This Life (1996–1997)

A series following the lives of Miles, Milly, Warren, Egg and Anna, five young professionals.

Creator:

Amy Jenkins

Stars:

Jack Davenport, Amita Dhiri, Andrew Lincoln

4 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Jack Davenport	...	Miles Stewart (32 episodes, 1996-1997)
Amita Dhiri	...	Milly Nassim (32 episodes, 1996-1997)
Andrew Lincoln	...	Edgar 'Egg' Cook (32 episodes, 1996-1997)
Daniela Nardini	...	Anna Forbes (32 episodes, 1996-1997)
Luisa Bradshaw-White	...	Kira (31 episodes, 1996-1997)
David Mallinson	...	Michael O'Donnell (31 episodes, 1996-1997)
Steve John Shepherd	...	Jo (31 episodes, 1996-1997)
Cyril Nri	...	Graham (22 episodes, 1996-1997)
Ramon Tikaram	...	Ferdinand 'Ferdy' Garcia (21 episodes, 1996-1997)
Gillian McCutcheon	...	Therapist (21 episodes, 1996-1997)
Natasha Little	...	Rachel (20 episodes, 1997)
Jason Hughes	...	Warren Jones (19 episodes, 1996-1997)
Geoffrey Bateman	...	Hooperman (17 episodes, 1996-1997)
Juliet Cowan	...	Nicki (15 episodes, 1997)
Sacha Craise	...	Kelly (13 episodes, 1996-1997)

Storyline

A series following the lives of Miles, Milly, Warren, Egg and Anna, five young professionals.

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Plot Keywords:

sexual tension | twenty something | professional rivalry | ambition | homophobia | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Official Sites:

World Productions [uk]

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 November 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Livet kan börja

Filming Locations:

Chancery Lane, Holborn, London, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), World Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

45 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Quotes

Anna: You know, they say that when a baby is newborn, it doesn't really understand that other people exist. It quite naturally assumes that the whole universe revolves around it. YOU are that baby, Miles. You never got past that first stage. You never found out that not everything on this Earth has got to do with you.
Miles: You ARE jealous!

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Connections

Featured in The Greatest: 100 Greatest TV Characters (2001)

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Soundtracks

"This Life Theme"
Written by Mark Anderson and Cliff Freeborn
Performed by The Way Out

User Reviews

Postscript: This Life +10

Part of what made This Life such a landmark television series was its uncompromising trendiness – its utter refusal to comply with standard dramatic devices. The shaky camera, the rough cuts, the sex and the swearing were genuinely ground-breaking, which is why Amy Jenkins' decision to make a one-off comeback 10 years on has just a tinge of sell-out about it. I suppose this is how die-hard Beatles fans felt when Paul McCartney released the Frog Chorus.

Still, getting a glimpse of the whole "what happened next?" thing is always intriguing. In This Life +10 the group of law graduates reunite for gay biker Ferdy's funeral. The cause of his demise remains unexplained (maybe Ramon Tikaram was busy that day) though we do learn that he got it together with Welsh milksop Warren (Jason Hughes) in the years following the end of the series.

It is swiftly apparent however that the five original housemates have drifted apart: Anna (Daniella Nardini) is the only practising lawyer and has quickly motored up the ranks of high-class defence attorneys; Miles (Jack Davenport) has acquired a country mansion, a hotel business and a Vietnamese bride; Egg (Andrew Lincoln) has written a best-selling novel based on the gang's experiences and is still with Milly (Amita Dhiri) who has popped a sprog; and Warren is dealing with Ferdy's death admirably thanks to his burgeoning career as a life coach/self help guru.

Egg's status as a celebrity author prompts a sexy young filmmaker to organise a reunion between the flatmates at Miles's stately pile as part of a fly-on-the-wall documentary, and this is where the faintly absurd amateur psychology and pent-up tension begins to emerge.

But, hey, this is a study in recent social history after all and Jenkins just about gets away with the clichéd set-up largely thanks to the edginess of the group dynamic (which is still as well observed as ever) and the chemistry between Lincoln and Davenport whose old buddy routine provides just about the only realistic friendship of the whole lot of them.

Frankly the whole project is little more than an excuse to drum up the old neuroses and insecurities that plague those trying to come to terms with lost youth: Career woman versus housewife? Playboy versus responsible adult? Clapham Common cottager versus weird, over-analysing sperm donor? They are the identity crises that face us all…

Still – there is much to enjoy. The soundtrack to Egg's ostentatious cooking routines and the group's booze-fuelled slanging matches has shifted from Massive Attack and Portishead to The Killers and Kaiser Chiefs – the use of contemporary music once again proving integral to This Life's success - but, in a nice conceit, as the action comes to a climax, the whole gang dance around like middle-aged loons to the Manic Street Preachers. Clearly these are nineties children at heart.

Whether intentional or not, there is a spooky symmetry between the fates of the characters and their real life alter egos. Miles's success in industry and Egg's fame mirror the career paths of Davenport and Lincoln who clearly didn't need this nostalgic trip down memory lane as much as the others and it is a tribute to their evident respect for Jenkins and the original series that they agreed to the reunion at all.

The biggest problem with the show has always been empathy. These people are egotistical, hopelessly unstable and borderline unlikeable - but they perfectly bring out the screwed-up wretch in all of us. One can easily forgive Jenkins her indulgence, for This Life +10 is a triumph of reminiscence and guilty pleasures.