PLEASE LIKE ME
When: Thursday, February 28, 9.30pm
Where: ABC 2
Details: visit abc.net.au/tv/pleaselikeme
There’s much to admire in this new ABC dramedy. The series has star Josh Thomas (playing a version of himself) coming to terms with his homosexuality in a frank, unfussy fashion. When Thomas’s girlfriend dumps him and tells him he’s gay, he’s only upset about having just spent $19 on a sundae for two. Ten minutes later he’s in bed with a boy from his flatmate’s work – a moment of awakening that all too quickly becomes awkward and ugly.
Throughout, there’s a pleasing sense of ambition. Production value is high and the show seems to be reaching for the awkwardness of a Ricky Gervais comedy, the honesty of Girls and the quirky flair of Wes Anderson.
However, Please Like Me is a show that is easier to admire than it is to like. Too often it mistakes awkwardness for actual comedy. More importantly, Thomas is neither a natural leading man nor, really, an actor. That said, comedians such as Gervais and Simon Amstell have proved this doesn’t necessarily exclude you from star status or comedy gold.
With a few tweaks, the series might become another Grandma’s House. Right now, it feels more like an ill-conceived spin off from a popular show – The Office, perhaps – based around one of the peripheral jokey characters. And really, I’m not sure how many of us would actually sit down to watch Gareth.
