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''Life's Too Short''
RickyGervais.com * * {{HBONetwork Shows 2011 British television series debuts 2013 British television series endings 2010s British sitcoms BBC television sitcoms HBO original programming 2010s British satirical television series British mockumentary television series Metafictional television series English-language television shows Television series created by Ricky Gervais Television series created by Stephen Merchant
''Life's Too Short'' is a British
Gervais first mentioned ''Life's Too Short'' on his blog in February 2010, when he and Merchant were writing and casting the project. They would go on to select Warwick Davis for the lead role after a number of auditions.
The pilot for the comedy was commissioned by the
in April 2010. Gervais reported on progress in his blog. In April 2010 he stated, "Some reports are saying that the ''Life's Too Short'' pilot we are shooting in the summer will be aired. It wont . It is a non-broadcast pilot. We will shoot the whole series before anything is aired. We're not sure how many eps pisodeswe will record (probably 6) and not sure when the series will air."
Gervais wrote on his blog in June 2010 that they had "Found the last location today for ''Life's Too Short''. It feels great doing this project. Just like ''The Office'' and ''Extras''. Starting from scratch, just me and Steve in a room crafting a brand new show. It doesn't get better than that for me." He later wrote that filming of the pilot was undertaken in June and July 2010. While talking at the mockumentary
A mockumentary (a blend of ''mock'' and ''documentary''), fake documentary or docu-comedy is a type of film or television show depicting fictional events but presented as a documentary.
These productions are often used to analyze or comment on c ...
sitcom created and written by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant
Stephen James Merchant (born 24 November 1974) is an English comedian, actor, director, presenter and writer.
Alongside Ricky Gervais, Merchant was the co-writer and co-director of the British TV comedy series ''The Office'' (2001–2003), and ...
, based on an idea by Warwick Davis
Warwick Ashley Davis (born 3 February 1970) is an English actor. He played the title character in ''Willow'' (1988) and the ''Leprechaun'' film series (1993–2003), several characters in the ''Star Wars'' film series (1983–2019), most nota ...
, about "the life of a showbiz dwarf
Dwarf or dwarves may refer to:
Common uses
*Dwarf (folklore), a being from Germanic mythology and folklore
* Dwarf, a person or animal with dwarfism
Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional entities
* Dwarf (''Dungeons & Dragons''), a humanoid ...
". Davis plays a fictionalised version of himself, and both Gervais and Merchant appear in supporting roles as themselves. The show began airing on BBC Two on 10 November 2011. Premium cable channel HBO, which co-produced the series with the BBC, has the US rights and aired the series from 19 February 2012.
In January 2013, it was announced that ''Life's Too Short'' would end later in the year with a special that would bring the series' closure. The one-hour special aired on 30 March 2013 in the UK and 5 July 2013 in the US.
Background
The genesis of the show was when Davis worked with Gervais and Merchant in an episode of the second series of '' Extras'', in which he co-starred withDaniel Radcliffe
Daniel Jacob Radcliffe (born 23 July 1989) is an English actor. He rose to fame at age twelve, when he began portraying Harry Potter in the film series of the same name; and has held various other film and theatre roles. Over his career, Rad ...
. Gervais said that Davis is funny in real life and tells great stories. Merchant said that Davis helped create the idea. Gervais and Merchant approached the BBC about developing a show centred on a character based on Davis.
The real Warwick tells us these great stories. They're comedy gold. (The show) is a cross between '' Extras'' and '' Curb Your Enthusiasm'' and ''In the programme, Davis runs a small person's talent agency and plays a twisted version of himself; quite conceited, arrogant and manipulative. He is supposedly doing a documentary to improve his career, and because he is going through a messy divorce and needs the money. Davis bugs Gervais and Merchant about whether they have any work, much to their annoyance. In an interview with Jonathan Ross, Davis said that his character is egotistical and suffers from small man syndrome, Gervais said of the characterOne Foot in the Grave ''One Foot in the Grave'' is a British television sitcom written by David Renwick. There were six series (each consisting of six half-hour shows) and seven Christmas specials over a period of ten years from early 1990 to late 2000. The first fi ...'' but with a dwarf. That is out and out funny."
He refuses to live his life as a disabled person. We're making him empowered but also give him these foibles" Third in our trilogy of TV sitcoms … another naturalist observational comedy, dealing with everyday problems, human foibles and social faux pas … but with a dwarf.
Cast
Main
*Warwick Davis
Warwick Ashley Davis (born 3 February 1970) is an English actor. He played the title character in ''Willow'' (1988) and the ''Leprechaun'' film series (1993–2003), several characters in the ''Star Wars'' film series (1983–2019), most nota ...
as Himself
* Ricky Gervais as Himself
* Stephen Merchant
Stephen James Merchant (born 24 November 1974) is an English comedian, actor, director, presenter and writer.
Alongside Ricky Gervais, Merchant was the co-writer and co-director of the British TV comedy series ''The Office'' (2001–2003), and ...
as Himself
* Rosamund Hanson
Rosamund Abigail Hanson (born 24 September 1989) is an English film and television actress who played the role of Michelle ("Smell") in the 2006 film ''This Is England'' and its television sequels ''This Is England '86'', ''This Is England '88'' a ...
as Cheryl
* Steve Brody as Accountant
Recurring
*Jo Enright
Jo Enright is an English stand-up comedian and actress who has appeared in a number of television and radio comedy programmes. She is best known for her roles in ''The Job Lot'', '' Life's Too Short'' and ''Trollied''.
Career
In 1995, she made ...
as Sue
* Shaun Williamson
Shaun Williamson (born 29 November 1965) is an English actor best known as Barry Evans in '' EastEnders'' and as a satirical version of himself in the BBC/ HBO sitcom '' Extras'', 'Barry off EastEnders'.
Early life
Williamson was born in Park ...
as Himself
* Matthew Holness
Matthew James Holness (born 1975) is an English comedian, writer, director, and actor. He is best known for creating and playing the fictional horror author Garth Marenghi.
Early life and education
Born in Whitstable, Kent, Holness became a f ...
as Ian
* Les Dennis
Leslie Dennis Heseltine (born 12 October 1953) is an English television presenter, actor, and comedian. He presented ''Family Fortunes'' from 1987 until 2002.
Early life
Dennis was born Leslie Dennis Heseltine on 12 October 1953 in the Liverpoo ...
as Himself
* Keith Chegwin
Keith Chegwin (17 January 1957 – 11 December 2017) was an English television presenter and actor, appearing in several children's entertainment shows in the 1970s and 1980s, including '' Multi-Coloured Swap Shop'' and ''Cheggers Plays Pop''.
...
as Himself
Cameo appearances
*Liam Neeson
William John Neeson (born 7 June 1952) is an actor from Northern Ireland. He has received several accolades, including nominations for an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and two Tony Awards. In 2020, he was placed 7th on ''The I ...
(episode 1)
* Johnny Depp (episode 2)
* Helena Bonham Carter
Helena Bonham Carter (born 26 May 1966) is an English actress. Known for her roles in blockbusters and independent films, particularly period dramas, she has received various awards and nominations, including a British Academy Film Award a ...
(episode 3)
* Right Said Fred
Right Said Fred are an English pop band formed by brothers Fred and Richard Fairbrass in 1989. They are best known for the hit 1991 song " I'm Too Sexy". Their achievements include number 1 hits in 70 countries including one US number 1, o ...
(episode 4)
* Steve Carell
Steven John Carell (; born August 16, 1962) is an American actor and comedian. He played Michael Scott in ''The Office'' (2005–2011; 2013), NBC’s adaptation of the British series created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, where Ca ...
(episode 4)
* Ramin Karimloo
Ramin Karimloo ( fa, رامین کریملو; ; born September 19, 1978) is a Canadian actor, singer and composer recognized for his work in London's West End and Broadway theatre.
He has played the leading male roles in both of the West End's ...
(episode 5)
* Cat Deeley
Catherine Elizabeth Deeley (born 23 October 1976) is an English television presenter and actress. From 1998 to 2002, she hosted the ITV children's show '' SMTV Live,'' for which she won a BAFTA Children's Award, and its spin-off chart show '' ...
(episode 6)
* Ewen MacIntosh
Ewen Douglas MacIntosh (born 25 December 1973) is a British actor and comedian known for his role as Keith Bishop in ''The Office'' (2001–2003).
Early life
MacIntosh was born in Merionethshire. He was educated at Repton School in Derbyshire, ...
(episode 6)
* Sting (episode 7)
* Sophie Ellis-Bextor
Sophie Michelle Ellis-Bextor (born 10 April 1979) is an English singer and songwriter. She first came to prominence in the late 1990s as the lead singer of the indie rock band Theaudience. After the group disbanded Ellis-Bextor went solo and ach ...
(episode 7)
* Val Kilmer
Val Edward Kilmer (born December 31, 1959) is an American actor. Originally a stage actor, Kilmer found fame after appearances in comedy films, starting with ''Top Secret!'' (1984) and ''Real Genius'' (1985), as well as the military action film ...
(episode 8)
Episodes
Series 1 (2011)
Special (2013)
Development
Gervais first mentioned ''Life's Too Short'' on his blog in February 2010, when he and Merchant were writing and casting the project. They would go on to select Warwick Davis for the lead role after a number of auditions.
The pilot for the comedy was commissioned by the BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...Banff World Media Festival
The Banff World Media Festival (formerly known as the Banff World Television Festival) is an international media event held in the Canadian Rockies at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel in Banff, Alberta, Canada. The festival is dedicated to world ...
in July 2010, Gervais described ''Life's Too Short'' as "the funniest thing we've done". Gervais told ''The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly larg ...
'' "We're having so much fun working with Warwick. Pound for pound he is one of the funniest men I know." Stephen Merchant said of Davis: "Warwick is very funny, a very physical comedian which we really made use of … He's very charismatic, very charming in it … I was really pleased. He's a real comic star in waiting." Gervais went on to say that they had "Finished the pilot for ''Life's Too Short'' too. Just have to write the series now".
The series was produced by Charlie Hanson
Charlie Hanson is a British producer and director. His award-winning work includes television shows such as ''Desmond's'', ''Chef!'', ''The Big Impression'', ''The Sketch Show'' and ''Whites'', and the 2003 feature film '' A Way of Life''.
Car ...
, who previously produced '' Extras'', and Michelle Farr. Gervais and Merchant were executive producers, along with Mark Freeland. On 17 September 2010 the BBC announced, via the BBC Two Controller Janice Hadlow
Janice Vivienne Hadlow (born November 1957) in Lewisham is a former BBC television executive. She was the controller of the BBC television channel BBC Two, taking over this position in November 2008 having previously been controller of BBC Four. A ...
and the Controller of BBC Comedy Commissioning Cheryl Taylor, that the six-part series had been commissioned and filmed in 2011. Gervais reported in his blog on the progress of writing ''Life's Too Short'' throughout November 2010: "Had a great week writing ''Life's Too Short''. It's the hardest bit, the most important bit and the most invigorating bit", and in a later entry "Wrote one of the funniest sketches we've ever done for ''Life's Too Short''. Six hours hard labour for a potential two minutes screen time." In January 2011 he reported that he was still working on the scripts for the show, and in February that he and Merchant were trying to finish writing the series.
In March 2011 Gervais reported on his blog "Getting ready to film ''Life's Too Short''." Merchant confirmed that filming would begin in May 2011. Cast members included Jo Enright
Jo Enright is an English stand-up comedian and actress who has appeared in a number of television and radio comedy programmes. She is best known for her roles in ''The Job Lot'', '' Life's Too Short'' and ''Trollied''.
Career
In 1995, she made ...
, who played Davis' wife in the pilot, Shaun Williamson
Shaun Williamson (born 29 November 1965) is an English actor best known as Barry Evans in '' EastEnders'' and as a satirical version of himself in the BBC/ HBO sitcom '' Extras'', 'Barry off EastEnders'.
Early life
Williamson was born in Park ...
, who played himself (known as "Barry Barry may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Barry (name), including lists of people with the given name, nickname or surname, as well as fictional characters with the given name
* Dancing Barry, stage name of Barry Richards (born c. 19 ...
off '' EastEnders''") in '' Extras'', Cat Deeley
Catherine Elizabeth Deeley (born 23 October 1976) is an English television presenter and actress. From 1998 to 2002, she hosted the ITV children's show '' SMTV Live,'' for which she won a BAFTA Children's Award, and its spin-off chart show '' ...
, Rosamund Hanson
Rosamund Abigail Hanson (born 24 September 1989) is an English film and television actress who played the role of Michelle ("Smell") in the 2006 film ''This Is England'' and its television sequels ''This Is England '86'', ''This Is England '88'' a ...
, Kiruna Stamell and Jamie Dodd. Boxer Mike Tyson also asked Gervais to consider casting him in a role. On 31 March Gervais confirmed on his blog that "We've basically got first drafts of all seven episodes of ''Life's Too Short'' now. Yes seven!". As the pilot had already been filmed, the series would comprise eight shows. On 1 April he stated "Started casting ''Life's Too Short'' this week too. So much fun." On 29 April he wrote "Did the last of the casting today on ''Life's Too Short''. Some amazing cameos too. You know about the ohnnyDepp one, but hopefully we might be able to keep a couple of the other really big ones under wraps. Not just because of the surprise factor but because it takes the focus away from the real meat of the show." On 11 May the cast had their first read-through
The read-through, table-read, or table work is a stage of film, television, radio, and theatre production when an organized reading around a table of the screenplay or script by the actors with speaking parts is conducted.
In addition to the ca ...
of all seven episodes, and rehearsals started on the week beginning 16 May 2011 with Gervais commenting "We've put together an amazing cast so it should be a joy." Filming started on 30 May 2011.
On 22 June 2011 it was announced that Sting and Steve Carell
Steven John Carell (; born August 16, 1962) is an American actor and comedian. He played Michael Scott in ''The Office'' (2005–2011; 2013), NBC’s adaptation of the British series created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, where Ca ...
would be filming cameos for the series. The teaser trailer released on the same day featured Keith Chegwin
Keith Chegwin (17 January 1957 – 11 December 2017) was an English television presenter and actor, appearing in several children's entertainment shows in the 1970s and 1980s, including '' Multi-Coloured Swap Shop'' and ''Cheggers Plays Pop''.
...
, Les Dennis
Leslie Dennis Heseltine (born 12 October 1953) is an English television presenter, actor, and comedian. He presented ''Family Fortunes'' from 1987 until 2002.
Early life
Dennis was born Leslie Dennis Heseltine on 12 October 1953 in the Liverpoo ...
and Shaun Williamson
Shaun Williamson (born 29 November 1965) is an English actor best known as Barry Evans in '' EastEnders'' and as a satirical version of himself in the BBC/ HBO sitcom '' Extras'', 'Barry off EastEnders'.
Early life
Williamson was born in Park ...
as well as the three main stars. On 11 July Gervais hinted on his blog that a '' Doctor Who''-related cameo would be in the show, as well as posting a link to a YouTube video of him and Davis filmed on the set of ''Life's Too Short''. Earlier in that week he had blogged about how "Matt Groening
Matthew Abram Groening ( ; born February 15, 1954) is an American cartoonist, writer, producer, and animator. He is the creator of the comic strip ''Life in Hell'' (1977–2012) and the television series ''The Simpsons'' (1989–present), ''Fut ...
's favourite character from ''The Office'' will make a cameo in ''Life's Too Short''", along with an on-set photograph of actor Ewen MacIntosh who played Big Keith in ''The Office
''The Office'' is a mockumentary sitcom created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, first made in the United Kingdom, then Germany, and subsequently the United States. It has since been remade in ten other countries.
The original series o ...
''.
Principal filming ran for eight weeks ending on 22 July 2011. Gervais and Davis attended a question and answer session to discuss the making of ''Life's Too Short'' at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August 2011. A half-hour-long documentary, ''The Making of Life's Too Short'', aired on BBC Two and BBC HD
BBC HD was a 24-hour high-definition television channel provided by the BBC. The service was initially run as a trial from 15 May 2006 until becoming a full service on 1 December 2007 before its discontinuation on 26 March 2013. It broadcast ...
on 5 November 2011, prior to the start of the series run. After the first series finished airing, Gervais confirmed via Twitter that a second series had been commissioned for early 2013. Always the comedian, Gervais stated on his blog that "We are thinking of going straight to the Xmas Special. Lazier and lazier. Now it's down to ONE series and a special. Ha ha." The series finale premiered on 5 July 2013 in the US on HBO.
Home media releases
''Life's Too Short'' was released on DVD andBlu-ray
The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and capable of st ...
on 22 October 2012 in the UK, 7 November 2012 in Australia and on 15 January 2013 in the US. ''The Special'' was released onto DVD in the UK on 2 February 2015.
Reception
UK critical response
In the United Kingdom the first series received mostly mixed reviews. Rachel Tarley, of ''Metro'', described the show as "tripe" while David Butcher of the '' Radio Times'' introduced his review of episode six with "another week, another queasy mix of comedy and unpleasantness." Many reviews were deeply critical of the writing – Gwilym Mumford of ''The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' felt that writers Gervais and Merchant were "on autopilot", referring to the programme as "strikingly lazy stuff, little more than a predictable checklist of taboos and social faux pas", and journalist for ''The Independent
''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publish ...
'' Robert Epstein likewise branded it "shoddily derivative" and potentially degrading. T.J. Barnard, writing for ''WhatCulture
WhatCulture Ltd. is an online entertainment news website and magazine which was launched in 2010. The site offers news in the field of professional wrestling, television, films, video games, and board games.
History
Originally started by Peter ...
'', called the show "a mess. It's aimless, indulgent, self-plagiarizing and cold." However, ''Metro''s review of episode 7 was slightly more positive saying "''Life's Too Short'' bowed out tonight with an episode that was more than marginally better than the six previous offerings, not only was the plot stronger than in previous weeks, but there were some genuinely funny scenes too, most notably a discussion between Gervais and Merchant about charity. And Steve Brody as Warwick's ineffectual giggly/depressive accountant continued to shine."
More positive reviews could be found in ''The Telegraph'', where Gerald O'Donovan praised the show for its "belly laughs and cringe-making moments." Likewise, Caroline Frost of ''The Huffington Post
''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...
'' applauded both the writing and the acting following the first episode, proclaiming that though it could easily have overreached, "Gervais and Merchant have pulled another one out of the hat."
While the first episode rated strongly in the UK, the ratings dropped by 40% in the following week, and by the fifth episode the overnight ratings had dropped below a million, to 997,000—35% down on the average audience for its timeslot in the UK.
Critical reaction to the Easter special was more positive, Dan Owen of ''msn.tv'' said "this Easter special was one of Life's Too Short's better episodes and provided enough laughs and fun to please most viewers." He felt that the special felt like a new pilot for the show that "fixed a few problems." He felt that Keith Chegwin, Shaun Williamson and Les Dennis were the funniest parts of the hour. Overall he gave the special 3 stars out of five. The ''Metro'' agreed saying, "there were laughs to be had here, mainly from the antics of Williamson, Chegwin and Dennis."
The Guardian praised the episode and called it "a piece of genius" and admired it for being "done with such a breathtaking boldness."
Harry Venning of ''The Stage'' gave a positive review of the first series also gave a positive review of the special "My favourite comedy of 2011 enjoyed a last hurrah. Sadly, it looks as though there will be no second series." He felt that Rosamund Hanson provided scene-stealing support as dippy secretary Cheryl. He concluded that overall ''Life's Too Short'' was "Painfully poignant, beautifully played and constantly inventive, this one-hour special conclusively proved that ''Life’s Too Short''s own end was also premature."
US critical response
In the United States, the show received generally positive reviews. AtMetacritic
Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...
, which assigns a weighted mean
The weighted arithmetic mean is similar to an ordinary arithmetic mean (the most common type of average), except that instead of each of the data points contributing equally to the final average, some data points contribute more than others. The ...
rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the show received an average
In ordinary language, an average is a single number taken as representative of a list of numbers, usually the sum of the numbers divided by how many numbers are in the list (the arithmetic mean). For example, the average of the numbers 2, 3, 4, 7 ...
score of 63, based on 14 reviews, which indicates "Generally favorable reviews". On Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
, the show holds a rating of 55% based on 33 critics, with the consensus reading: "''Life's Too Short'' is enjoyably crass, but borrows heavily from Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant's previous work."
References
External links
''Life's Too Short''
RickyGervais.com * * {{HBONetwork Shows 2011 British television series debuts 2013 British television series endings 2010s British sitcoms BBC television sitcoms HBO original programming 2010s British satirical television series British mockumentary television series Metafictional television series English-language television shows Television series created by Ricky Gervais Television series created by Stephen Merchant