Booze, drugs and Egg in the buff! How This Life sexed up the world of TV
Thirty years since the cult show about sweary lawyers swaggered on to our screens in a fug of cigarette smoke, creator Amy Jenkins talks F-bombs, fellatio … and giving Ricky Gervais his big break
TL;DR
- This Life, a landmark 90s TV drama about trainee lawyers, marks its 30th anniversary with a BBC rerun.
- Creator Amy Jenkins aimed to capture the spirit of the rave scene rather than focus on law, depicting characters drinking, swearing, taking drugs, and having sex.
- The show featured pioneering elements such as depicting a character in therapy years before it became common on TV and a central love-hate relationship that kept viewers engaged.
- This Life's daring content, including explicit scenes and discussions of taboo subjects, drew criticism from some outlets but resonated with a generation and influenced later shows.
- The series' raw, on-location filming style and intimate, documentary-like feel were innovative for their time and have been emulated by other successful dramas.
- This Life unexpectedly became a word-of-mouth hit, leading to its promotion to prime time and a significant audience.
- The show's soundtrack was curated by a then-unknown Ricky Gervais, who later became a famous comedian and actor.
- This Life launched the careers of several actors, including Andrew Lincoln and Jack Davenport, and is credited with reinventing TV drama and inspiring shows like 'Industry'.