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| Simon, Neil, Jay, & Will |
Television Network : E4 (BBCAmerica in the US)
Running Time : 21-24 Minutes
Broadcast Run : May 1st, 2008 to Present
Will McKenzie(Simon Bird), Simon Cooper(Joe Thomas), Jay Cartwright(James Buckley), & Neil Sutherland(Blake Harrison) attempt to wade their way through high school. The most accurate depiction of outcasts in (“primary”) education since Freaks & Geeks comes from across the pond, and starts Season 3 on E4 on September 4th.
Will is a transfer student from boarding school, and carries with him a briefcase instead of a backpack on his first day. As such, his fellow students label him as a “Briefcase Wanker,” and properly ostracize the young pupil. Assigned to guide Will during his first day is Simon Cooper, who is none too thrilled at the assignment. He requests Will to follow him, but only at the socially acceptable distance of ten feet. Simon meanwhile, is completely enamored by fellow student Carli D’Amato.
Soon, Simon realizes he is just as socially inept as Will and the two form an unlikely duo of friendship. Will meets Jay, sex crazed and incredibly exaggerative of his former sexual conquest, and Neil, a well meaning but ignorantly uninformed doof. The four become a rag tag gang of misfits.
Simon is woefully enamored with Carli D’Amato, a long standing childhood unrequited crush. The boys misadventures rely on attempting to impress girls or getting served at the local pub, usually with embarrassing consequences. In one episode, the boys skip school to drink at friend Neil’s house, only for Neil’s father to come home and Will to drunkenly exclaim he’s a bumder(homosexual). In another, Jay had called his vacation spot the Caravan Club a den of horny swingers, and the boys go there to prove him wrong. They also attempted to have a fun night out in a London club, only to have their car booted, Simon have to trade his shoes to a homeless man due to wearing athletic sneakers, and Neil to cut his penis on the tip of a soda can as he spilled piss all over Simon’s car. Even when things go well(Will beds high school hottie Charlotte “Big Jugs,” Scott kisses Carli D’Amato), things inevitably turn to shit.
Plus it uses “Flourescent Adolescence” by Arctic Monkeys as background music, so bonus points. Other suggested songs from its soundtrack include “Foundations” by Kate Nash, “Don’t Look Back into the Sun” by the Libertines, “Sheila” by Jamie T, “I’m a Cuckoo” by Belle & Sebastian, “Love is an Unfamilar Name” by the Duke Spirit, and “Second Minute or Hour” by Jack Penate.
The true aspect of this show that shines the brightest is it's dialogue. A socially unacceptable but no doubt woefully accurate depiction of the teenage adolescent male's mind during their formative years. Replace the British slang with American, and you have an authentic American teenager.
It's Always Sunny meets Freaks & Geeks.
Highly Suggested.
B+
Still interested? Check out some videos & quotes below and then do your own research! Like on E4's Youtube page. Might I suggest "Fish Punch"?