To know @joshthomas87 is to love him… (#PleaseLikeMe)

Josh doesn’t know he’s gay. It’s why his girlfriend breaks up with him (over a $19 sundae). But he’s not sure (that he’s gay). Then he meets a guy who is gay and likes him. And his Mum overdoses. His Dad, who’s got a new girlfriend, doesn’t know how to deal with and thinks he’s the problem. What’s not to like?! (Homophobes need not apply.)

Please Like Me is a new six part comedy series written by and starring Josh Thomas that is both delightfully awkward and deceptively poignant.

It’s a series that reflects Josh’s experience and comedy and it transcends gender boundaries. Everyone can relate to that awkward first kiss. Everyone has had more than a moment where they’ve been embarrassed by a parent. Everyone has looked at their best friend and thought “why do they find you more attractive than me?”.

If the secret to comedy is timing, then the essence of comedic television is casting – Thomas Ward (Tom – Josh’s best friend), Debra Lawrence (Rose – Josh’s Mum), David Roberts (Alan – Josh’s Dad) & Judi Farr (Aunty Peg) all deliver their characters in a way that highlights their influence and impact in Josh’s life. Roberts is wonderfully neurotic as the Dad in the middle of the mid-life crisis but not wanting to upset anyone and Ward is enjoyable in his first tilt on TV. Both Lawrence and Farr proffer their skills with charm and poise. They all hit the gags perfectly, too. Also, John the cavoodle is cute as all get out.

Please Like Me could be considered confronting were we not in 2013. As you watch the series you realise the emphasis in the title isn’t on “like”, but rather “me”. Josh wants you to like him for who he is. It’s well paced comedy that doesn’t let you get away with easy laughs – you earn them, and it’s worth the effort. And he’s pretty easy to like.

Please Like Me – Thu 9:30pm, ABC2.