This Sucks

The return of THIS LIFE.

10 years ago Britpop was at its height, Trainspotting was out, Euro ’96 made football cool again, I only had 4 hours of lectures a week and This Life was THE show of the decade. It had it all and was a world away from all the other clap trap on TV. When rumours started circulating late last year that Amy Jenkins had got the gang back together for one last final blast, 26 – 36 year olds everywhere waited with baited breath to see the outcome. Would Milly and Egg have weathered the wedding day punch up split ? Would Anna shag Miles again ? Would Warren get over himself? And would Ferdy and Lenny actually get themselves out of that bloody toilet cubicle? My friends and I couldn’t get Xmas and New Year over quick enough. Roll on Jan 2nd and roll on the answers.

It was shite. The programme had about 27 different sub plots. Ferdy’s 2 minute funeral. The faux documentary. Milly falling off a horse. Milly and Egg splitting up. Milly and Egg back together etc. Warren’s ‘overdose’. Warren’s res-surrection. Warren consenting to be a father. Anna shagging Miles. Egg on the boat. The ending. Miles' pretend wife. Miles' house being repossessed. MILES' BLEEDIN' HAIR, for god sake!! They tried to cram a series worth of story lines into one episode.

For a show that I held in such high esteem, It could not have fallen further. What had happened to Joe, Kira, O’Donnell, Rachel ?? How did Ferdy die ?? What happened to Miles first wife ?? Eggs café ?? Why hadn’t they seen each other for 10 years ?? Amy Jenkins blew the chance to make it untouchable.

The hype was great - the show was bollocks. For that, the Barrell of a Gun despatches a single headshot to my beloved show. You are fatally wounded, no This Life + 20 please.