"Michael Jackson not that one, the BBC Two controller wanted to be more like Channel 4, so decided to commission a cool drama for young people about trainee lawyers. When I told [executive producer] Tony Garnett that I'd briefly been a lawyer, his eyes lit up. But I didn't want to write a show about lawyers! Fuck, so boring. That's why I'd left to become a writer."
"I remember being in BBC meetings and people asking, Why do we care about this bunch of idiots?' says Jenkins. By which they meant fairly privileged university graduates. It was oddly radical at the time to show middle-class young people who were drinking, swearing, taking drugs and having sex. It struck such a chord because that"
This Life premiered 30 years ago as a groundbreaking BBC drama following trainee lawyers sharing a house near London's Southwark Bridge. Creator Amy Jenkins deliberately avoided courtroom scenes and legal storylines, instead infusing the show with the spirit of the rave scene and youth culture. The series featured explicit content including drug use, profanity, and sexual scenes that were considered radical for depicting middle-class young people behaving hedonistically without serious consequences. The show captured the essence of Cool Britannia and became a cult classic that left a lasting impact on television. The BBC is celebrating the anniversary with reruns and a new introduction by actress Daniela Nardini, who played the breakout character Anna.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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