Earlier this week, Ash Atalla, who produced the series for his indie Roughcut TV, was on typically candid form as he spoke to the RTS about bringing Jack Rooke’s beloved semi-autobiographical sitcom to its highly-anticipated conclusion.
He revealed that, paradoxically, the making of Big Boys led to the best pilot he’s ever produced – but also the hardest commissioning battle he’s ever fought.
School is in session for the second series of RTS Award-winning Daniel Lawrence Taylor’s comedy Boarders.
The younger version of Jack – played by Dylan Llewellyn (Derry Girls) – and Danny (Jon Pointing, A Whole Lifetime with Jamie Demetriou) are dealing with their last year of university. Dissertation deadlines and the real world loom, but Jack’s got bigger fish to fry. It might not be easy being gay, but turns out it’s even harder being an X-Factor fan.
“They replaced Louis [Walsh] with Rita Ora,” he moans in the trailer.
“This country has gone to pot!” Danny concurs.
Fortunately, a summer Futures event offered a glimpse into this mysterious world with the help of three experts from the world-renowned Curtis Brown agency.
“My role is to be the best advocate for my clients,” said literary agent Jess Molloy.
Her colleague, Cynthia Okoye, represents screenwriters and directors from shows such as One Day, Succession and Peaky Blinders. “Ultimately, on a very basic level, we are getting clients work,” she explained.
The hilarious and heartfelt Big Boys follows the unlikely friendship of the sensitive and newly-out Jack, and boisterous lad’s lad Danny, played by Dylan Llewellyn and Jon Pointing.
It’s a powerful, underrepresented, mutually-supportive friendship. So far Danny has helped Jack come out of his shell, come to terms with his grief for his late father, and embrace his newfound sexuality. In turn Jack has held Danny’s hand through his depression, and, with his mum Peggy (Camille Coduri), welcomed him to the family he never had.
From the mind of Vera creator Paul Rutman comes Criminal Record, a stern detective drama focusing on the effects of institutional errors, centring around an old ‘solved’ murder case.
Here are just some of the many shows to look out for, starting with a jam-packed January.
The hit 1990s game show returns, promising tight competition and even tighter spandex. Can members of the public take on the elite cabal of athletes and bodybuilders?
Big Boys focuses on Jack, played by Dylan Llewellyn (Derry Girls), who, in series one, began his university degree recovering from the death of his father and coming to terms with his sexuality. When he was thrown together with the slightly mature student Danny, played by Jon Pointing (Plebs), the two began an unlikely friendship.
The first series followed the unlikely friendship between Jack, a grieving closeted fresher, and Danny, a quintessential lad silently struggling with mental health issues, as they navigated their first year at Brent University.
The series stars Dylan Llewelyn as Jack, Jon Pointing as Danny, Camille Coduri as Jack’s mum Peggy, Izuka Hoyle and Olisa Odele as the boys’ friends Corinne and Yemi, and Katie Wix as the perennial student's union officer Jules.
