The Last Chancers

The Last Chancers is a British comedy drama television sitcom. It first appeared as a single episode under Channel 4's Comedy Lab strand, airing at 11:40pm on 21 November 2002. That initial screening was directed by Tony MacMurray and featured actors Adam Buxton and Steve John Shepherd. The show was later expanded into a five-part series broadcast on E4 from 5 December 2002 to 2 January 2003; the Channel 4 website now lists one series comprising five episodes. Tony MacMurray and Buxton wrote the series. The cast includes Buxton as Johnny, Shepherd as Paul, Kevin Bishop as Dan, Patrick Driver as Brian, MacMurray as Alex, Alice Lowe as Claire, and Joe van Moyland as Alex. Crew credits include MacMurray as writer, Merchant as director, James Harding and Richard Osborne as executive producers, and Sally Martin as producer. Critical reception was mixed. Rupert Smith of *The Guardian* gave a thumbs-up for elements like puking and guitar solos but noted the show seemed unsure whether it was vicious satire, feelgood comedy, or laddish high-jinks. John Dugdale of *The Sunday Times* criticised the hero, who endures humiliations like David Brent and Alan Partridge but lacks their compelling awfulness, though he praised the casting of Valerie Edmond. Thomas Sutcliffe of *The Independent* praised the show, comparing it favourably to *Peep Show* for its anti-climactic rhythms and loser slapstick. Gabrielle Starkey of *The Times* gave a positive review, calling it well observed, funny, and full of well-defined characters that avoid clichés.