Filming is underway and cast return for the second series of hit Channel 4 comedy Big Boys

7 June 2023

Praise for series 1

The Mail on Sunday *****

The Guardian ****
Top 10 in the best TV shows of 2022

The Times ****

The Telegraph ****
Top 10 in the best TV shows of 2022

Independent ****

Evening Standard ****

Radio Times ****

 

Dylan Llewellyn, Jon Pointing, Camille Coduri, Katy Wix, Izuka Hoyle, Olisa Odele, Harriet Webb and Annette Badland will all return for series 2 of the multi award-winning and four times BAFTA nominated comedy from Roughcut TV which is currently filming.

Big Boys is a funny and heart-breaking comedy-drama created, written and narrated by Jack Rooke centring on an unlikely friendship between sweet, shy, newly-out Jack (Dylan Llewellyn, Derry Girls) and boisterous, laddish and ever-so-slightly mature student Danny (Jon Pointing, Plebs).

Series Two takes the whole gang straight into the second year of Brent University 2014, where alongside dealing with virginity hang-ups, drug experimentation (both legal and otherwise) and Jack’s obsession with Alison Hammond, this time round their degrees actually count!

Meanwhile Jack’s family continue to navigate their lives after his Dad’s passing, beginning just as much of a new chapter as the gang at university. And Danny gets to revisit his past as he learns how to better deal with his mental health issues. 

Big Boys is based on comedy writer Jack Rooke’s award-winning live comedy shows 'Good Grief’, 'Happy Hour’ and ‘Love Letters’.

 

Jack Rooke said: “Big Boys will start second year even dafter, sillier and BIGGER than before! Fresh from Derry Girls we have pinched Dylan Llewellyn back to play Jack, alongside BAFTA nominee Jon Pointing and recent BAFTA Scotland winner Izuka Hoyle as Danny & Corinne. The nations favourite gay icons Camille Coduri and Olisa Odele return to mischief as Peggy and Yemi. We’ve got more of the hilarious Harriet Webb as party planning Cousin Shannon with the legendary Annette Badland as Nan Bingo. And lastly, as I speak, I am watching Katy Wix in an orange polo shirt with a cheeky VK in one hand and a huge foam finger on the other. It is a dream come true!”

 

Big Boys is created and written by Jack Rooke, executive produced by Jack Rooke, Ash Atalla and Alex Smith for Roughcut and commissioned for Channel 4 by Charlie Perkins, Head of Comedy and Joe Hullait, Commissioning Executive for Comedy.  

ENDS

Notes to editors

About Roughcut TV

Roughcut Television is one of the UK’s fastest growing independent production companies and one of the biggest producers of scripted comedy. The company is rapidly expanding into drama with a number of script commissions for various UK broadcasters.

Established in 2007 by Ash Atalla and Tim Sealey, the company has been leading the comedy space with multi award-winning productions that include; three-time BAFTA award-winning STATH LETS FLATS (Channel 4), two-time BAFTA winning PEOPLE JUST DO NOTHING, CUCKOO (BBC3), TROLLIED (SKY1) and JERK (BBC3). Roughcut’s first feature - PEOPLE JUST DO NOTHING: BIG IN JAPAN was released in UK cinemas nationwide in summer 2021. The first series of BLOODS, aired on Sky1 in May 2021 and starred BAFTA-nominated Samson Kayo (Famalam, Timewasters) and Golden Globe-nominated Jane Horrocks (Absolutely Fabulous, Little Voice). The second series of BLOODS aired on SKY1 in Spring 2022 with a further five episodes airing in September 2022. The first series streamed to huge critical acclaim on Hulu in the US, December 2021.

STATH LETS FLATS aired on Channel4 in October 2021, while series one aired on HBO MAX in the US in November 2020. JERK 2, starring Tim Renkow, Sharon Rooney, Rob Madin and Lorraine Bracco aired on BBC One and BBC Three in August. A US format of the show is currently in development. 

The first series of BIG BOYS, written and narrated by Jack Rooke, starred Dylan Llewellyn, Jonathan Pointing and Camille Coduri for Channel 4 and aired in May 2022 to huge critical acclaim. The second series is currently in production. SNEAKERHEAD, a three-parter for UKTV/DAVE and starring Hugo Chegwin and Big Zuu aired in July 2022. BBC has recently announced the commission of new comedy THINGS YOU SHOULD HAVE DONE written by and starring Sneakerhead star Lucia (Chi) Keskin.

Previous successes include TROLLIED for Sky One, which broke records as the highest-rated multichannel comedy launch in British TV history. Roughcut TV also made US-based multi-cam comedy I LIVE WITH MODELS (Comedy Central), HOSPITAL PEOPLE (BBC1), CARTERS GET RICH (SKY1) TOP COPPERS, a cop film spoof (BBC3) and WORLD’S CRAZIEST FOOLS (BBC3), starring Mr. T.  In addition, Roughcut TV has made pilots for US formats of CUCKOO for NBC and PEOPLE JUST DO NOTHING for Amazon.

About Channel 4

Channel 4 exists to create change through entertainment. Publicly owned yet commercially funded, Channel 4 generates significant and sustainable cultural, economic and social impact across the UK – at no cost to the taxpayer.

 

The broadcaster’s distinctive remit is set by Parliament, and it has a role to represent unheard voices, challenge with purpose and reinvent entertainment. For over 40 years, it has been a British success story, engaging generation after generation of young people.

 

Through a unique publisher-broadcaster model, Channel 4 commissions its content from the UK independent production sector. Working with around 300 creative companies every year, Channel 4 makes a major contribution to the local, regional and national economy, creating and supporting thousands of jobs and businesses across the country.

 

In 2020, Channel 4 launched its Future4 strategy to become a digital-first public service media company and to continue to deliver significant impact for UK audiences and investment into the UK creative economy.

 

Across its bases in London, Leeds, Manchester, Bristol and Glasgow, Channel 4 is turbocharging its efforts to find, nurture and develop talent across the UK. Through its training and development initiative 4Skills, Channel 4 is opening up opportunities in broadcasting, with a particular focus on disadvantaged young people, and addressing skills gaps across the Nations and Regions.

 

Channel 4 has the UK’s biggest free streaming service plus 11 television channels including: Channel 4, E4, E4 Extra, More4, Film4, 4Seven and The Box Plus Network. Through Film4 Productions, Channel 4 also invests in British filmmakers to huge critical acclaim, producing 37 Oscar wins and 88 BAFTA wins in its history. https://www.channel4.com/