“In this show I talk to my guests about a life they haven’t actually lived, an alternative history they know absolutely nothing about.”
Eleven years to its name and without a doubt one of the most uniquely interesting niche podcasts and concepts around. The wonderful Steven Davidson, renowned UK comedian and star of sell-out Edinburgh Fringe shows Live At The Hive, The World Is Mine, and Gamesmaster, hosts a series of interviews with comedians, exploring the absolute randomness of off-the-cuff answers to questions relating to Looking Back on a Life That Didn’t Happen.
The premise is simple, Steven Davidson invites guests onto the podcast, to discuss ‘exquisitely fabricated lives in a very serious manner’. None of the guests are given any background or hints regarding their new lives prior to the interviews, and the idea is that they will survive the session on their sheer ability to be witty, imaginative, and ultimately playful; in a realm built entirely out of nonsense.
Key episodes from the 31 currently available to delve into include this year’s interview with Jarred Christmas. Following a brief chat for the introduction, Steven proceeds to set the scene almost like the beginning of a role-playing game or Dungeons and Dragons. What follows is a conversation that feels impressively genuine – something you’d be forgiven for taking as truth if you were unaware of the theme of this podcast.
The episode is bizarrely captivating – a key trait of all releases so far from the distinctly eccentric podcast Looking Back on a Life that Didn’t Happen. The scenarios are skilfully maneuvered by the very serious yet passionate Jarred Christmas, and the show proves increasingly hilarious as the two get deeper and deeper into this strange vortex of alternative existence.
Other stand-out episodes feature the likes of Dan Evans, as well as TV’s unmistakable Ross Noble, both of which are brilliantly enthralling for their improvisation skills and humility in the face of pure ridiculousness.
You’ll likely find yourself completed absorbed in these stories, intrigued by the details presented without prior thought or planning, and you’ll ultimately be left hooked – entertained, distracted from the world, and quite frankly addicted to the escapism of the format.
“There are no facts in this show, only lies, untruths and mince.”
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