Big Boys

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. 

Criminal Record

Wednesday

Apple TV+

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.

Gladiators - 13 January, BBC One

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. 

Wake up to an item on Radio 4’s Today about the shortage of HRT drugs. Women are resorting to trading them illegally in car parks. The Govern­ment has had to appoint an “HRT tsar”. A pharmaceutical executive explains it is partly to do with supply chain problems but mostly the result of a surge in demand triggered by a Channel 4 documentary presented by Davina McCall last year. 

Now Davina has made a follow-up film and people are worried that even more women will have the temerity to ask for treatment. 

Created and narrated by Jack Rooke, the series will follow Jack (Llewellyn), a shy but sweet closeted boy in his first year of university. Jack forms an unlikely friendship with the laddish and boisterous Danny, played by Jon Pointing (Plebs).

Having spent the past year at home, grieving the loss of his father with his mum, Jack is thrown headfirst into university life, starting with the ecstasy and agony of Freshers' week. While he seems the polar opposite of his friend Danny, the pair form a close bond over the chaos of first year.