st season there was an estimated four million viewers tuning into BBC2 every week to catch the highly anticipated show. 'This Life' created what is known as 'appointment viewing' or 'Date TV' on British television. This is when the viewer makes an appointment or date (or even cancels one!) to watch the TV programme i.e. it is an important part of their weekly schedule.
             Young people in Britain had finally found a TV series that they could identify with. But it wasn't only the British youth who found themselves relating to this realistic and unique creation. 'This Life' was one of the first British contemporary dramas to become successful in the United States. According to Garnett, 4."it seems the shows Americans like are all Jane Austen". He believes the success the series found in America is because "the things young people care about are universal. It's a time when you don't have much money and you're still sharing a house or apartment. You're not a student but you're not a grown up
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