The Worst Week of My Life

 Review

Common Sense Media says

Britcom follows pair's mishaps one week at a time.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

Find out more

Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

Find out more

Parents say

Not yet rated

Kids say

Not yet rated

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this British sitcom -- which catalogs the many mishaps of an unlucky fellow during the days leading up to momentous life events -- includes brief nudity (a man's naked butt and a woman in lacy underwear), some strong language, and sexual references, but it's probably nothing teens haven't already seen or heard. Some potentially upsetting issues are played for laughs, like the death of a family pet (he's accidentally tossed into a cement mixer) and an unfortunate incident at a relative's funeral. But teens who can handle the content will get some chuckles at the expense of the unlucky characters.

  • An unmarried couple lives and sleeps together. Occasional rude gestures (the English equivalent of flipping someone off).
  • Not applicable.
  • Kissing and occasional sex talk (like "you deep inside me" or "caressing my body"). In one scene, a couple has just finished having sex in the bathtub (none of which is shown), and the man's butt is exposed. Female characters are shown in bras and panties, and they mention breasts and nipples.

What's the story?

British sitcom THE WORST WEEK OF MY LIFE chronicles the misfortune that precedes momentous events for Howard (Ben Miller) and his wife, Mel (Sarah Alexander). The show's brief seasons have only seven episodes apiece; each installment details one day during a week of multiple disasters that lead up to some of life's greatest moments. As the series begins, Howard and Mel are making the final preparations for their wedding day, which is only a week away. But just when everything appears to be coming together, Howard sends the plans into a tailspin when he upsets the intricate seating chart for the reception (forcing them to start over from scratch), accidentally kills Mel's family's dog by tossing him into a cement mixer, and is forced to make an awkward confession when Mel's father walks in on him in the bathroom while he's holding a handful of small, brown chunks over the toilet. (Don't worry, it's not as bad as you think.)


Is it any good?

 

The only real downside to this funny series -- which, in later seasons, follows Howard and Mel through events like buying a house and having a baby -- is its close resemblance to similarly themed movies. Specifically, fans of Meet the Parents will notice that a lot of the first-season plot elements appear to have been lifted straight out of the movie, including the unyielding curmudgeon of a soon-to-be father-in-law, a troublesome family pet, and even stars with nearly identical names (Ben Miller vs. Ben Stiller). If you can see past the parallels, you'll enjoy the show's amusing -- if at times predictable -- mishaps. Just make sure your teens are ready for the sexual references, mild nudity, and occasional strong language.


Sign Up Message
Sign up for our weekly newsletter
Each week we send a customized newsletter to our parent and teen subscribers. Parents can customize their settings to receive recommendations and parent tips based on their kids’ ages. Teens receive a version just for them with the latest reviews and top picks for movies, video games, apps, music, books, and more.
Please enter an email address.
Please check your email address for possible typos.
Sorry, you must be 13 or older to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Sign me up!

What families can talk about

Families can talk about handling adversity. Teens, how do you deal with difficult and awkward situations? Who in your life do you have trouble getting along with? How do deal with that? Can you think of a time when you had a really bad day? What happened? How did you react? If this show gets remade as an American sitcom (which may happen), how do you think it will be different?


This review was written by Emily Ashby
Kid, 13 years old
September 17, 2011
 
I cant say anything bad about it. So funny
Absolutely hilarious. You have to see this. It will be the best thing you every watch. So funny. Please watch it. Best comedy every

Flag as inappropriate 

This review was written by Emily Ashby
TV rating:TV-PG
Network:BBC America
Cast:Ben Miller, Geoffrey Whitehead, Sarah Alexander
Genre:Comedy

This review was written by Emily Ashby
 

Review It

Share your review with others

Hang on! You need to be a member to post your review.
A safe community is important to us. Please observe our guidelines.
About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

Great alternatives handpicked by our editors

 

vote now

Will you see The Worst Week of My Life?


Already seen it? What do you think?

 

Been There? Tell us about it