I Just Read About That…

[WATCHED: 2010]  The Inbetweeners

I don’t often write about one TV show at a time, but I’m on vacation this week, so I’m taking it easy.

One of our favorite new shows is (big surprise) a  British comedy (that is airing in the States on BBC America) called The Inbetweeners.  There’s not much terribly original about the premise of the show: four unpopular blokes in secondary school grouse about being unpopular and hatch ways of scoring with the [insert staggering variety of vulgar words for women here] in their class.  And I’m not exactly sure what it is about the show that is so [bleeping] funny.  Perhaps it is the simply brutally vulgar humor, or the excessively horny attitudes, or maybe it is the self-awareness of the vulgarity (by the not exactly prudish but at the same time creeped-out-by-his-friends narrator (“That sounds a bit rape-y, Jay”)), but the show never stops being stomach-hurtingly funny.

The simple set up is that nerdy Will arrives as a new boy to a public school [forgive the inaccurate transplantation of Americanism for British terms, I love the humor but don’t have a finer grasp on details].  He shows up (and this is one things I don’t get) in a blazer, while everyone else is wearing sweaters–they all seem to wear this uniform, but I’m not sure why he doesn’t have to?  Unless he’s just overdressed?  Anyhow, he also brings a briefcase (and is immediately labeled “briefcase wanker,”  But what is great about Will in the canon of high school losers is that not only does he know he is a loser (by the hip school’s standards) and that he is not tough at all, but he sort of ha ha’s himself through all the jokes, adding commentary to their insults (“heard it before” “ooh, nicely orignal” etc).  He was until recently at a private [UK’s public] school, so he obviously fancies himself better than the thugs at this school.  And yet he’s not a pompous git, well, yes he is, but he’s not insufferable, well, yes he is, but he’s, well, he’s just damned funny.  The only thing that seems to give him any points in the school is that is mom is hot (“stop thinking about my mum when you wank”).

Speaking of wanking, one of the boys that Will hangs out with is Jay, the most crass character ever.  He has more slang for girls’ parts than I’ve ever heard (and a few that I thought he made up, except urban dictionary proved me wrong).  He’s had sex with everything that moves, both in the school and on holidays with his folks at the camper park.  He also lies about everything (like all the sex he’s had) and is told so to his face (but still won’t admit it).  When he eventually reveals an emotion near the end of season 2 it is surprisingly moving (for a character so despicable that he wanks in an old folks’ home).

Will’s closet friend is Simon, a reasonably normal guy who is sort of our everyman (and maybe the twist is that he’s not  the main character).  He pines for Carli, an unattainable, (and to my eyes not worth it) classmate.  He gets tongue-tied around her and embarrasses himself every time he tries to talk to her.  The only thing going for him is that hes’ got a car (which, sadly, is a piss yellow Fiat Cinquecento Hawaii).  But hey, it works.  Simon is the most relatable boy, and as such is a total failure.

And finally there is Neil.  Neil is probably the least developed character: he’s dopey in a puppy dog sort of way.  And he works well to round out the square.  At one point they even play up that he is not the most developed character when he and Simon are left together and even though they’re been friends for years, they have nothing to say to each other.  And while probably not a stretch for the actor, it works within the confines of the show.

So, just what is it about the show that is so funny?  It may be the brutal honesty of the narrator (Will) and his absolute admittance of his and his friends’ faults.  It may be the brutal humor (accidentally calling a bunch of special needs kids assholes for taking the front seats of a roller coaster).  Or it may just be the brutal language (British comedy does not shy from the dreaded four letter word),  In fact, there are so many bleeps in the show that sometimes I’m not even sure what (usually Jay) said or what it could have meant.  It’s also odd about the seeming arbitrariness of the vulgarity.  Shit is not bleeped, fuck is, as is a word for ejaculate that I’m not entirely sure what it is (always bleeped) yet a whole bunch of Jay’s slang for vagina is left in (presumably American censors aren’t that hip).  But the thing that I don’t get, and which has always bugged me about BBC America is why they bleep at all  We know that the shows are vulgar.  Give a warning and let it go (or at least show an unbleeped version at 1AM or something).  I mean, I like my filth as much as the next guy, just let me hear it, eh?

There are also a number of female characters on the show.  They don’t get a lot of airtime, and their roles aren’t fully developed (except for Charlotte, if you get my drift).  But they are also more well-rounded (especially Char–oh knock it off) than your typical boys’ comedy.  The boys don’t see them as much more than action, but in their own ways they reveal depth of character.

And then there’s the soundtrack.  As far as I can tell it consists of a few seconds of two great songs: Feist’s “I Feel It All” and Vampire Weekend’s “A-Punk” (which seem to play all the time, although E4 reveals that there are many more songs on the show).

Frankly, we can’t get enough of this show.  Maybe the main reason is because like all British shows they only write and air 6 episodes a season, so they don’t run out of ideas in a season or two.  Just think, three British seasons is the same as one American season! They’re either very smart or very lazy.  But either way, just when you’re ready for more, they pull the plug.  Or, at least go on hiatus.  The Inbetweeners is scheduled to resume shooting for season three right about now, so it’ll be a while before we get to see the episodes over here.  But that’s what repeats are for.

Well done, wankers.