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Why modern comedy owes a huge debt to Nineties drama ‘This Life’

The flat-sharing twentysomethings found truth and humour in adult themes, writes David Barnett, just like recent cult comedies ‘Fleabag’ and ‘Back to Life’

Thursday 05 September 2019 18:30 BST
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Lager lager lager: booze and drugs feature heavily in the show
Lager lager lager: booze and drugs feature heavily in the show

If Twitter had come along a decade earlier, I can guarantee that it would have gone into meltdown on the evening of 7 August 1997.

That, you see, was the night that Milly punched Rachel. At Miles and Francesca’s wedding. Right in front of everyone. Because Rachel told Egg that Milly had slept with her boss, O’Donnell.

We didn’t really have an internet to break in 1997, so instead we stared in dumb amazement for a second, then cheered from our sofas. It was the perfect end, after two seasons and 32 episodes, to what surely must be among the best telly of the NinetiesThis Life.

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