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Was This Life's Anna the original Fleabag?

"Dirty, pervy, angry and messed-up" was how Phoebe Waller-Bridge described her character Fleabag, but she could just as easily have been referring to Anna Forbes from cult 90s drama This Life. And if you missed her first time around, the good news is, Anna's back.

In 1996 a cult classic made its debut on 大象传媒 Two. This Life followed the young occupants of a London flat share as they navigated their way around complicated relationships and their rival legal careers. It was smart, funny, shocking and fresh — and set to a banging Britpop soundtrack.

The drama launched the careers of its young cast, including that of The Walking Dead's Andrew Lincoln, who played slacker Egg. But arguably its most memorable character was Anna, played to Bafta-winning effect by Scottish actress Daniela Nardini.

The This Life cast: Jack Davenport as Miles, Daniela Nardini as Anna, Jason Hughes as Warren, Amita Dhiri as Milly and Andrew Lincoln as Egg

A character to root for

On the surface Anna was confident, provocative and razor-sharp. She was rarely far from a drink, or a caustic one-liner.

But she was vulnerable and self-destructive too, and damaged by her love/hate relationship with housemate Miles. Anna was a character to root for.

Now, nearly 25 years after it was first aired This Life is being shown again, this time on 大象传媒 Four. News of the programme's return was greeted warmly on social media and some were quick to note the similarities between Anna and a more recently seen outrageous female lead — Fleabag.

But just how alike are they? Judge for yourself from Monday 3rd February from 22:00 on 大象传媒 Four, or catch up on 大象传媒 iPlayer.