What's it about?
A faux documentary starring actor Warwick Davis as a fictionalized version of himself desperately trying to hustle and connive his way back into the spotlight. Written, directed and executive produced by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, the show features cameos by top stars, including Liam Neeson, Johnny Deep, and Sting along with Gervais and Merchant playing themselves.
You should watch if...
• you liked the original British version of THE OFFICE or EXTRAS.
• you enjoy self-deprecating celebrity cameos.
• 30 straight minutes of "dwarf" jokes sounds like your kind of comedy.
So, how was it?
The first episode of this British series (re-airing for American audiences on HBO) started the show with an incredibly uneven start. The comedy was wildly hit-or-miss, at least for me. I spent most of the thirty minutes in silence, but absolutely cracked up a couple of times. There was hardly anything in the mid-range; say, chuckles or soft guffaws.
It's been over a decade since THE OFFICE premiered in England in 2001. If LIFE'S TOO SHORT had also premiered back then with its dry humor and faux-documentary style, it probably would have been a certified hit. But eleven years, an American remake, and countless sitcom clones later, the formula is starting to feel stale. There's nothing new about watching a show where a film crew is following someone around, documenting their every misstep, embarrassment and hijink. The biggest thing the show has going for it is taking the format back to its Britishly-inappropriate roots after its been co-opted by such American-family-friendly fare as MODERN FAMILY and PARKS AND RECREATION. But that's not enough to make the show a hit. It also needs a likable lead, a comedically compelling story, and a solid supporting cast.
Unfortunately, LIFE'S TOO SHORT only succeeds on one of those three fronts. Warwick Davis (the character) does not even come close to being a likable lead character. It's disappointing because Warwick Davis (the person) seems like actually a great, funny guy, and he's doing his best with what Ricky Gervais is writing for him. But the fictional Warwick Davis is so abrasive, so crass, and so offensive, that it's impossible to identify with him. He demeans his ex-wife, spouts sexual innuendos, demeans other little people, and generally seems incredibly full of himself. It's hard to find it amusing when misfortune befalls him -- like when he falls out of his giant SUV -- I more feel like he just really deserves it. We laugh at comedies like BRIDESMAIDS because we're watching a genuinely good person get crapped on by life and do their best to power through horrific situation after horrific situation. We laugh at them but we also hope for them to come out the other side relatively unscathed. In LIFE'S TOO SHORT, I just want to see Warwick Davis get punched in the face. (And honestly, how many "dwarf" jokes can we fit into one half-hour comedy? I suppose the fact that they're coming from a member of that specific minority group means it's okay, but there's gotta be a limit. So much for a comedically compelling story.)
The one thing this show does have going for it are the celebrity cameos. Liam Neeson swoops onto the scene in the last ten minutes of the pilot with his brooding glare, his giant manliness and general aura of awesomeness and completely saves the day. Honestly, his bit with Davis, Gervais and Merchant about wanting to become a standup comedian and demanding an impromptu improv rehearsal is one of the funniest things I've seen in a long time. I would recommend this show to anyone just for that scene alone (although honestly I would probably tell them to look up the scene on YouTube). In the previews for next episode, we're shown glimpses of Davis interacting with Johnny Depp, which should be at least interesting to watch. If I ever happen to tune in again, it will be to see which celebrity is making a fool of themselves that particular week.
Rating:
** Okay. I may give it another episode or two to see if it gets better.
As you can probably tell, I wasn't all that impressed by the premiere. But I'm not the world's biggest Ricky Gervais fan (I found his stint on the Golden Globes last year unapologetically rude and his stint on the Golden Globes this year unapologetically boring), so this show probably isn't geared toward me anyway. I'd be interested to see what a fan of the original OFFICE thinks about this show -- whether it's as good eleven years after that show started it all, or if the format just seems derivative after all this time.
What did you think, Fellow Addicts? Were you amused by the offensive antics of Warwick Davis (the character)? Or were you bored by the been-there-done-that format of the show? Is it humanly possible to argue that Liam Neeson WASN'T the best part of the episode? What other celebrities would you like to see made fun of on the show? Vote in the poll and then hit the comments?
(For the complete rundown of when all the new shows are premiering, check out my 2012 Midseason TV Preview.)
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