Please Like Me

I always feel a bit awkward when friends talk about what they’ve been watching on TV. “Have you seen Nashville? What did you think of the latest episode of Borgen? Have you been watching House Of Cards”. You know what I mean. THOSE kind of conversations where a group of friends talk in intimate detail about a television show, about which you have absolutely no knowledge at all.

I don’t watch a lot of television. Sure, I have Foxtel and I have Netflix, but I’m not one for discovering new programs. For me, television is like “comfort food”. It’s something you have to keep you company. Obviously when there’s news, I binge-watch all of the appropriate channels. But on a regular day to day basis, I use both services for repeats of The Simpsons, Will & Grace, Absolutely Fabulous and the like.

But occasionally I really get into a program and become a little obsessive about it. This happened recently with the Danish series, “Rita” which I absolutely loved. And for the last couple of years, I’ve really loved the Josh Thomas series, “Please Like Me”.

I’ve seen Josh perform live at the Sydney Opera House. Though I quite liked what he did, I wouldn’t say I was a fan of his stand-up, or even some of the many times I’ve seen him perform on television. But when it comes to “Please Like Me”, I’m a complete fan.

What I really like about the show is that it combines both head and heart. While there are some wonderful moments of intellectual comedy, the program also has rounded out characters who you genuinely care about. Series 1 was good; Series 2 was better. That wonderful program where he and his mother (with a mental illness) travelled together to Tasmania was remarkable for its honesty as well as its comedy.

When the latest series (Series 3) appeared as a digital download I bought it immediately. It added to the collection, as I regularly watch Series 1 and 2 over and over again. I have to say, though, it’s frustrating having to wait week by week for the series to be complete, as I’d love to watch it all together over a weekend.

The first two episodes of the latest series have been terrific, especially for the evolution of the character of Josh’s boyfriend, Arnold, in the new series. From last season where we saw him as a character purely with a mental illness, to this series, where we’re seeing him as a more rounded character has been a wonderful transformation.

So yeah, next time we meet don’t ask me about “House Of Cards”, but I’ll happily chat at length about “Please Like Me”. Oh yeah, and I have a bit of a mancrush on Josh’s best friend in the series, Tom.