A Whole Lifetime charted with songs and sketches

Jamie Demetriou is making a one-off comedy special for Netflix.

In the hour-long show, A Whole Lifetime, the Stath Lets Flats creator will take the audience on a journey from birth to death in the anxious modern day through song and sketches.

Each ‘embarrassing, heartening and ultimately futile’ stage of life is represented by a different character played by the comedian, while co-stars include Ellie White, Sian Clifford, Jon Pointing, Kiell Smith-Bynoe and Katy Wix. 

Demetriou – who is pictured in the womb in a promotional image for the hour-long show, below, commented: ‘I’m in it quite a lot, hope that’s OK’.

He also wrote the show, which will be made by BBC Studios Productions and Guilty Party Pictures, the production company run by Jonny Sweet and Simon Bird.

In a statement, they said: ‘It’s been a privilege to see Jamie assemble these disparate, disastrous, often relatively thick characters into one beautiful sweep of life as he sees it.

‘It's as original, daring, and hilarious as we have come to expect from (to be fair) the comic voice of his generation.’

Josh Cole, head of comedy at BBC Studios, added: ‘Jamie is an exceptional creator and performer. It’s a testament to his talent that in just one hour he will take us on an excruciating, hilarious, brilliantly observed journey through modern life’.

This is the first project to come from a multi-year deal Demetriou signed with BBC Studios  last year  to develop a raft of new comedy programmes. The company also acts as international distributor for Stath Lets Flats  and has sold the show into the US, Canada, Australia and Greece. Demetriou has won four Bafta awards for writing and starring in the Channel 4 comedy.

Written by and starring: Jamie Demetriou
Made by: BBC Studios and Guilty Party Pictures
Produced by: Olly Cambridge
Directed by: Andrew Gaynord
Executive producers: Josh Cole, Simon Bird, Jonny Sweet, Andrew Gaynord and Jamie Demetriou

Published: 11 Jan 2023