Life's Too Short

Life's Too Short is a cramped, awkward celebrity comedy, and that awkwardness is much of the point. By our assessment, it works best as a satire of show-business vanity, built around a man who turns up in other people’s self-importance and makes the air feel smaller. The show’s strength is embarrassment comedy: long pauses, brittle small talk, and the sense that everyone is trying too hard. The downside is that the joke can stay narrow, because the format leans on the same uncomfortable rhythm. In practice it is less a warm sitcom than a series of very pointed social collisions. Compared with broader British sitcoms, it is sharper and more claustrophobic, but also less roomy. It is for viewers who like cringe humour and cameo-heavy industry satire, and less for anyone wanting a generous or easy watch.