Why is 'This Life' so special?

I watched it in 2000/2001 when it first hit our (Serbian) TV screens, but not from the beginning, then I watched and taped the sholw show during its repeat 2001/2002.

The first thing I noticed and the thing that made it so special was that it seemed so REAL. There are other shows that use documentary style, but This Life really looked like a slice of real life. The characters talked and acted in the way that I found familiar, because they seemed just like my friends (except that my friends don't normally talk in English LOL but you get my meaning). The language, the sex scenes (straigt and gay), scenes of characters smoking pot, etc., it was all very frank and realistic. But I soon realized that it's more than that - the characters were very well-written and well-acted and more complex than they first seemed. The same goes for their relationships. For those reasons, I can safely say there has never ever been a show that I felt was more true to life. For instance: just look at the depiction of gay men on TV or in movies. Msot of the other movies/shows have very stereotypical gay characters. Either they are a Jack from 'Will and Grace' (camp) or they are a Will (nice, perfect etc.) and in any case, you never get to see their sex life. TL was not afraid to show gay men actually having sex, be it with a stranger in a park or with someone they love. But my favourite characters on the show are Anna and Miles, and I think they were one of the best TV couples ever. Anna was IMO one of the greatest TV characters ever, and Daniela Nardini was amazing!

The ending ... well, I think it was a great ending, exactly because it was so different than the endings of most shows. It was very in character for Anna, Miles, Egg, Milly... and there were no forced 'happy endings' that you see on other shows. It was bittersweet and very sad (even though at least one character did get a happy ending - which was good, it wouldn't be realistic to make it into a complete disaster for everyone). It was good that they decided to end it while it was at its best, rather than continue and risk it slipping in quality - even though the show had great ratings. You don't see that very often on TV! most of the shows which have good ratings get dragged and dragged until they lose any sense, in order to get more money out of them.

But at the same time, of course I was devastated when Miles went on with the weddin! And I would love to see what became out of Anna, Miles, Milly, Egg, Warren 10 years later! There are so many questions that are left unanswered. I only hope that the new episode would be true to the spirit in TL.