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London
Evening Standard, Tuesday 17 June 1997.
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There
is no point denying it. There is now only one really hot topic of conversation
among the chattering classes, and it is a television programme. I am referring,
of course, to This Life, the BBC2 drama which is the brainchild of
Amy Jenkins, daughter of the late Peter Jenkins, and is now said to dominate
conversation at every smart dinner party in London.
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It
seems effortlessly to have overtaken "Corrie" and "Brookie" as a pop culture
point of reference. I am obsessed with it. So is everybody else. Nobody
wants to argue about who is their favourite Spice Girl any more - but I
have seen an entire wedding reception set by ears on the question of who
is the coolest This Life character. Women invariably plump for Posh Spice
Miles, the arrogant public schoolboy barrister, played by Jack Davenport.
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The
guys, bless them, vote unanimously vote for Scary Spice Anna, the crazy
chick barrister, partial to casual sex and drugs, toying with lesbianism
and recently stabbed in the back by her ex-boyfriend Miles on the tenancy
vote (surely you are au fait with these plot points?) She is played by Daniella
Nardini, the Scots-Italian actress who is now challenging Helen Baxendale
for the title of Sexiest Woman In Britain. Everyone, it seems, thinks Anna
is best. Except me.
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I
want to make a late bid for the character of Rachel, played absolutely brilliantly
by Natasha Little. The blonde, manipulative, early-twenties Rachel - her
face an adorable picture of disingenuous openness - twists the affections
of powerful menopausal men in the office, while cunningly patronising and
undermining slightly older career women, like nice Milly. Every office worker
in London knows a Rachel, and is fascinated by her. Rachel is the best This
Life character and simply must be included in the group more. Meanwhile,
if you want to pass muster in polite conversation, then get some video tapes
from a mate. To paraphrase the FT ad: no This Life, no comment.
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By
Peter Bradshaw
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