So Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant are back on the BBC with Life’s Too Short. Bringing blast from the brilliant past Warwick Davis with them, the comedy is a fly on the wall mockumentary of his life as a dwarf in the entertainment industry. While there’s definitely a one trick pony feel to the production that builds on the success of The Office and Extras, there’s also a lot of funny moments to take the heat off the obvious.
Warwick Davis was the star of 80s classics like Willow and Star Wars Return of the Jedi (where he played Ewok, Wicket, brilliantly), as well as professor Flitwick in the Harry Potter series. However, in Life’s Too Short, all of his massive achievements are sort of ridiculed as Warwick portrays himself as an egotistical underachiever with delusions of grandeur. The plot continues Gervais’ long time reverse discrimination comic style where the point implies that if you don’t playfully mock all perceived afflictions in the same way that convention seems to allow minor afflictions like Stephen Merchant’s height or Ricky Gervais’ ratty teeth, thinning hair, moobies and inability to move away from an Alan Partridge aping comic format to be mocked then you’re guilty of being patronising. It’s a fair point to an extent, but it does open up the door to making bullying and general discrimination a OK.
In Life’s Too Short, Warwick has got a lot to contend with, including what’s shaping up to be an ugly divorce from his long suffering wife, the general derision of Ricky Gervais and Steven Merchant, the height of his 4×4 and the indifference of his big black dog. There’s also the addition of This Is England’s Rosamund Hanson as Warwick’s under-qualified receptionist Cheryl to add even more self deprecating humour to the show.
Life’s Too Short is essentially a mash up of elements of The Office and Extras. There’s the star studded cameos and the loveable fool on display, so it definitely feels very familiar. This is particularly true of Warwick’s self portrayal, which looks more like Warwick Davis taking on the combined persona of David Brent, Andy Millman and Ricky Gervais. Though Life’s too short is really funny in parts, it’s not as fresh as it could have been.
Life’s Too Short review: 3.5/5
