Life's Too Short

TV review by Kari Croop, Common Sense Media
Life's Too Short Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 16+

Clever slice-of-life comedy has mixed messages, cursing.

HBO Comedy 2012
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age 15+

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that there's some unbleeped swearing (including "f--k" and "c--t") in this mockumentary-style comedy that follows famous "little person" Warwick Davis through his life as a working actor. There's some sexual innuendo, too (including references to things like genital size and anal sex), along with social drinking and some mixed messages when it comes to making fun of Davis' physical limitations.

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What's the Story?

In LIFE'S TOO SHORT, an unseen camera crew shadows Return of the Jedi/Willow/Harry Potter actor Warwick Davis (played by Davis as a fictionalized version of himself) through his daily life as a little person looking for work. Along the way, he rubs elbows with a rotating line-up of famous faces, from Liam Neeson and Johnny Depp to Helena Bonham Carter and Cat Deeley. He also meets regularly with award-winning comedy team Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant (who, along with Davis, serve as the show's co-executive producers) in an effort to advance his career.

Is It Any Good?

After the success of The Office and Extras, "observational" comedy isn't exactly an original concept for Gervais and Merchant. But if it ain't broke, don't fix it ... and it's working wonderfully here. To hear them tell it, Life's Too Short was all Davis' idea, and many of the gags come from his real-life experiences as a working actor of shorter stature. So the fact that we're often laughing at his physical limitations is at least a product of his own design.

As was the case in Extras, some of the show's best moments come from the A-list celebrities who are willing to make fun of their own eccentricities, from Neeson failing miserably at improv comedy to Depp going method (with Davis' help) to play Rumpelstiltskin. And with other big names like Steve Carell and Sting contributing, there's no telling how funny things will get.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how little people are portrayed on television -- from reality shows such as Little People, Big World to cable dramas like Game of Thrones. How does Life's Too Short compare?

  • Is it OK to make fun of Davis' physical limitations simply because he's in on the joke? Do you find yourself laughing with him ... or at him?

  • Why did the show's creators choose the mockumentary format -- and does it work? How would the series play as, say, a traditional sitcom?

TV Details

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