Please Like Me
Please Like Me is an Australian comedy-drama television series created, written, directed by, and starring Josh Thomas, which follows the semi-autobiographical experiences of a young gay man navigating early adulthood, relationships, and family mental health challenges.[1][2] Premiering on ABC2 on 28 February 2013, the series ran for four seasons totaling 32 episodes, concluding in 2016, and was produced by Guesswork Television in association with ABC and Pivot in the United States.[1][2] The narrative centers on Thomas's character, Josh, who, after being dumped by his girlfriend and realizing his homosexuality, copes with his mother's recent suicide attempt while managing friendships, romantic entanglements, and issues like depression and anxiety in Melbourne.[1][3] The show garnered critical praise for its honest portrayal of mental illness and LGBTQ+ experiences, earning an 8.5/10 rating on IMDb from over 20,000 users and multiple awards, including Best Television Comedy Series at the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) Awards in 2014 and 2015, as well as Australian Writers' Guild Awards for specific episodes.[1][2][4] Its blend of humor and pathos distinguished it in Australian television, influencing later works by Thomas such as the American series Everything's Gonna Be Okay.[5]Production
Development and Conception
Josh Thomas, an Australian stand-up comedian who gained recognition through awards such as the 2007 Sydney Comedy Festival's best new talent prize, conceived Please Like Me as a semi-autobiographical exploration of personal turmoil and self-discovery. The series originated from Thomas's lived experiences, including his mother's suicide attempt via overdose, which directly inspired the pilot episode's opening event where the protagonist's mother attempts suicide shortly after he realizes his homosexuality.[5] This event mirrored Thomas's own family history, where his mother's attempt was shrouded in embarrassment and rarely discussed, contrasting with the show's more candid portrayal to highlight millennial urban anxieties in Melbourne.[6] Thomas's prior comedic success, including sold-out stand-up tours and television appearances, facilitated the pitch to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), which greenlit the series in 2012 for its raw authenticity over conventional sitcom polish.[7] The ABC's commission stemmed from Thomas's established reputation for introspective humor, enabling a quick development cycle from concept to production. To expand reach, ABC partnered with the U.S. cable network Pivot for co-production and distribution, aiming to adapt the Australian setting for international audiences while retaining its grounded, unfiltered essence.[8] Throughout development, Thomas served as the sole writer for all 32 episodes across four seasons, prioritizing improvised, conversational dialogue derived from his personal anecdotes over structured scripts to capture causal emotional realism.[9] This solitary writing approach, informed by Thomas's stand-up background, emphasized unvarnished depictions of sexuality realization and familial dysfunction, linking directly to the show's genesis in his unresolved life events.[8]Casting and Filming Process
Josh Thomas created, wrote, and starred in Please Like Me as the lead character Josh, a semi-autobiographical role drawn from his own life experiences.[10] Thomas was directly involved in casting decisions, reviewing hundreds of headshots from auditions across Australia and even selecting extras.[10] For the role of best friend Tom, Thomas cast his real-life friend Thomas Ward after a rigorous process involving nearly 50 candidates; Ward auditioned last due to initial doubts about his acting experience but was selected for his authentic embodiment of the character.[10] Debra Lawrance was cast as Josh's mother Grace, contributing personal insights to portrayals of manic behavior associated with bipolar disorder for added realism.[11] Filming primarily occurred on location in Melbourne, Victoria, including residential areas like Northcote to capture an intimate, everyday authenticity reflective of the show's slice-of-life narrative.[12] Certain episodes incorporated specific sites, such as a camping sequence in Tasmania, while maintaining a focus on natural, dialogue-driven scenes.[11] The production adopted a rapid shooting style, often capturing 12 minutes of footage per day, emphasizing quick "snap snap snap" takes centered on character conversations to preserve comedic rhythm in editing.[11] Challenges included tight schedules that demanded efficient coverage for post-production flexibility, particularly in comedy sequences requiring precise timing.[11] Dense ensemble scenes, such as multi-character dinner interactions, proved especially difficult due to the need to balance nuanced performances under time constraints.[11] Sensitive topics like suicide attempts and mental health episodes were handled with actor input to ensure believability, avoiding exaggeration while grounding depictions in observed behaviors.[11]Narrative and Characters
Overall Plot Structure
Please Like Me centers on protagonist Josh's journey of self-discovery after a breakup leads him to acknowledge his homosexuality, intertwined with the repercussions of a friend's suicide attempt and familial strains, particularly his mother's depression.[13] Season 1 establishes this foundation, tracing the causal chain from initial personal upheaval to tentative adaptations in identity and support networks amid acute crises.[13] Subsequent seasons escalate these dynamics, depicting progressive relational entanglements and recurrent setbacks in emotional stability, where early gains in self-awareness provoke further conflicts and partial retreats into familiar patterns.[14] This chronological progression underscores cause-effect relationships in growth, as isolated incidents compound into broader patterns of resilience tested by relapse.[15] The storyline adopts a hybrid narrative form, featuring episodic vignettes driven by awkward interpersonal encounters that advance serialized threads of character evolution and unresolved tensions.[1] Spanning 32 episodes over four seasons, each roughly 30 minutes in duration for a cumulative runtime of approximately 16 hours, the series concludes with an open-ended depiction of Josh's maturing perspective, leaving relational and personal ambiguities intact rather than resolved.[16][17]Key Characters and Casting
The protagonist, Josh, is portrayed by series creator and writer Josh Thomas, who drew from his own experiences to depict a young gay man in his twenties navigating self-doubt, depression, and tentative romantic entanglements marked by hesitant and often misguided interpersonal decisions.[1][18] This self-insertion lends an authentic, introspective quality to the role, emphasizing unpolished emotional responses over idealized resolutions.[19] Claire, Josh's ex-girlfriend and close friend, is played by Caitlin Stasey, known prior for her role in the soap opera Neighbours; her performance captures the character's pragmatic yet conflicted loyalty amid relational shifts driven by unexamined impulses.[20][21] Arnold, introduced as Josh's primary love interest, is enacted by Keegan Joyce, who conveys the figure's anxiety disorder and sincere but faltering pursuit of connection, highlighting vulnerabilities that lead to realistic relational missteps.[22] (Note: While Wikipedia is not cited, Joyce's role is corroborated across production credits.) Supporting the core ensemble are Thomas Ward as Tom, Josh's unreliable yet endearing best friend and housemate, whose erratic behavior underscores impulsive camaraderie; Debra Lawrance as Rose, Josh's bipolar mother, embodying parental inconsistencies rooted in personal turmoil; and David Roberts as Alan, Josh's father, navigating post-divorce life with a new partner, Mae (Renee Lim), in a manner reflective of imperfect familial adaptations.[22][23] Thomas prioritized casting for interpersonal chemistry and naturalistic delivery, selecting actors he personally connected with—particularly for romantic roles—to mirror the character's attractions and ensure believable, understated dynamics over reliance on established celebrities.[19] This approach favored emerging talents alongside modestly experienced performers like Stasey and Joyce, fostering an ensemble where portrayals emphasize raw, flawed human interactions devoid of dramatic exaggeration.[24]Episode Guide
Seasons 1–2 (2013–2014)
Season 1 establishes the series' central premise through the life of Josh Donaldson, a 20-something Australian dealing with the immediate fallout from ending a long-term relationship with his girlfriend upon realizing his attraction to men, alongside his mother's recent suicide attempt and subsequent mental health struggles. The six-episode arc, airing weekly on ABC2 from 28 February to 28 March 2013, focuses on Josh's return to his family home, strained parental relationships, and tentative steps into new social and romantic dynamics with friends like Tom and Claire.[16][25] Key conflicts revolve around caregiving responsibilities, awkward interpersonal tensions, and self-discovery amid everyday absurdities, setting the tone for the show's blend of humor and emotional realism.| Episode | Title | Original air date | Synopsis |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rhubarb and Custard | 28 February 2013 | Josh processes his breakup while rushing to support his mother after her crisis, introducing core family strains.[16][25] |
| 2 | French Toast | 28 February 2013 | Josh navigates early awkwardness in friendships post-breakup, highlighting group dynamics.[16][25] |
| 3 | Portuguese Custard Tarts | 7 March 2013 | Family obligations intensify as Josh balances personal life with his mother's recovery needs.[16][25] |
| 4 | All You Can Eat | 14 March 2013 | Social experiments and romantic explorations test Josh's boundaries within his circle.[16][25] |
| 5 | Spanish Eggs | 21 March 2013 | Interpersonal conflicts escalate, underscoring themes of dependency and independence.[16][25] |
| 6 | Horrible Sandwiches | 28 March 2013 | The season culminates in reflections on evolving relationships and unresolved tensions.[16][25] |
| Episode | Title | Original air date | Synopsis |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Milk | 12 August 2014 | New living situations and family visits complicate Josh's daily routines.[16][26] |
| 8 | Ham | 19 August 2014 | Friend group activities reveal shifting loyalties and personal insecurities.[16][26] |
| 9 | Parmigiana | 26 August 2014 | Romantic developments intersect with ongoing parental dependencies.[16][26] |
| 10 | Gang Keow Wan | 2 September 2014 | Travel-related plans expose vulnerabilities in relationships.[16][26] |
| 11 | Pancakes with Faces | 9 September 2014 | Emotional confrontations deepen character interconnections.[16][26] |
| 12 | Scroggin | 16 September 2014 | Group dynamics evolve amid reflections on growth and stagnation.[16][26] |