Pete Versus Life: Episode 1

In these times of economic crisis, you better be damn sure your comedy product is something more substantial than a one joke premise spread sparsely over 5 episodes. Unfortunately Channel 4's Pete Versus Life belly-flops into the deep end of the pool and flounders like a hapless swimmer as it tries desperately to mine unwarranted laughs from a paper-thin concept.

Pete Griffiths (Rafe Spall) is a sports journalist who is unable to garner a break in his chosen profession (and never shows any aptitude in anything but reading from an autocue in the pilot episode), bumbling through life as he tries to juggle modern city living and dating whilst trying to keep his head above water.

His life is commented upon by two sports pundits who pop up like a Greek chorus in order to analyse his decisions, though unable to influence his choices. Anchor man Colin King (Simon Greenall, shedding the moniker of Alan Partridge's Geordie friend Michael since he will find more lasting fame as the voice behind the meerkat of the adverts), a mash-up of Brian Moore and Sky Sports' Jeff Stelling, is aided by faux ex-professional footballer Terry McIlroy (a Peter Beardsley type) and it's here that there is at least a modicum of comedy invention. The two riff well, describing Pete's sexual misadventures with new eco-girlfriend Chloe as her taking a ride on his “bald headed giggle stick”.

Spall as Pete seems to be channeling Martin Freeman in The Office and Frank Spencer, and his delivery is somewhat an acquired taste. However, he's the only marginally believable character in the whole enterprise, as his friend Rob and his impending wife Anna seem such stock, shrill creations, while Chloe's parents (to be addressed by their first names and requesting the toilet be flushed only after number twos to save the environment) are also a comedy nadir.

Why Channel 4's Comedy Lab rushed this into production as a series on the back of a fitfully funny pilot is perhaps endemic of the fact that Peep Show is coming to an end, The IT Crowd has run out of laughs, The Inbetweeners (their best new show) already has its characters in a third year of sixth form and the heinous Plus One has been canned after just one series. Pete Versus Life is scraping the bottom of a practically empty barrel.



Airs at 9:30pm on Friday 6th August 2010 on Channel 4.

Reviewed by Simon Cole.