'Perfect' '90s TV show 'more intelligent than Friends' is now available for streaming

A TV drama that had everyone chattering around the office water dispenser in the '90s is back for your enjoyment on Amazon Prime three decades later.

This Life, which began in 1996 and spanned a mere two series with 33 episodes, made it onto BFI's list of the 100 greatest British television programmes and has been lauded by fans as the 'best British TV drama ever'.

The hard-hitting BBC drama revolves around a group of law graduates in their twenties, embarking on their careers whilst cohabiting in a house in south London. The drama eschews courtroom scenes, instead focusing on their personal lives, which encompass everything from infidelity to addiction.

Among the cast is Andrew Lincoln, who has since enjoyed a stellar career in Teachers, Afterlife, The Walking Dead and the film Love, Actually. He will soon be appearing in the new ITV series Coldwater.

His co-star Jack Davenport has also found success in the Matt Damon film The Talented Mr Ripley, Pirates of the Caribbean and TV series such as Coupling and Smash, reports the Mirror.

This Life centres on five main characters living under one roof - Edgar 'Egg' Cooke (Lincoln) and his girlfriend Milly (Amita Dhiri), along with party girl Anna Forbes (Daniela Nardini), her university ex Myles Stewart (Davenport) and Welshman Warren Jones (Jason Hughes) who was grappling with his sexuality.

The cast also features Ramon Tikaram (Virdie) as Ferdy, Natasha Little as Rachel, Steven John Shepherd (Karen Pirie) as Jo and Luisa Bradshaw-White (EastEnders) ad Kira.

The programme, which was conceived by Amy Jenkins, became a beloved cult sensation and earned its place on the BFI's roster of the 100 finest British television productions.

A special reunion episode aired in 2007, titled This Life: 10 Years On, which brought back the original cast to examine their lives ten years following the series' conclusion. The one-off instalment centred on Ferdy's death and the resulting reunion of the former flatmates attracted 3.5 million viewers.

Despite being three decades old and depicting an era long before social media existed, audiences are now discovering the series through streaming platforms and have been flocking to IMDb to share their reactions.

One viewer commented: "I still hold firmly to the belief that the last episode of this landmark show is the best 40 mins of British TV drama ever. Any number of storylines coming sharply to a head, the terrific wedding reception with its toilet sex and terrible dancing, darkest secrets coming horrifyingly to light and the legendary punch.

"But how sad! If we'd known then that there would never be another series we would have stormed the BBC ourselves. But think positive. The show is endlessly rewatchable, and its influence has lived on in Queer as Folk, Attachments, Teachers, Metropolis, Tinsel Town and most contemporary drama since. Just please, please publish the damn scripts!"

Another said: "Move over Friends this is your more intelligent English big brother. A perfect picture of 90s London through the eyes of young professionals and ordinary blokes and girls. A few cheesy performances by Tikarum but it sort of worked at the time much like the Fonz worked in Happy days at the time.

"Not a poor performance from a rich cast that all went in to achieve memorable careers. This is a collectors piece for those who lived through and experienced the era in London. Nostalgic and immersive TV."

A third added: "Watching This Life almost 30 years after its release is an interesting experience. Although its format has been much copied since the late 90s, it still retains the same freshness and vitality that made it such a captivating watch first time round.

"The success of the series stems from the fact that it feels so real. Each of the characters is impressively three-dimensional, with both strengths and weaknesses. They're at that interesting stage of their lives where they're finding their way in the world while also trying to find themselves, and each of them makes some understandable mistakes along the way."

This Life is now streaming on Amazon Prime