11. This Life (1996-1997, 2007)
I actually debated where to add this to the list. In once sense it seemed like it was as big as
Cracker or
Prime Suspect (though its a very different show) but like my previous entry,
This Life is fondly remembered by those who watched it at the time but now requires a whole rewatch / reintroduction to those that might have missed it first time round.
This Life was a ground breaking show. It showed young people in their twenties in all their glory. Its a kind of gritty
Friends though there is still plenty of humour to be had. It shows bored, young professionals at the cusp of their careers and relationships and it wasn't afraid to hold back. Sex, nudity, drugs, alcohol, homosexuality, therapy, inappropriate relationships, affairs, marriage and the lengths people will go to further their careers...this show had it all. And it was fascinating to watch. The deterioration of Egg and Milly's relationship. Anna's self-defeating behaviours getting in the way of her work and love life. Warren's ambition and strive to get his friends to accept him. Ferdy leaving his fiancee and discovering his homosexuality. Miles flitting between Anna and his new fiancee.
That final showdown at his wedding. Some of it was a slow burn but it paid off. And every supporting character was strong too. It felt real. It was also the show that started to launch careers. Jack Davenport (
Pirates of the Carribean and now
Smash in the states) had the pick of roles after his show. And while he wasn't as big for a while, it's also the first time audiences were introduced to Andrew Lincoln. If you ever want to see him playing a role completely unlike Nick Grimes in
The Walking Dead, this is it. A football-obsessed, hopeless, directionless young man and perhaps the most frustrating and loved character on the show. Here's the first part of episode one to get you started... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0eBu2i_j-8