'Life's Too Short' Series Premiere: Liam Neeson Tries His Hand At Improv Comedy (VIDEO)

"High Spirits" aside, Liam Neeson is not exactly noted for his forays into the world of comedy, but on the "Life's Too Short" (Sun., 10:30 p.m. EST on HBO) Series Premiere he decided to expand his horizons and give improv comedy a whirl.

Just like "Extras," "Life's Too Short" features stars sending themselves up in "real-life" scenarios. Lampooning his austere reputation, "The Grey" star stopped by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant's office to show off his comic chops. Only to prove that the mockumentary version of Neeson didn't really have any.

Trying various scenarios where he played a hypochondriac visiting the doctor's office, Neeson was deliberately incapable of introducing any levity into his performance.

Playing himself as the straightest straight man to an increasingly bored and irritated Gervais, Neeson wanted to inject pathos and drama into the scenarios they tried out. He was snippy, he was awkward and, well, he was a bit intimidating.

As his fellow "Star Wars" alum Warwick Davis looked on in bewilderment, Neeson ploughed on. In answer to Gervais' doctor asking, "What seems to be the problem?" Neeson sighed and deadpanned, "I've contracted AIDS."

Don't give up the day job, Liam!

Check out Maureen Ryan's take on "Life's Too Short."

Warwick Davis has revealed that he's currently in negotiations to host his own talk show. Follow his other show business adventures on "Life's Too Short," Sundays at 10:30 p.m. EST on HBO.

TV Replay scours the vast television landscape to find the most interesting, amusing, and, on a good day, amazing moments, and delivers them right to your browser.

Related on HuffPost:

Comments

[Sad But True]

10:54 AM on 02/21/2012

After watching the first episode, there's no doubt that it's all a little bit "forced". It's very awkwardly-paced with scenes just kind of thrown in. Certain plot elements don't make a huge amount of sense.

That said, I found it to be pretty humorous. The sequence with Liam Neeson is hysterical. Sure, it didn't have anything to do with anything. That didn't stop me from laughing.

It's not Ricky's best product. It's not on the level of "The Office" or "Extras", but I'll definitely be giving it more than one chance.

[Orphie]

10:47 AM on 02/21/2012

While accurate in the literal sense within the context of the show, the HP front page headline is very misleading. Neeson was completely hilarious.

[caland]

08:39 AM on 02/21/2012

Who wrote this? It doesn't say. I'm assuming a robot unless there is attribution. Because it seems a computer has coldly taken transcripts of the show verbatim rather than an actual perceptive human.

[caland]

08:37 AM on 02/21/2012

I don't think the reviewer comprehends sarcasm or deadpan humor, irony or...humor in general.

[coolsunil]

12:23 AM on 02/21/2012

What a foolish review! Who hired this joker to be a critic?? It was MEANT to be like that, you humor-challenged moron!

Is this first episode review a joke or does is the reviewer REALLY that dense???

Wow - talk about not getting it.

[emwaic]

09:53 PM on 02/20/2012

That was the point......dry humour at it best.!!

[emwaic]

09:55 PM on 02/20/2012

its

[MsYellowDog]

09:37 PM on 02/20/2012

I thought the debut episode of "Life's Too Short" was devilishly funny! On the other hand,all Ricky Gervais has to do to make me laugh is raise an eyebrow.

[Kathy Baratta]

09:34 PM on 02/20/2012

What doesn't hit its mark is someone tasked to critique something that clearly is over their head. The entire bit with Neeson was hilarious. Too bad it escaped the reviewer but RIcky and Steve's reactions obviously weren't supposed to convey they were "irritated" but rather intimidated. As posters before me noted, if this has to be explained to you then of course you're not going to get it.

[emwaic]

09:55 PM on 02/20/2012

agreed

[Kathy Baratta]

10:24 PM on 02/20/2012

emwaic,

Thank you for your response to my post. Are you watching, "An Idiot Abroad" on the Science Channel? If not, I would definitely advise you do so. Carl Pilkington rules and once again Ricky Gervais and Steve Merchant prove they really know who and what is funny.

[Bill Sr]

08:39 PM on 02/20/2012

wrong wrong wrong .. he was hilarious ... you just don't get British humour

[gialla]

07:44 PM on 02/20/2012

That was the point! Loved it
.

[DietrichDaniels]

06:57 PM on 02/20/2012

Holy cow, you didn't get the premise at all!! The fact that he could keep a straight face was proof....wait a minute, if I have to explain it to you you'll never understand just how funny Liam was. /facepalm

[CitizenFitz]

05:49 PM on 02/20/2012

I laughed through the whole piece. Well done!

[WeezyBaby]

01:17 PM on 02/20/2012

Liam was hilarious in that skit. The humorous part is that he was so bad at comedy improv, which was intentional b/c he was acting. I can't believe I actually have to explain this.

[intelsec]

01:04 PM on 02/20/2012

Liam is one of the greats. Enough said.

[homefair]

12:31 PM on 02/20/2012

Huh? He made me laugh. Just deadpan to the max!