Big Boys: Trailer, certificate and where to watch
Comedy about two mismatched boys who strike up an unlikely friendship when they're thrown together at university
Year: 2022-
Certificate: 15
From the title, you'd be forgiven for thinking that this comedy, set at university, will be all crass humour and testosterone-fuelled antics. Yes, there is sex and the pursuit of it, but the show is, in fact, rather tender and sweet, charting the floundering journey of two boys who are not yet men as they work out who they are and how to make their marks.
Jack (Derry Girls' Dylan Llewellyn) is a shy, sensitive fresher who's still struggling with the grief of losing his dad, and is tentatively emerging from the closet. He is assigned a room in a shed, instead of halls, with the more gregarious lad's lad Danny (a BAFTA-nominated Jon Pointing), and although Danny seems confident, he's got his own sadness weighing him down.
It's written by Jack Rooke, a comic known for exploring grief and mental health in his work, and the balance between laughter and pathos, between poignancy and toilet humour, and between sex and real emotions, is perfectly executed.
The supporting cast includes Jack's doting, glorious mum Peggy (Camille Coduri, who played Rose Tyler's mum in Doctor Who) and Katy Wix, who is perfect as the annoyingly enthusiastic Student Union officer, Jules. (Three series)
