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.
It’s 2013, and the characters in Jack Rooke’s new sitcom Big Boys are navigating the first night of freshers at a typically terrible student bar. Apologies to any millennials horrified to hear their recent university experience described as a period piece, but Rooke’s sharp observations of early 2010s British culture are viscerally transportive to those halcyon days of Tumblr, Cherry Sourz and Darude’s ‘Sandstorm’.
A new reality show that follows young Brits as they escape the bleak UK job market by battling it out in the world of Dubai real estate.
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.
Working in TV can mean realising a dream. From meeting interesting people to attending glitzy award ceremonies, the television industry is, undoubtedly, an exciting place to work. But, amid shrinking budgets, long hours and a largely freelance working culture, what once looked like a fulfilling career can turn out to involve an unbearable toll on our mental health.
“I think in the past two years, the whole conversation [about mental illness] has become saturated with the importance of talking – which I think is important, but the conversation has got to progress beyond that.”
His show, Happy Man, launched on BBC Three last week, and sees the comedian try a range of approaches to tackling depression, including cold water swimming (“one of the worst things I have ever done”), running, life modelling (“scary”) and drag.
There will be a variety of programmes that touch on the sensitive topics surrounding mental health and the exploring the ways in which people approach mental health issues.
The season will include a two-part programme following a group of runners affected by mental health issues as they train for the London Marathon on BBC One; a Horizon Special exploring schizophrenia and advancements in the treatment of psychoses on BBC Two; a documentary on stress for BBC One, and a documentary from mental health campaigner and presenter Jack Rooke on BBC Three.
