The Inbetweeners Series 1

Purchased From: - Play.com for £7.99
(Series 1&2 boxset is available for £9.99 on play which I think is a better deal).

DVD Info:-
The Inbetweeners series one DVD Rating: 18 (Reason- sex references, swearing and some violence) Running time: 138 mins approx Extras running time: 53 mins
Sadly there are only 2 deleted scenes and 2 outtakes a meet the cast section and a making of the series slot, the highlight for me though is the character diaries which entailed the four cast members larking about with a video camera.

Episodes:- There are 6 episodes in Series 1 Friends of mine had been banging on about "The Inbetweeners for what seemed like an eternity" and due to working in an Educational Establishment, It seemed I couldn't escape hordes of teenagers citing "New Friend" and various catchphrases which I was duly informed were a result of the cult comedy "The Inbetweeners".

It was with trepidation that I ordered the DVD from Play.com but felt that due to the reasonable price and the constant Inbetweeners References that I appeared to be somewhat clueless about, I would purchase the item. Once it arrived I settled down with the Hubby on the sofa to watch whilst the snow was falling outside on a Sunday afternoon.

Plot Summary:- The initial series commences with a verbal narrative from one of the lead Characters "Will McKenzie" (played by Simon Bird) who explains that his parents have split up and due to financial issues Will now has to attend his last year at a local comprehensive instead of his previous private school. Cue... Will's first day in an alien environment, Will is a slightly awkward looking boy who arrived at the school rather misguidedly Wearing his previous schools blazer whilst holding a briefcase, Will attends an introduction class with other newbie's and through Will's internal dialogue we learn of his fears regarding "fitting in" and being stuck with the freaks of the school. Will is given a buddy to help him through his transition called Simon but due to Will' sticking out like a sore thumb, in typical teenage fashion Simon wants' nothing to do with Will who is the subject of abuse throughout his first day with various comments such as "Briefcase Mong" being thrown at him.

The first series introduced the main characters.
Will Mckenzie - Played by Simon Bird - As previously described Will is a slightly awkward looking boy, who is highly intelligent, self observant and in possession of a very sarcastic and self depreciating sense of humor.

Simon Cooper - Played by Joe Thomas - Simon is assigned to be Will's First Day buddy and eventually develops a friendship with Will after initially doing his utmost to avoid being associated with the "briefcase Mong". Simon is always pining over his unrequited love for his neighbor Carly and the 1st series explores Simon's disastrous attempts to woo her.

Jay Cartwright - played by James Buckley - Jay is a typical teenage boy, whose sole obsession is sex and girls. Jay is extremely crude and constantly brings sex into every conversation. Jay's father tends to be very critical of Jay and constantly puts him down which leads to Jay overexerting for attention and claiming that he is sexually active with lots of women.

Neil Sutherland - Played by Blake Harrison - Neil's character is portrayed as the slowest member of the group academically and tends not to understand or comprehend a lot of the in humor between the groups. Neil displays a penchant for body popping and suffers a lot of ribbing from the group due to his father being quite feminine.

Episode Guide:-
Episode 1:- First Day............The First Episode centre's around Will's first day and provides the viewer with the opportunity to meet the other characters. And Mr. Gilbert, the slightly psychotic head of the 6th Form. Will eventually ingratiates himself with Simon and his friends via an unfortunate incident that Simon experiences in the 6th Form Common Room. At the end of the 1st day all of the 6th formers meet in the local pub for a drink - whereby due to not being served Will becomes increasingly angry and informs the landlord that everyone is drinking underage, this making him a target for the school bully.

Episode 2:- Bunk Off............The boys decide to bunk off school and get drunk, Will and Simon call the school and pretend to be Simons mum and then proceed to get Will to purchase some alcohol go to Neil's house and get drunk. Simon decides to vandalize Carlys drive with his declarations of love and Will insults Neil's dad.

Episode 3:- Thorpe Park.........Simon passes his driving test courtesy of a rather flirty female instructor and his Dad buys him a bright yellow car. The boys proceed to go to Thorpe Park to chase girls as Neil works there and the episode covers the boys' exploits at the park.

Episode 4:- Girlfriend......The boys are invited to a house party and the most popular girl Charlotte Hinchcliffe is rumored to be putting in an appearance. Surprisingly Will manages to charm Charlotte into an upstairs bedroom which causes further clashes with Donavon the school Bully whom Charlotte has just dumped. Jay makes a new friend which leads to a lot of ribbing by the boys due to Jay's "New Car Friend". Will attempts intercourse with Charlotts and Neil participates in a charity Blind Date event at the school.

Episode 5:- Caravan Club.........Jay and his family are members of the "Caravan Club" and annually go on Caravan Holidays. Jay invites the boys to visit him whilst holidaying with the promise of lots of sex with girls, insinuating that Caravan Club is a hive of horny teenage activity. The viewer encounters Jay's Mum and Dad and is led to understand the source of Jay's fanaticism regarding sex and girls and his capacity for telling white lies. Simon ends up in a compromising situation with a girl, Neil displays his body popping skills and Will is bullied by a group of eight year olds.

Episode 6:- Xmas Party........Will applies for the position of Chairman for the Christmas Party and due to Will being the only candidate is duly elected. Will organizes the party and lets Jay DJ. Neil attempts to kiss the female science Teacher, Jay pulls; Charlotte Hinchcliffe kisses Will which leads to another confrontation with Donavon the school bully and the boys all reminisce about their first term on a trampoline.

General Information:- The Inbetweeners was written by Damon Beesley and Ian Morris and was originally commissioned for E4 who aired the first series followed by Channel 4. The series is set in Outer London and filmed in a typical suburb and a comprehensive school.

Review:- I absolutely adored watching Series 1 of the inbetweeners even though the humor is very childish and adolescent. The synergy between the actors works perfectly and the casting of the main characters was expertly done. I initially assumed that it would just be a very "skins" like production and that the programme was another one of Channel 4's shock tactic - trying to gain a younger Target Audience endeavors. But I was pleasantly surprised upon watching the series. Damon Beesley and Ian Morris are very talented writers who perfectly encapsulated the life of a teenager and the varied dramas that you think consume your life at that age. The series develops at quite a rapid pace and each character is actively involved in each plot and subplot. The exploits of the boys frequently reduces me to tears of laughter and provided some much needed light relief. Although I don't think this humor would appeal to everyone due to the crude nature of the boys exploits and language and the focus upon sexual humor. I would highly recommend purchasing this DVD.

Value for Money:- The product is great value for money even though there are only 6 episodes. Due to the repeat watchability of the DVD, I feel that the DVD is good value for money.