British Comedy Guide
How Not To Live Your Life. Don Danbury (Dan Clark). Copyright: Brown Eyed Boy
How Not To Live Your Life

How Not To Live Your Life

  • TV sitcom
  • BBC Three
  • 2007 - 2011
  • 21 episodes (3 series)

Sitcom about an arrogant single twenty-something man who is struggling to navigate his way through life. He is not helped by his bad instincts. Stars Dan Clark, David Armand, Sinead Moynihan, Finlay Robertson, Leila Hoffman and more.

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Episode menu

- Christmas Special - It's A Don-Derful Life

It's Christmas time in the Danbury household and Don is making a final attempt to lead a normal life. But he has to contend with an out-of-control OAP, a violent Santa and someone close to home winning over his dream girl.

Preview clips

Further details

How Not To Live Your Life. Image shows from L to R: Mrs Treacher (Leila Hoffman), Samantha (Laura Haddock), Don Danbury (Dan Clark), Eddie (David Armand). Copyright: Brown Eyed Boy

It's December in the Danbury household but there's nothing festive about Don's state of mind: the house is freezing because the boiler keeps breaking down; the toilet doesn't work; Mrs Treacher's losing the plot (and control of her bowels); Don's got a dead end job in a shoe shop and his friendship with Sam is no closer to becoming the romance he yearns for.

Things suddenly take a turn for the better when he receives news he has finally paid off his gran's debts and is free to sell the house. However, rather than winning Sam's heart it only drives them further apart as he impulsively sells to a property developer who plans to knock it down and Eddie has to put Treacher into an old people's home.

Just when Don thinks things couldn't get worse a rival man secures an invite to spend Christmas with Sam and her mum. Contemplating another lonely festive season by himself, without the woman he loves, Don manages to persuade Eddie and Treacher to help him film a music video for a song he has specially written for Sam and drop it off at her Mum's.

And along the way he encounters a lusty dwarf; a violent Santa and an OAP orgy all rounded off with an epic musical finale.

Which makes for a nailbiting and feelgood climax to three series of Don's attempts to grow up and find love.

Broadcast details

Date
Thursday 22nd December 2011
Time
9pm
Channel
BBC Three
Length
60 minutes

Cast & crew

Cast
Dan Clark Don Danbury
David Armand Eddie
Sinead Moynihan Abby Jones
Leila Hoffman Mrs Treacher
Laura Haddock Samantha
Daniel Lawrence Taylor Jason
Guest cast
Alex Carter Blake (Shoe Shop Manager)
Julia Davis Anne Yeaman
Laura Fedorowycz Louise (Don's One-night Stand)
Oliver Maltman Derek Yeaman
Tom Meeten Graham Length (Property Developer)
Fiona Mollison Sam's Mum
Joanna Neary (as Jo Neary) Care Worker
Sharon Young Actor
Writing team
Dan Clark Writer
Drew Pearce Script Editor
Production team
Sam Leifer Director
Gary Reich Producer
Dan Clark Producer
Kristian Smith Executive Producer
Andy Linton Editor
Iain McDonald Production Designer
Ben Parker Composer

Video

Christmas Special - Trailer

It's Christmas time in the Danbury household and Don is finally starting to grow up. A trailer for the final special of How Not To Live Your Life.

Featuring: David Armand (Eddie), Dan Clark (Don Danbury), Laura Haddock (Samantha), Leila Hoffman (Mrs Treacher) & Daniel Lawrence Taylor (Jason).

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