The Worst Week of My Life is a British television sitcom created by Mark Bussell and Justin Sbresni and produced by Hat Trick Productions about the misadventures of a man to whom anything that can go wrong, does.
The series aired in the UK on BBC One from 12 March, 2004 to 22 December, 2006. There are 17 half-hour episodes in three seasons (the third season originally aired as a three-part Christmas special).
The Worst Week of My Life premiered in South Africa on DStv's BBC Entertainment channel on Monday 3 November 2008, at 20h00. See "Seasons" below for seasonal broadcast dates and times.
Season 3 - entitled The Worst Christmas of My Life - aired on BBC Entertainment on Monday 21 December 2009, from 20h30-22h15. The three half-hour episodes aired back-to-back.
Season 1
The Worst Week of My Life begins with the seven days leading up to the marriage of publishing executive Howard Steel and his fiancée Mel, the daughter of a high-court judge, Dick Cook.
Humiliating situations ensue: Cassie, a work colleague with whom Howard had a drunken one-night stand two years earlier, sets out to snare him and becomes obsessive; Howard accidentally kills his in-laws' dog, puts Mel's granny in hospital and loses the wedding ring (a family heirloom).
At the end of the first season, Howard and Mel were wed, despite the many mishaps that had befallen the well-meaning but accident-prone groom.
Season 2
Season 2 follows the same premise as the first: for Howard Steel, anything that can go wrong, will. The show covers a week in the life of Howard and his long-suffering wife Mel.
Howard and Mel are amazingly still together after the trials of their wedding and Mel is now perilously close to giving birth to their first child.
As the week hurtles headlong towards the birth, Howard has to guard a family secret and cope with allegations of sexual harassment at work, his father-in-law's status at being honoured with a CBE and mistakenly being arrested for 'dogging'.
He also manages to toast his father-in-law's CBE on a barbecue.
Season 3
The Worst Week of My Life returns for a third season - The Worst Christmas Of My Life - starring Ben Miller, Sarah Alexander and Alison Steadman.
The second season saw Howard (Ben Miller) and Mel (Sarah Alexander) finally making it down the aisle, moving into a new home and expecting their first child.
Now, in the new season, Howard and Mel are looking forward to their first Christmas as a family with their new baby daughter, Emily.
However for Howard, and those close to him, life is rarely that simple.
From suicidal secretaries to maniacal relatives, homicidal boyfriends and belligerent Santas, circumstances conspire to make this a Christmas to remember – for all the wrong reasons.
Surely there is no way that Howard can redeem himself and somehow be able to save Christmas?
The Worst Christmas Of My Life also stars Geoffrey Whitehead, Janine Duvitski and Ronald Pickup.
It is written, produced and directed by Mark Bussell and Justin Sbresni for Hat Trick Productions.
Seasons
(All seasons aired exclusively on BBC Entertainment)
Season 1 (7 episodes)
Premiere: 3 November 2008 | Finale: 15 December 2008 | Mondays, 20h00
Season 2 (7 episodes)
Premiere: 2 February 2009 | Finale: 16 March 2009 | Mondays, 20h00
Season 3 (3 episodes)
Premiere: 21 December 2009 | Finale: 21 December 2009 | Monday, 20h30 (back-to-back)