I usually love Chervais and Merchants’ work –The Office is groundbreaking to say the least- bit ‘Life’s to Short’ is not only boring but feels oddly self congratulatory and even smug. On top of that the similarities with their other shows are gratingly familiar. I rather suspect this show is going to cost them dearly in credibility. Overall a huge disappointment.
share"On top of that the similarities with their other shows are gratingly familiar."
Can you explain yourself here?
"the enemy is within"
I don’t know why I bother to do this. I fully expect some snide retort, but here goes...
It feels like Chervais and Merchant took David Brent, shrunk him to half size and threw him into Extra’s Andy Millman territory. What worked in those shows is painfully unfunny here. Warwick's scenes at the Star Wars convention/charging for autographs just feels like a mash-up of David Brent dumped into Milman's street-person/kid in the hospital scenes. Those scenes worked beautifully in those shows and were even moving, but here it’s just tediously pat and played out.
The cameos in Extras didn’t feel as forced as they do here. The scene with Liam Neeson –another actor I admire- is one of the most drearily forced sequences I can remember watching. The same with Depps bit, initially it's okay with Warwick, but when they visit to the production office it comes apart. It at least has some context at first, hinting at Chervais’ comments about Depp at the golden globes. But it quickly gets just as boring and tedious as Neesons scenes. The same goes for Sting and Bonham Carter’s episodes. Not something I'd ever watch again.
Thanks Maritze.
I was just curious. I totally agree, it was all a poor rehash. Good analysis.
Let's see if he does it again with Derek. Not that I wanna watch that, looks pathetic. Wonder will he ever learn?
"the enemy is within"
Why do you keep calling him 'Chervais'? Is this a play on 'chav'? It's distracting. You couldn't just spell his name properly?
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Good synopsis, Maritze. Pretty much spot-on. While it was far from dreadful, and Davis did a fine job with what he had to work with, I don't see myself watching this again. I'd even be surprised if this ever went to a second series. I just can't see people clamoring for it.
share@maritze I also got the sense of this show being a rehash of The Office Christmas special.
David Brent making disastrous paid appearances, being insulted because people didn't recognize him, going on a blind date from a dating agency - sound familiar?
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