The loveable lads of Big Boys are back on our screens, and not a moment too soon.
When it first aired on Channel 4 back in 2022, the show won fans instantly, but if you missed it here’s a recap. The show is a coming-of-age story from award-winning comedian and writer Jack Rooke, focused on his early years at Brent Uni in the aftermath of his dad’s death.
We arrive now at the last and final - sob! - series, set in the summer of 2015 (“pre-COVID, pre-Brexit, pre-air fryers” - halcyon days), before young Jack, played by Dylan Llewellyn from Derry Girls, Danny (Jon Pointing, Sweetpea) and pals start their last year of uni.
Jack's family are back too: mum Peggy (Camille Coduri), Nanny Bingo (Annette Badland) and cousin Sharon (Harriet Webb), a triptych of huns so dazzling they warrant their own spin-off.
Things pick up from the tail-end of season two, the first order of business dissecting the green shoots of Danny and Corinne's (Izuka Hoyle) new romance while soaking up the sun on swan-themed pedalos.
They soon reach a major milestone in any new couple's timeline: the first holiday. But they're not alone. Sharon spends her bingo winnings on a trip to Greece, covering everyone but Corinne and Danny who tag along buoyed by their own “free” money - a.k.a the student loan. “You lot crack me up with all your debt," Sharon cackles.
Loan splurged on flights, Danny's solution to sorting the accommodation is a tent in 36°C heat, a sight so shambolic it makes Fyre Festival seem like Necker Island. Peggy comes to miffed Corrine’s rescue with a shoulder to cry on, a hotel room to share, and a calming spliff on the balcony smuggled in her hand luggage. Wait a minute! Just how lax was airport security in 2015?
While Big Boys 1 was about finding your feet and the second about chosen family, series three's big lesson focuses on leaps of faith.
Danny has a long way to go. Aside from holiday debacles, he nearly stands Corrine up because he’s so engrossed in watching Billy Elliott, his preferred dissertation theme. Lucky for him, Corinne is (mostly) full of second chances. She knows the soft-centred lad is worth the trouble.
Jack’s straight-talking cousin Sharon finally gives her ASOS delivery driver baby daddy Tariq a proper chance, a gamble that leaves her happier than ever. Widow Peggy, piecing together a broken heart, gets back on the dating saddle with minicab driver beau Russell, winching herself into knockoff Spanx and sending her first sext. And then there's Jack and Yemi (Olisa Odele), whose friendship crosses over into something different - for Jack, at least - after a landmark night in that abandoned tent in Faliraki.
Big Boys three is as good as ever: feel-good, endearing and as comforting as a steaming bowl of chicken soup. There are moments of startling tenderness, maturity and intimacy wedged between uni bro bants, which keep things buoyant and showcase Rooke’s creative prowess. Despite some silliness, it feels like an antidote to toxic masculinity. I only wish Rooke would save some of the kinder lines for his own character instead of wearing slapstick schtick.
Above all, Big Boys is a tribute to the friends and family who shape Jack, especially in the early years when you’re not quite sure who you are yet, never mind who you’ll become. It really is something special. Watch without hesitation: it will warm you from the inside out.
Big Boys season 3 airs on Channel 4 on February 9, at 10pm
