How not to live your life - Season 1

Content: Don (Dan Clark) isn't really the most affable person. The 29-year-old single man never misses an opportunity to put his foot in his mouth, no matter how well hidden. Thus, he not only regularly scares away potential life section companions, his very casual attitude to life also costs him his job once again. The fact that he inherits his grandmother's house is just what he needs. Too bad that such a house also needs to be maintained, and so Don is forced from a financial point of view to take in a lodger. When his childhood sweetheart Abby (Sinead Moynihan) applies for the room, everything in Don's life finally seems to take a turn for the better. But on the path to his great happiness, it's not just himself who keeps getting in the way. Don's life is also made unnecessarily difficult by Abby's snooty boyfriend Karl (Finlay Robertson) and the endearingly naive Eddie (David Armand), Don's grandmother's former carer, who now seems to have transferred his duties to the new landlord. But he knows that against all odds, he must finally become a responsible adult in order to win Abby's heart. And so he has to keep asking himself: how should he live his not - How not to live your life?

How not to live your life would in itself be a very amusing comedy series in terms of its storyline, which is great fun to watch precisely because of the utterly chaotic and, in the most amusing sense of the word, antisocial behaviour of its main character. Any form of decency or sensitivity seems foreign to him. He considers himself the crown of creation and therefore puts his needs above those of everyone else. So Don is an egoist of the worst kind with almost sociopathic tendencies. Nevertheless, and this is the real highlight of the series, he is never really unsympathetic. Besides, the viewer can learn a lot from Don. Because in the crucial moments, the series gives helpful advice on how best (not) to behave here.

So we learn, for example, what you should rather not wear at a funeral, how not to react to a dismissal, what not to say after a one-night stand or what things you can imagine when the dream girl in the next room has sex with another guy. Here one feels reminded again and again of the German Comedy format Kesslers Knigge and it lies the assumption close that the Macher of the British success Comedy let itself be inspired a little. But why the very special advice works much better than in the (admittedly also very amusing) series with Michael Kessler, is the way they are integrated into the actual plot. Thus, the whole thing achieves a very special charm, which How not to live your life from other comedy series clearly distinguishes.

Although the humor at times a little overshooting the mark or just a little too infantile comes along, prevails in the end but the positive overall impression. Because with its partly quite original ideas, wicked humor and gags beyond the political correctness the first season of How not to live your life simply makes a lot of fun. Remains actually only to hope that the further seasons also make it to Germany. Worth seeing!

Picture + Sound: The technical implementation of the episodes is on a good TV level. The clean picture can please with a harmonious color scheme, detail sharpness and contrasts, however, could be a little better overall. The sound is mainly determined by the dialogues, but here and there music or smaller sound effects also provide a little movement in the good stereo mix. For a TV series absolutely satisfactory.

Extras: In addition to three amusing, but unfortunately not subtitled audio commentaries on the first DVD are on the second disc some more extras. It starts with a nearly 15-minute making of, in which the viewer gets an entertaining look behind the scenes and is led by leading actor Dan Clark in a very amusing way about through the set of the series. In addition, there is a comparison of a sequence from the pilot episode with the originally shot version, which can be viewed with an optional audio commentary. The same also applies to a short cut scene.

Two outtakes (altogether about 5 min.) are also on the program. But the best extra, besides the making of, is undoubtedly Dan Clark's Guide to Dating (approx. 11 min.), quasi a prequel to the series, in which Dan Clark gives his viewers tips on what not to do on a date, what not to say, who not to bring along or in which way not to greet your date under any circumstances. Funny!

Conclusion: How not to live your life is an amusing British comedy series that knows how to entertain with a little cruder, sometimes politically incorrect, but never too flat humor. The main character, although he doesn't come across as particularly charming and likes to think only of himself, is somehow likeable and the advice he gives the viewers is extremely funny in parts. The DVDs of the first season are technically well done and the bonus material is also worth watching. For lovers of British comedy of the somewhat coarser kind therefore also absolutely recommendable!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp