How Not To Live Your Life

BBC3

It is entirely possible that Aerial Telly simply doesn’t "know" what TV comedy is for anymore.¹ He watches, he winces, he yawns and then is off for a nap. It is all much of a muchness to him. BBC3 broadcast How Not To Live Your Life recently and it was a little bit different from the sitcom herd. Its lead character looks and sounds a bit like Nathan Barley and he’s a similar kind of twat but without the jargon or technology addictions. It could all turn out to be well futile.

"It is entirely possible that Aerial Telly simply doesn’t "know" what TV comedy is for anymore. He watches, he winces, he yawns and then is off for a nap. It is all much of a muchness to him.."

Don Danbury (Dan Clark) , a clueless yet bafflingly confident loser, lives in the house he inherited from his grandma, walking around in her dressing gown, lusting after his housemate, his schooldays crush Abby (impressively stacked girl-next-door Hollyoaks pie Sinead Moynihan) who is dating a total tool called Karl (Finlay Robertson), a kind of Duane Benzie character – successful yet stupid.

“But Aerial Telly, you magnificent bastard, I know, like, tons of girls fitting that exact description who can’t find the right man.”

Remarkably, Don seems to be in with half a chance of getting with Abby. Her borefriend being a nob is probably helping. So Abby is one of those kind, beautiful and intelligent women who only seem to date turds. You know – the kind who only exist on TV. I know what some of the ladies out there reading this are thinking. "But Aerial Telly, you magnificent bastard, I know, like, tons of girls fitting that exact description who can’t find the right man. Take my friend Stella for example – she’s just the best person and yet it never seems to work out for her"

"I’ve met your friend Stella – she’s a horrible, clingy, insecure, viperish, little twot. A dead-eyed emotional parasite who, in case you haven’t worked it out, fucked your man that time you were in hospital."

Sorry chicklette, you couldn’t be more wrong. I’ve met your friend Stella – she’s a horrible, clingy, insecure, viperish, little twot. A dead-eyed emotional parasite – that’s your "friend" Stella who, in case you haven’t worked it out, fucked your man that time you were in hospital. There’s always a reason girls like that stay single and it’s not because they keep on going for the bastard. It’s because they ARE the bastard. End this nonsense now.

“It sometimes feels like the offcuts from some bad observational stand-up routine.”

The show’s central gimmick is imaginary sequences where Don (or whoever) demonstrates six ways you should not do something (6 things not to say on a first date, for example)
Does this mean they’ve reinvented the sitcom? Not exactly. It sometimes feels like the offcuts from some bad observational stand-up routine.

Still, it’s a pretty good show. Don is halfway likeable in a punchable kind of way, trying to get off with Abby and pissing off Karl in the process and his relationship with Eddie, his grandmothers’ weird carer, provides quite a few funny moments. I’m not saying you can’t miss it but it’s worth a look.

The best thing about it: The Hollyoaks pie

The worst thing about it: Your "friend" Stella

The verdict on How Not To Live Your Life: There are worse ways to waste 30 minutes.

Marks out of 10: 7

¹ Fuck you – Aerial Telly knows everything about and related to TV comedy.

Imagined: 24th September 2008