who played Jo, and Ramon Tikaram, who played Ferdy, all appeared in EastEnders, while Natasha Little - who portrayed Rachel - was in The Night Manager and the mini-series, Wolf Hall.
Miles?
Jack Davenport - who played cocky barrister Miles Stewart - went on to appear in the Pirates of the Caribbean series, and other Hollywood movies, including The Talented Mr Ripley. He currently appears in Apple TV’s The Morning Show, alongside Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon.
Now This Life is returning?
The drama returns to TV schedules, with the entire first series being show over one week in February.
The first episode airs on BBC Four at 10pm on Monday, February 3, with episodes two and three following immediately after on the same night.
The remaining episodes of the 11-part series will be shown from 10pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of next week.
News of the re-airing went viral?
Twitter was set alight by the news it is being show again, with fans saying they would love to see where the characters are now, although some were sceptical after a mixed reaction to the 2007 reunion, This Life + 10.
One fan said it was “groundbreaking TV on so many levels…will be glued to it as I was all those year ago”.
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