Josh Thomas built Please Like Me around a simple premise: a young man realizes he is gay after a breakup, and the show follows him through the mess of coming out to his family. It is a comedy-drama, but the drama lands harder than the jokes. That tension is the engine of the show.
The show premiered on 28 February 2013 on ABC2 in Australia, and it ran four seasons, 32 episodes, before ending on 14 December 2016. Josh Thomas created it, starred in it, and wrote every episode. The show is available on Netflix in certain regions. It aired later on the United States network Pivot, which helped develop the show from its second season onwards.
Trailer, via Hulu.
Josh Thomas’s Central Performance
Josh Thomas plays Josh, the protagonist. He is the center of the show, and his performance carries the emotional weight of every scene. His delivery is sharp and funny, but he never lets the humor mask the pain of his situation. The character is a young adult navigating his first decade of adulthood, dealing with a breakup, a new sexual identity, and a mother battling depression.
Hannah Gadsby plays Hannah, Josh’s ex-girlfriend who helps him through the process of coming out. Their relationship is complicated and tender. She supports him without judgment, even as she struggles with her own feelings about the change. The chemistry between Thomas and Gadsby is the show’s strongest asset.
The Family Unit
The show revolves around Josh’s family, and each member gets a distinct arc. His mother is battling depression, and Josh takes on the role of caregiver alongside his best friend and housemate Tom. The dynamic between Josh and his mother is the emotional core of the series. It is a quiet, unspoken bond that the show handles with great care.
Tom is Josh’s constant companion. He is loyal and supportive, but he also has his own insecurities and fears. The show treats his character with the same depth as Josh’s, which is rare in ensemble comedies. The friendship between Josh and Tom is the anchor of the series, steady even when everything else is falling apart.
The Tone
Please Like Me is a comedy-drama, but the balance leans heavily toward the drama. The show handles serious subjects like depression, coming out, and family conflict with a light touch, but the lightness never feels forced. The humor is observational and understated, rooted in the awkwardness of everyday life. This approach keeps the show grounded and relatable.
The show’s creator, Josh Thomas, has said he has no plans to make any further episodes. That decision feels appropriate for the story he told. The show ends on a note that feels complete, even if it leaves some threads open.
Critical Reception
The show has attracted praise from critics and has garnered numerous nominations, winning a number of awards. That reception is deserved. The show’s writing is sharp, and its performances are uniformly strong.
“Please Like Me is a drama rather than a sitcom.”
That quote, attributed to executive producer Todd Abbott, captures the show’s ambition. It is a show that takes its subject matter seriously while still finding room to laugh. The humor is never used to defuse the drama; it is used to highlight it.
The Netflix Factor
The show’s availability on Netflix in certain regions has introduced it to audiences beyond Australia. Its presence on the streaming service has helped the show find a wider audience, though its regional availability means not everyone can see it. The show’s success on Pivot in the United States helped fund its development from its second season onwards, giving the creators the resources to expand the scope of the series.
What Works
The show’s strengths are its honesty and its warmth. It does not shy away from difficult conversations, but it does not wallow in misery either. The show finds joy in the mundane, in the small victories of daily life. That balance is rare in a show about such heavy topics.
The show also benefits from its tight focus. It stays with Josh, his family, and his immediate circle. There is no padding, no filler episodes, no wasted time. Every scene moves the story forward or deepens the relationships.
Where It Falls Short
The show is not perfect. Some episodes lean too heavily on predictable sitcom structures, and a few of the secondary characters feel underdeveloped. The show’s commitment to realism sometimes clashes with the need for episodic structure, and a handful of episodes feel less essential than the ones that anchor the main story.
Final Verdict
Please Like Me is a quietly excellent show. It is a comedy-drama that earns its emotional weight, and it does so with a cast that is consistently excellent. The show is a portrait of a young man growing up, and it is a portrait of a family learning to love him as he is.
The show is available on ABC2 in Australia, on Netflix in certain regions, and on Pivot in the United States. Anyone interested in honest, character-driven television should watch it.
Please Like Me earns a score of 7.7 out of 10.
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