Being 18 when the Inbetweeners came out was like someone holding a mirror up to the teenage school boy experience in the UK at the time. What I loved about it is that they never really won. Sure they'd have little victories here and there but they always ended up the butt of the jokes or whatever thing they were trying to achieve failed. You think it'd be depressing but it never was. No matter what shit happened to them, they were all back taking the piss out of each other and getting on with it in the next episode. A metaphor for teenage life: you think everything's going to be great and you're going to look cool because you've been coached that way by American teen movies... but in reality it's all the failures and sillyness that really help you to grow. And those are the things in 20 years time you'll be laughing about with your mates (trust me). It's so innately British. Lovable losers always more appealing than the idealised perfectionists.
Yeah, classic British comedy trope: glorying in shitness and mediocrity, aspiring for better and failing or getting torn down for it and put in your place . For me it was the perfect antidote to the unrelateable nonsense of Skins.
I loved how most of the time, they were 100% responsible for their own fuck ups, you would see a few hints and foreshadowing of what would happen later and it was so funny and cringe inducing when it all came crashing down. I think the relatability was spot on, both the characters and plots. You might not have a friend exactly like Jay, but you do know someone similar who said stupid edgy shit to sound cool or bragged about watching porn too loudly. You might not have your mum being talked about daily by the year but you've been there when someone decided to make mum jokes about you for a week straight because they showed up to your school. It is insane how they were able to exaggerate these stories but still keep so much realism.
@@kiritotheabridgedgod4178oh Neil… A bit hot isn’t it, might be too hot, might be And I know you’re in there, I can see your feet All still part of my vocabulary at 25
As a UK Northerner born in 1996, and went through high school from 2007 to 2012 and then college 2012 to 2014, this show was the most accurate depiction of British high school hierarchy, college and friendship groups I'd ever seen. When people ask what high school and college was like, I direct them to this show, it is absolutely spot on. I couldn't talk to a girl in college without my mates absolutely rinsing me about it and taking the piss. The best part is I genuinely don't think people ever believe you when you say it is exactly like this show, BUT IT IS!!
I’m also a ‘96 northerner. I live in the dales so we had a few more sheep like, but every episode essentially happened to me or one of my pals. We are the lucky ones mate!
It's actually ironic that The Ladbible gets its own special mention here. Talk about The Inbetweeners being difficult to produce today, The Ladbible has to be the most watered down and irrelevant media outlet compared to what it was 10 years ago.
@@Jaytwisty23 I don't know why they havent remarketed it. It's so far removed from what it was when it begun. Now it's just like an online version of a newspaper/tiktok hybrid. 🤮
I do hate it when actors like Simon bird talk about how the show had homophobia or sexist language it kinda feels like he’s almost condemning the show. People need to understand that this is what real people are like saying offensive things to eachother as a show of love for one another it’s the British way
he was asked whether it would be commissioned today. He answered honestly. There are more regulations now. There is more space online for 'outrage'. It's why it's difficult to produce shows these days because producers are petrified of pushing anything 'edgy' onto the screen. Simon Bird's comments reflect this worry.
@@Matthew-bu7fg I do agree I’m just saying the way he worded it it just sounds like he was condemning it that’s all. The sad truth you can’t get shows like this anymore can you
@@lollandgibbons878 indeed thats the hard thing. I mean take Friday Night Dinner. A truly great comedy. But far less edgy because it was produced later and thus had more scrutiny (for want of a better word)!
@@mister_manager not really comparable tho. One's a cultural icon that a generation will remember for it's authenticity. Also it was never disgusting 🤣 apart from Neil and the coke can :/
@@AdamOBrien29 Also Will shitting himself in the exam then bringing his shitty trousers to the pub, that was grim. Funnily enough someone I knew had something similar happen to them and they lived it down about as well! I think that's what was so genius about the inbetweeners, everything that happened in it probably also happened to either you or someone you knew.
Surprised you didn't mention that Joe Thomas was also in Fresh Meet, a show about the life of uni students in shared house. Not as good as inbetweeners but still some relatable moments!
I'm over half your age (18) and it has also been in my top ten for a few years now. It still is relevant today, and I can imagine its also somewhat relevant to before when it was released too
@@darrentaylordigital Peep Show, Inbetweeners, Only Fools and Horses, Utopia, The Office, Peaky Binders. Just a few of the many excellent UK programmes in my top ten.
“I didnt have the personality or intelligence to deal with it” Buckleys incredibly open and vulnerable here about what was a really shit position to be put in.
On council estates, most didn't have holidays abroad, cars as teenagers, nice houses, or stay in education after year 11. But the Inbetweeners is still the most relatable show for how accurate the dialog and banter of the teenage boys is. Iv never seen another programme get it so right.
I'm in the very lucky age range who went to sixth form at the same time as the Inbetweeners came out, going through it all alongside these fictional yet relatable characters made it so much easier. Amazing show.
Schools just haven't changed. I grew up in the late 70's and 80's and every bit of the Inbetweeners was relevant to me. Even watching it in my 40's it was still brilliant. Although my vocabulary might have increased the description of things I'd do to Will's mum. (Sorry Belinda)
I was at school a little bit after the Inbetweeners aired and it was 100% relevant. Over the last year I've worked in schools as basically a travelling subject expert and it's still 100% relevant. That's just how school is in the UK and seemingly will always be.
I think it's a great gateway for Americans as well, you might need translation for a lot of insults but it's a surprisingly good look into what teenage years are like in year 11 and 6th form.
@@AlexSmith-th3ht I don’t understand your ok? Comes across on text as very passive aggressive. You said we all know a Simon, Will, Neil or Jay and I agreed with you.
The Inbetweeners is the last truly great comedy, a truly properly funny sitcom. Along with Peep Show, the best sitcom of the 21 Century. As I grew up through school at the same time as them, the Inbetweeners was so relatable and connectable.
I wouldn’t go so far as to say this. It has a nostalgic feel and has its own style compared to most other teen shows. But I think even to this day a lot of gems are being made they might not be the most popular or mainstream but that’s kind of how it’s always been. Things are great, they get discovered and then the public ruins them. Very few great things avoid this course
It’s funny to think that Skins was airing at around the same time, it was so edgy and sexy etc and made it seem like that was the standard teenage experience, then Inbetweeners came along and said “nah not really, this is.” Like when Jay’s bullshit bragging gets called out over and over 😂
@@kiritotheabridgedgod4178 oh I didn’t realise haha. Simon, will, Neil and Jay could not sound less northern. Neither does Mr Gilbert - none of them! Strange how they did this. Neither does Carly nor anyone. Maybe that bully sounds a bit northern. That’s about it.
@@madams989 probably just about northern England, but one of the less heavy accents, probably closer to the Wales side if I had to take a guess. IIRC, I believe in one episode they did mention going "Down" to London, which is mostly a Midlands and Northern thing, given basically all the south says "Up" to London.
Its mad im a teaching assistant and work in a school and the same goes on now but to be able to put it on telly wouldn't be possible. Some of the insults I hear are gold and not meant in a derogatory way
Ironically, the American's already had a version of the Inbetweeners and it was American Pie, and it was perfect for American audiences. Trying to replicate it the UK version just looked like a poor low budget version.
Exactly, films like American Pie and Superbad are the US coming of age story, trying to map the American experience onto a British one was never going to work
I was in York one time, waiting at a bus stop. A car drove past and shouted "bus wankers!" at us. I can't complain, that was hilarious. Made my day honestly.
Bless them, absolutely love them lads. You can see James is absolutely gutted they didn't get to do a reunion like he visualised. It was what everyone wanted and what they deserved
The first inbetweeners movie was always meant to be part of the narrative and it fit the natural story. The second inbetweeners movie was crowbarred in, purely made because of the success of the first film.
I agree completely, I always felt like the first film in 2011 was a perfectly-fitting end to The Inbetweeners, especially the boat scene at the end and where they all met a girl. The second film in 2014 definitely wasn’t necessary in my opinion.
With all respect to Simon Bird, he clearly hasn't been a teenager in a long time. As someone who finished high school at the end of the 2010s/beginning of the 2020s, the dialogue and actions of the characters are absolutely spot on to this day. Obviously, it's somewhat exaggerated for comedic effect, but the general feel of the programme and first movie is absolutely genuine and accurate to this day.
*I still can’t believe how many of my favourite shows Channel 4 responsible for producing including The Inbetweeners (Of course), Peep Show, The IT Crowd, Friday Night Dinner and Derry Girls.*
Not only is the show the most realistic depiction of secondary school in England, but the cast and writers seem to genuinely care about its legacy. It’s always better to leave people wanting more than give them a disappointing ending!
James able to reflect and think he didnt have the personality, charisma or intelligence to bounce off jimmy carr comes across as very humble and related - hang on a minute, that was the whole premise of the show! They really hit such a sweet spot with this program, got "us" to a tee.
@@dogsbollocksgenius9480 not really I can just enjoy a show Also there weren’t really any political takes in either show so not sure why you think it’s ’woke bs’
I watched this for the first time when I was in year 10 and i'm so happy I did because it felt so authentic and accurate to how my school life was at the time.
I remember being in 6th form when it came out - hit the nail on the head of what it was like growing up back then in that environment, great times that I dearly miss. It would get canceled all the way off the air now after a few episodes.
Inbetweeners wouldn't get made now. Probably because it was about 4 white guys. None of them gay, non binary or trans, no tick box black or Asian guy. The friend group was a realistic rep of a white suburban area. I'm a mixed race girl and I grew up in a majority white town and I knew classmates like them so I found it relatable! The offensive language is literally what 16yr olds were like! The meme culture was iconic. I never knew they made a US one which panned. That makes so much sense because you just can't recreate British awkward humour, they'd have to make it more like American Pie to work. British humour is more hidden, awkward while American humour is more in your face.
Because it was genuinely hilarious and quite similar to the experience of growing up in a normal school in the early 2000s. When kids were still allowed to be kids...
Mate this should have been the Christmas special, you have made me feel very nostalgic for a programme I fucking loved growing up hats off to you bro #ladbibleisthenewsun
Inbetweeners hit exactly when I was starting my A levels in secondary school. It works so well and resonated with so many people because it was such an authentic yet surreal look at school life, and remains so now.
i find it funny sometimes when people my age (mid twenties) are like "wtf is skibidi toilet ohio fanum tax rizz party" when all you have to do is watch a original vine compilation. we created this evil xD
I had just started high school around the time this first came on air. It was really relatable to how high school life was like. With a lot of quotes being used from the programme in high school
As an American kid I’d visit my family in the UK and one of my cousins introduced me to the inbetweeners. Instantly became one of my faves. I was so disappointed with how mtv did the American version. I still go back and watch the og online from time to time
I think I had just finished school / started university when the inbetweeners came out and it is quite literally a snapshot of what it was like as an average male teenager at the time. Everyone knew someone like each of the characters and that’s why it was so relatable. Sure some of the things they got up to were far more ridiculous than real life but you could imagine it happening and experienced similar things yourself. It’s quite funny looking back, a lot of the stuff is quite close to the bone, doubt they would get away with it now. It’s kind of like what I imagine the American Pie films were to Americans of the time, I loved them too, but they weren’t as relatable as the US is a very different growing up experience. Same kind of completely ridiculous but at the same time relatable stories.
i remember watching it for the first time and being taken back to the teenage angst of my life in a small english town. its certainly a lot more extreme, but even so. very close to my experience with friends my own age at the time! classic!
As an American who recently got into this show I’m so sorry for what we did to it I’m definitely the only person in my country that has watched this show granted I listen to oasis songs besides wonderwall, and know about the existence of Scunthorpe United maybe I was born in the wrong place
you're not the only American who watched or continues to watch the UK version of the inbetweeners. I agree that the American version sucks ass too, so bad.
I love the fact that American audiences didn't like the first film, this demonstrates that there was enough British humour for Americans not to get it.
Best analogy I've heard for the difference between American and British comedy is "Comedy is like having a scalpel and a sledgehammer. Americans go at everything with the sledgehammer, until the joke is about a social issue, then they use the scalpel. British comedy goes at everything with a scalpel, until the joke is about a social issue, then they use the sledgehammer."
Always argued this was the last sitcom to have an impact on pop culture NOTHING i can think of has come close Only descent comedy drama I've watched in the past 10yrs is Detectorists
I have no idea why America wanted to remake the Inbetweeners when they already had their own equivalent, Superbad. Just like the Inbetweeners, it is crude window into high school life during the mid 2000s that still holds up today
I don't know about "regardless of age and gender". The Inbetweeners perfectly captured the 2000s experience of being a teenage boy. As a young woman at the time, it was often uncomfortable viewing.
I agree, perhaps because it shone a light on the sexism of the average teenage boy? Although funny, because in a way we are supposed to laugh at their hopeless inability to see girls as actual people and not just sex objects - it felt uncomfortably revealing of how much objectification teen girls have to put up with. Like 'oh, they really are after only one thing, huh...?' Bit depressing until you accept that's how society taught boys to be!
@@anexie4392typical women complaining and not able to take a joke. If it ‘makes you uncomfortable’ then don’t watch and let the rest of the country enjoy it
As an early career teacher having not long finished school when the Inbetweeners came out, I found it hillariously captured the life of the teenagers I was teaching every day!
@@madams989 It's not complaining when it's fact. The crux of the character's of the inbetweeners are that they're horndogs who want one thing and objectify women, even after getting a girlfriend and realising there's more to it like Jay did in Season 2. Obviously that is gonna be looked at differently for girls.
Was that Jamie t at the start? The beat from stick n stones- banger- it’s beyond impressive how well written this show is- absolutely perfect casting also
Most of them don’t to be fair from what I’ve seen. Gay is no longer the biggest insult etc as more young people are openly gay and it’s not the big issue it was back then. They’re still petty and dumb a lot of the time to be fair, just the hang ups are different.
I remember watching a clip of the reunion show where it was Greg Davis getting an award for teacher of the year in television and I remember thinking to myself, "This is just 8 out of 10 Cats does Countdown but with the four guys as guest stars". If they had just released the video of them in the car going to the school as the reunion thing by itself, then it would have been more respectable.
I can understand how much of the shows comedy would go over the heads of americans. Im Australian and was just out of highschool at the time. We would alway do the ohh freind part to call mates gay and other refrences. It was exactly how teenagers talked in the early 2000s.
