A CLASSIC BBC series is returning to screens almost three decades after it finished airing – following a controversial run.
This Life ran from 1996 until 1997 and followed five young lawyers sharing a house in South London – not holding back when it came to depicting casual sex, drug use and excessive alcohol consumption.
The show starred a young Andrew Lincoln before his Love Actually or Walking Dead fame and fellow actor Jack Davenport, who went on to appear in Pirates of the Caribbean as James Norrington.
This Life was so uncensored that it was actually thought to have sparked furious complaint letters via the BBC’s Points Of Views feedback service – with some viewers unsure about the relaxed portrayal of drug use.
However, as the 30 anniversary of the series’ launch comes around, the BBC are bringing it back on screens in just a few days time.
From Wednesday 18 March, which marks 30 years to the day since This Life’s debut, repeat episodes of the show will begin airing.
Every episode will also be available to stream on iPlayer on the same day.
Confirming the news in a tweet, the BBC said: “This Life. Celebrate the 30th anniversary on @BBCiPlayer and BBC Four On Wednesday 18 March.
“Daniela Nardini will introduce a repeat run of series one on BBC Four, with both series and reunion special all on iPlayer.”
Daniela, who played Anna Forbes in the show, will be on screen on the BBC to introduce its return to screens.
This Life is described by the broadcaster as one of the “defining series” of the nineties.
Alongside its explicit content, This Life was also known for its shaky camera movement – something show bosses had in a bid for the show to be as realistic as possible.
Daniela told The Guardian in 2020: “The camera was like another character – it would whiz around the room and pick up stuff we didn’t even know we were doing.
Miles actor Jack Davenport added: “We had some viewer complaints about dizziness at the time.
“I thought that sometimes it got misinterpreted.
“We never shook the camera for the sake of it. It was always generated by the action.”
This Life is available to stream on BBC iPlayer from 18 March
