Big Boys

COB

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Just watched the first two episodes of Big Boys, the new Channel 4 sitcom starring Dylan Llewellyn (James from Derry Girls) as a gay university fresher. I really enjoyed it, it was surprisingly sweet as it seems to be focused on his friendship with his quite laddish straight flatmate. It's also set in 2013 and has quite a good era-appropriate soundtrack, including La Roux's Sexotheque featuring quite prominently in one scene :disco:
 
Just watched the first two episodes of Big Boys, the new Channel 4 sitcom starring Dylan Llewellyn (James from Derry Girls) as a gay university fresher. I really enjoyed it, it was surprisingly sweet as it seems to be focused on his friendship with his quite laddish straight flatmate. It's also set in 2013 and has quite a good era-appropriate soundtrack, including La Roux's Sexotheque featuring quite prominently in one scene :disco:
Just watched the first episode and it's made me miss Uni so much. Especially my straight friend that was quite like Danny.
 
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Just watched the first two episodes of Big Boys, the new Channel 4 sitcom starring Dylan Llewellyn (James from Derry Girls) as a gay university fresher. I really enjoyed it, it was surprisingly sweet as it seems to be focused on his friendship with his quite laddish straight flatmate. It's also set in 2013 and has quite a good era-appropriate soundtrack, including La Roux's Sexotheque featuring quite prominently in one scene :disco:

I really liked it too. I wasn't sure about the Derry Girl at first but the friendship at the centre of the show is quite lovely. The line about being sad - like Eamonn and Ruth was highly amusing, and I generally liked all the slightly older than I thought they were pop culture references.

This is a nice read:

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-...neglected-relationship-the-straight-best-mate

:D at the microwave bit being true.
 
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Binged this last night. Lovely stuff and very funny in places. Having read up on the back story I'm interested to see whether they go further with it, and if so how close it hews to Jack Rooke's real experience, which would potentially be quite bleak. I kind of thought it was heading that way by the end of this season anyway though, so I was pleased that the ending was somewhat more hopeful.

Great performances all round, particularly the mum who I think I recognised from somebody's avatar years ago. I gather her recurring role in Doctor Who was considered quite iconic?
 
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Binged this last night. Lovely stuff and very funny in places. Having read up on the back story I'm interested to see whether they go further with it, and if so how close it hews to Jack Rooke's real experience, which would potentially be quite bleak. I kind of thought it was heading that way by the end of this season anyway though, so I was pleased that the ending was somewhat more hopeful.

Great performances all round, particularly the mum who I think I recognised from somebody's avatar years ago. I gather her recurring role in Doctor Who was considered quite iconic?
Rose Tyler's mum in the first few series of the reboot! She's amazing.
 
Jack's gran was played by Annette Badland who also had a memorable role in that era of Doctor Who, as well as playing the legendary evil old bag Aunt Babe on EastEnders :disco:
 
Camille Coduri also well remembered (by ME if nobody else) for playing largely thankless love interest roles in King Ralph and Nuns On The Run :disco:
 
I binged the rest of the series the other night, I hadn't been expecting it to take the turns that it did in the last couple of episodes but I thought it was a very well handled exploration of those issues.
 
I kind of thought it was heading that way by the end of this season anyway though, so I was pleased that the ending was somewhat more hopeful.
From about episode 3 I just had this dread that he was going to kill himself, so I was so glad that he didn't at the end, because I don't think I would have coped.
 
I've only watched the first one so far but I loved it, it's very sweet and like many other gays I CAN RELATE on certain levels. The "guess what channel this programme is on by reading the synopsis on the Radio Times" game feels TOO CLOSE TO HOME :D

I thought Derry Boy would play this in the same way he did on Derry Girls since the character is similar, but I'm pleased that I never thought of James once.
 
Oh and Camille is amazing :disco: She was also great in Doctor Who of course. Certain people are funny just saying the most mundane lines and she is one.
 
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There's an official Spotify playlist for the show here:


Which has reminded me just how special that scene in the second episode was for me, when they went to the gay club and SOPHIE's Immaterial played - a song very conspicuously NOT of that era, but one so perfect for that scene. I cried a little bit 🥲
 
I watched episodes 3 and 4 last night. It is really very good, and Jon Pointing especially excellent.
 
Watched the last couple of episodes tonight. Lovely and brilliant. That Hot Chip sequence :D

From about episode 3 I just had this dread that he was going to kill himself, so I was so glad that he didn't at the end, because I don't think I would have coped.

I was also fairly convinced it was going that way from mid-series, especially from the way Jack addressed him in the voiceover, but very pleased that wasn't the direction
 
This is/was far funnier than I thought it would be. A Gamu From XF reference for starters :D

Loved the bit about Danny going into the Crèche if it gets laddy or pretends to be Louis Spence :D
 
God does every Channel 4 comedy have to end with me bawling my eyes out these days 😭

Danny’s Nan
“He’ll be a dancer living with a boyfriend in London”
Danny getting back into uni
 
Tim also recently seen being very hot but otherwise a bit pointless in the last season of Killing Eve.
 
Watched this over the last couple of days. Beyond the crippling nostalgia for uni it gave me, I thought it struck a great mix of emotion and comedy. The actor who plays Danny was exceptional, although I wish his friendship with Jack cemented by a few more shared experiences as I kind of felt they were only bonded by circumstance and Jack could really have been anyone who happened to get the other room in 'the shed'.

I don't know if he's planning a second series but I really hope so; I feel like this one packed a lot of world building into six episodes and the next series would be able to take its foot off the accelerator a bit.
 
As much as I loved this series part of me feels they told the story in those six episodes. There was probably more mileage for stories in that year but it seemed the last episode left things resolved.
 
As much as I loved this series part of me feels they told the story in those six episodes. There was probably more mileage for stories in that year but it seemed the last episode left things resolved.
I agree that if it was only ever planned as a single series, everything's wrapped up and it's reached a natural conclusion, but that's also the reason I'd be happy to see a second series. This has been one of the more authentic recreations of student life I've seen and, now the major narratives have been wrapped up, I feel like it would be free to explore the world of uni more and build up some of the secondary characters. The reversal of Danny being the one trying to knuckle down and Jack being the one who's on the lash every night would be an interesting direction to go in.
 
in real life, the character Danny is based on did commit suicide in his early twenties so I'm not sure how far the show can run unless they divert from that or decide to go in a very bleak direction :(
 
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in real life, the character Danny is based on did commit suicide in his early twenties so I'm not sure how far the show can run unless they divert from that or decide to go in a very bleak direction :(
I was just about to google that, I guess thats why the narration is the way it is. Beautiful way to honour someone though
 
I was just about to google that, I guess thats why the narration is the way it is. Beautiful way to honour someone though

I read an interview in which Jack Rooke said that the character was based on three friends, only one of whom is no longer here. I must admit the narration did make me think it was probably more heavily based on that friend in particular
 
Interestingly it is stated that the actor who played Danny's wife is a "queer performer in London"
 
I read an interview in which Jack Rooke said that the character was based on three friends, only one of whom is no longer here. I must admit the narration did make me think it was probably more heavily based on that friend in particular
Makes sense
 
From the voiceover wording and knowing Rooke's real life story/inspiration, I assume Danny will be dying at some point, and that is a series about friendship, loss and grief.

I first feared they'd off him at the end of this series, which scared me as i think Jon Pointing's the best thing in it, joint with Jackie Tyler.

Great series overall. Channel 4 are so good at these little 6x25 min comedies, aren't they. Derry Girls might be dead, but this and We Are Lady Parts are more than worthy replacements. And I should give Hullraisers a go too.
 
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He seems to be good friends with Nicola Coughlan. Fingers crossed for a cameo in series 2. :disco:
 
From the voiceover wording and knowing Rooke's real life story/inspiration, I assume Danny will be dying at some point, and that is a series about friendship, loss and grief.

I first feared they'd off him at the end of this series, which scared me as i think Jon Pointing's the best thing in it, joint with Jackie Tyler.

Great series overall. Channel 4 are so good at these little 6x25 min comedies, aren't they. Derry Girls might be dead, but this and We Are Lady Parts are more than worthy replacements. And I should give Hullraisers a go too.

The BBC have a few good lesser known recent comedies on iPlayer as well. I'd very much recommend Starstruck (third series confirmed today), The Other One and especially Alma's Not Normal to anyone who hasn't watched them, all over Hullraisers which I liked but didn't love.
 
Interestingly it is stated that the actor who played Danny's wife is a "queer performer in London"

I’ve ready this so many times and I still don’t understand it 🤔

Is it an INJOKE from the Eurovision forum or something?
 
I loved this so much. Broke my heart just a little too. A definite no to another season for me, though. It was perfect as it is.
 

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