The Inbetweeners - a great sitcom about teenage life (The Inbetweeners)

Member Name: jesperado

Product:	The Inbetweeners
Date:	16/07/09 (66 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great performances and realistic dialogue

Disadvantages: A bit gross at times!

WHAT IS IT: The Inbetweeners is a sitcom featuring four young men in Sixth Form at the fictional Rudge Park Comprehensive. It charts their trials and tribulations as they face the difficulties of adolescence such as desperately trying to get with girls, drinking too much and trying not to make complete fools of themselves. Throughout the two series they are under the watchful eye of the imposing Mr Gilbert, head of Sixth Form.

NEIL: The slow one of the group, Neil completely falls for Jay's ridiculous tales and is often the butt of everyone's jokes; particularly when he turns up at the school disco in an outfit even John Travolta would have rejected for Saturday Night Fever. He is played (brilliantly) by Blake Harrison who perfectly captures 'that idiot from school' without pushing it too far.

JAY: Jay really fancies himself as a ladies man and is constantly boasting about his sexual exploits. No-one believes him of course but he carries on undeterred. But underneath it all is a little boy just wanting to be noticed as he reveals in one episode. Played by James Buckley.

SIMON: Hopeless romantic Simon is constantly in pursuit of the girl of his dreams, Carli. Simon is played by Joe Thomas who does a great job of getting the audience on his side. This character more than any other captures that feeling of all consuming and terrifying young love.

WILL: The main focus of the series, ex public schoolboy Will has been forced to downgrade to Rudge Park and immediately sets himself up as a victim for bullies by turning up with a briefcase. He is completely clueless when it comes to talking to normal people of his own age but finds friendship with Simon, Jay and Neil. Simon Bird gets some of the best scenes and lines as the hapless Will and there are some fantastic moments between him and Greg Davies as the slightly terrifying Mr Gilbert.

GOOD POINTS: This programme really authentically captures what it is like to be a teenager. It is not full of stunningly beautiful people leading ludicrously deabuched lives as in programmes like Skins or Hollyoaks. It captures the embarassment of being a teenager where something as simple as a school disco turns out to be a minefield of potential humiliation. The dialogue is also completely true. There are excellent central performances from the main characters as well as a great turn from Greg Davies as the menacing Mr Gilbert.

BAD POINTS: It does get a bit 'gross-out' at times which doesn't really appeal to me and I can see how a lot of people wouldn't like it. But I do!

Summary: Very funny and true to life!