AIDS: THE UNHEARD TAPES + STORYVILLE: CITIZEN ASHE + DISPATCHES – UKRAINE: LIFE UNDER ATTACK

This article was originally published in The Courier on 25th June 2012.

NEXT WEEK’S TV 

AIDS: The Unheard Tapes – Monday, BBC Two, 9:30pm

This new three-part series revolves around audio interviews with young gay men recorded throughout the 1980s and 1990s, recordings subsequently archived at the British Library. They’ve never been broadcast in public before. 

Their voices are meticulously lip-synched by actors. The filmmakers took quite a risk here; with a little less care and attention that borderline gimmicky device could’ve easily undermined their sincere intentions, but it works. I daresay you’ll find yourselves immersed in these candid, moving stories. 

It all takes place against a bleak bigoted backdrop of virulent homophobia and scaremongering, which eerily foreshadows the horrific transphobia we’re currently witnessing in this supposedly enlightened day and age. AIDS: The Unheard Tapes is powerful television.

Murder in the Alps – Monday and Tuesday, Channel 4, 9pm

Gruesome catnip for true crime addicts, this series (which starts on Channel 4 on Sunday at 9pm) investigates the unsolved case of a British family who were murdered in an idyllic French beauty spot almost ten years ago. 

The brother of one of the victims was once a prime suspect, but he’s since been exonerated. His story is told in tandem with that of the various investigators. It’s a twist-strewn saga. 

In Monday’s episode, journalists dig into the victim’s connections with the Iraqi regime. Meanwhile, the police stumble across a Swiss bank account containing almost a million euros, and the FBI help to uncover details of a secret marriage. A truth/stranger than fiction scenario.

Dispatches – Ukraine: Life Under Attack – Monday, Channel 4, 10pm

Narrated by Cate Blanchett, this starkly intimate documentary tells the story of the battle for Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second city. For ten weeks, the film crew were trapped alongside the civilians and frontline workers who bore the brunt of Russia’s initial onslaught. 

We follow fireman Roman and his team as they attempt to combat a relentless blitz. Paramedics Tatjana and Irina are tasked with rescuing civilian casualties. And the people of Kharkiv, all of whom are innocent victims of a heinous invasion, talk candidly about what they’re going through. 

Channel 4’s Dispatches, which began way back in 1987, is a venerable example of British television journalism at its most vital. We cannot afford to lose it.

Storyville: Citizen Ashe – Tuesday, BBC Four, 10pm

The legendary sportsman and social activist Arthur Ashe was the first black tennis player to be selected for the US Davis Cup team. This thoughtful 90-minute documentary gives him his thoroughly deserved due. 

Ashe’s socio-political activism was initially inspired by the Civil Rights movement, but as time rolled on he expanded his horizons to encompass oppressed people from all around the world. 

Ashe died of AIDS-related complications in the early 1990s. In the last few years of his life, he founded the Arthur Ashe Foundation for the Defeat of AIDS and the Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health. He was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. A truly remarkable man.

Lenny Henry’s Caribbean Britain – Wednesday, BBC Two, 9:30pm

In the concluding episode of Len’s tender cultural odyssey, he examines the ways in which second and third generation British-born Caribbean kids integrated their identity into their art. 

As a young comedian in the 1970s, he often made awkward jokes at his own expense. Kids of colour no longer have to do that, and Len explains why in an episode devoted to the progress we’ve made over the last 40 years. 

Comedy, music and drama have enriched our multicultural society. And Len himself, although he’s too modest to say this outright, played a huge role in bringing the black experience to the masses. For people of a certain generation (i.e. my generation) he will always be a cherished comedy hero.

Sarah Beeny’s Little House Big Plans – Thursday, Channel 4, 8pm

This week, industrious property developer Sarah Beeny meets more folk who are brave/foolhardy enough to buy and ambitiously convert small living spaces. 

First up are a couple from Poole who got their first taste of the property market when they purchased a poky semi-detached house that was built in the 1930s. Their bold plan: expand the space by creating an open-plan kitchen diner. 

Unfortunately, by the time Beeny rocks up they’ve already spent their budget. The whole thing is being precariously funded on a week to week paycheque basis. 

We also spend time with a couple who are in the process of transforming their Victorian terrace into a modern, spacious home complete with indoor garden.

The Undeclared War – Thursday, Channel 4, 9pm

The latest political thriller from writer/director Peter Kosminsky is set in 2024. TheUK is still in the grip of COVID while struggling through one of its worst ever economic slumps. The new PM (Adrian Lester) is even more unpopular than Boris Johnson. 

Meanwhile, a preeminent team of computer analysts led by Simon Pegg deal with an increase in cyber-attacks. 

Potentially interesting subject matter, but it’s a terribly dry affair primarily devoted to people frowning at screens while chatting about codes and viruses; watch out for an inadvertently funny moment just before the second ad break, when Kosminsky ramps up some dramatic music in lieu of any actual drama occurring. 

Suffice to say, it’s not his finest work.

LAST WEEK’S TV

Glastonbury: 50 Years and Counting – Sunday 19th June, BBC Two

The radical left wing ethos of the Glastonbury Festival has been totally usurped by the sheer commercial scale of the event in recent years. This 100 minute documentary sought to remind us of its once close association with CND, Greenpeace and numerous outsider performance artists. 

It still is, in idealistic essence, a celebration of diversity. Alas, that point was undermined by the prominent presence of white, male interviewees such as the preternaturally small-minded Noel Gallagher. Women and people of colour were reduced to supporting roles. 

A compromised documentary, it did, however, confirm that festival organiser Michael Eavis is a canny pragmatist who probably lost interest in music circa 1972.

Who Do You Think You Are? – Thursday 23rd June, BBC One

In the latest episode of this hardy perennial, actor Anna Maxwell Martin from Motherland and Line of Duty travelled to Northern Ireland to find out more about her beloved father, who passed away at the tragically young age of 59. She also uncovered some uncomfortable facts about her mother’s Scottish side of the family.  

It was a poignant saga, sensitively told, but as always I was ever so slightly staggered by just how little the stars of this show know about their family heritage. Why have they never bothered to look into this stuff before? They’ve presumably heard of the internet. 

Anyway, Maxwell Martin came across as a thoroughly nice and genuine person. Those tears weren’t performative.

LENNY HENRY'S CARIBBEAN BRITAIN + BACK IN TIME FOR BIRMINGHAM + ELLIE & NATASIA

This article was originally published in The Courier on 18th June 2022.

NEXT WEEK’S TV

Lenny Henry’s Caribbean Britain – Wednesday, BBC Two, 9pm

The British Caribbean community has enriched our collective culture in so many ways. In this comprehensive two-part series, Sir Len celebrates its myriad achievements. 

He also reflects upon the complex nature of integration: “Does it mean that we as Caribbean people have to sacrifice our culture? How much of my culture has Britain absorbed?” 

A fascinating piece of black history, it pays tribute to a wide variety of pioneering artists, writers, actors, musicians and broadcasters, all of whom played a significant role in representing their culture to a dominant and (to put it mildly) often hostile society. 

Told with warmth and humour, this insightful essay is a clarion call of joyful defiance in the face of systemic adversity.

Back in Time for Birmingham – Monday to Thursday, BBC Two, 8pm

As this long-running, time-travelling series returns, we’re introduced to the Sharma family from Birmingham, which is one of Britain’s most ethnically diverse cities.

They’re our conduit to finding out what life was like for South Asian families who settled in Britain from the 1950s onwards. As always, the experiment involves them living in an authentic period simulacrum. It highlights the ongoing struggles of immigrants trying to make a better life for themselves in a strange and unfamiliar land. 

Highlights include the family improvising delicious South Asian meals using dreary 1950s British ingredients, and a detour into the independent cinemas/community hubs which imported Indian films to a grateful audience. An enlightening programme, rich in research.

Style Fixers – Monday, BBC Scotland, 10pm

Alannah Carson and Jamie Grandison are make-up artists who source and style costumes for live drag shows. They’re also the hosts of this upcycled fashion makeover extravaganza, which is back for a second series. 

It’s a straightforward format: every week, two new clients approach our likeable duo, who each have £30 to spend in second-hand shops. Accessorising unfolds. 

One of their latest clients suffers from multiple chronic illnesses, which influences the way she dresses. Comfort is paramount, but she’d like to look more stylish at times. Carson and Grandison are on the case. They also provide some easy-to-learn budget fashion lessons. 

You don’t have to be a sewing or cosmetics whizz, it’s all very accessible.

The Whistleblowers: Inside the UN – Tuesday, BBC Two, 9pm

This sounds like an important piece of television. Preview copies weren’t available, but here’s a capsule synopsis: employees from several United Nations agencies go public with allegations of sexual abuse and corruption. 

The UN is, in theory at least, a bastion of integrity. An institution devoted to upholding human rights and promoting global peace. This programme promises to uphold the traumatic experiences of those who sought to challenge a hierarchal culture of silence. That principled stand had severe repercussions with regards to their private lives. 

I obviously can’t make any kind of judgement on a programme I haven’t seen, but I don’t think it’s unreasonable to assume that – at 90 minutes – we’re in for a thorough report.

Ellie & Natasia – Tuesday, BBC Three, 10pm

Here’s fun, a new sketch show written by and starring Ellie White and Natasia ‘Tash’ Demetriou. You may recognise the latter from Stath Lets Flats and What We Do In the Shadows. White plays Princess Beatrice in The Windsors. Put ‘em together and you get this commendably unpredictable confection, which revels in absurdity and (partially improvised?) silliness. 

Characters in episode one include a disconcerting dentist’s assistant, a smug wild swimmer, and two jegging-clad Prosecco mums providing some handy household tips for the benefit of no one. Best of all, though, is their utterly nonsensical daytime television spoof. Reader, I laughed. 

It doesn’t all work, but that’s sketch shows for you. The overall attitude papers over the weak spots.  

Josh Taylor: Portrait of a Fighter – Tuesday, BBC Scotland, 10pm

Josh Taylor is currently the undisputed light-welterweight world champion. He’s widely regarded as one of the greatest living pound for pound boxers. This intimate documentary follows the champ as he prepares to defend his title. 

Brought up on a Prestonpans council estate, Taylor comes across as an unpretentious lad who is sincerely grateful for the sacrifices his parents made to support his boxing career. 

Famous fan Irvine Welsh provides some socio-political context, citing Taylor as a rare example of a working-class Scot who has managed to transcend the barriers placed in front of them from birth. 

Famous friend Martin Compston skirts around the ‘outspokenness’ that has landed Taylor in trouble. Hopefully he’s learned from his mistakes.

Our Lives: Sarah the Lumberjill – Friday, BBC One, 7:30pm

The latest in this series of half-hour documentaries is devoted to one Sarah Yeaman, who fells trees in the forests of Perthshire alongside her father, brother and wee dog, Biscuit. She’s part of the fourth generation of her family to choose this sometimes gruelling vocation, or “take up the saw” as she puts it. 

Narrated by Sarah herself, the programme grants insight into the everyday challenges of being a chainsaw-wielding artisan. Sarah is a single mum of two boys. Her busy working day starts at 7:30am. 

Dad Ralph is in poor health, he’s accepted that he’ll have to retire soon, but he’s quietly proud and delighted at the prospect of Sarah taking over the traditional family business.

LAST WEEK’S TV

Our Falklands War: A Frontline Story – Sunday 12th June, BBC Two

This exceptional documentary spotlighted ten British soldiers who fought on the frontline during the Falklands War, their stories told by the men themselves. Almost nothing of the land fighting was captured on film, hence why the film unfolded as an immersive oral history occasionally punctuated by contemporary news reports. 

Some of these haunted men hadn’t even told their families about what happened during those 25 days in 1982. Sitting down for the cameras hopefully gave them some closure. 

Their accounts were unflinchingly honest and mired in disturbing detail. The underlying theme was the psychological conflict of having to take another person’s life in the name of war, while knowing that you could yourself be killed at any moment.

Bodies of Evidence: The Butcher Surgeon – Sunday 12th June, STV

The latest edition of ITV’s august Exposure strand, which first broke the Savile scandal back in 2013, addressed the horrific case of Ian Paterson. He was once a highly regarded breast surgeon consultant who worked primarily within the private healthcare system.  “He was like God to me,” said one of his patients. 

Paterson – and I don’t know how else to describe him – turned out to be a messianic psychopath who operated on patients he’d knowingly misdiagnosed as suffering from cancer. It is thought that he disfigured thousands of people. 

His motives are unfathomable, but the main point of the programme was this: Paterson’s anguished victims deserve justice and compensation from an avaricious system that shirks from accountability.

SHERWOOD + THE REAL DERRY: JAMIE-LEE O'DONNELL + THE OUTLAWS

This article was originally published in The Courier on 11th June 2022.

NEXT WEEK’S TV

Sherwood – Monday and Tuesday, BBC One, 9pm

This compelling six-part drama is a work of fiction inspired by two murders which took place in the Nottinghamshire mining village where its author, James Graham, grew up. 

It’s an intelligent, thoughtful piece, a carefully constructed whodunit fuelled by the long-lasting effects of Thatcherism and the miner’s strike on working-class communities. 

The outstanding cast includes David Morrissey as a senior police officer who is determined to win back the public’s trust, Alun Armstrong and Lesley Manville as happily married, doting grandparents, and Joanne Froggatt as a local Tory councillor who isn’t exactly in tune with the political outlook of her constituents. The series begins on her wedding day. 

You may find yourselves hooked from the get-go.

Tiny Lives – Monday, BBC One, 8:30pm

A tender document ensconced within the University Hospital Wishaw’s neonatal unit, Tiny Lives returns for more affecting stories about prematurely born babies. 

Alfie is just six hours old. His mum had an emergency caesarean after Alfie showed signs of distress in the womb. He’s in critical condition, a ventilator is keeping him alive. The hospital’s dedicated team are on constant standby, he’s in good hands. 

Alfie was born at the height of the pandemic, when the NHS were stretched to their absolute limits. The series pays tribute to their tireless efforts; decent people doing everything in their power to save lives on a daily basis. One particular nurse devotes her entire 12-hour shift to an infant placed in isolation.

The Savoy – Wednesday, STV, 9pm

The latest series of this observational hoopla reconvenes with London’s luxurious Savoy Hotel as it opens its doors post-pandemic. 

The owners are in dire straits, they have to recoup millions of pounds of lost revenue. So thank God for Gordon Ramsay, who barges in with ambitious plans for his very first seafood restaurant. 

Say what you like about Ramsay by all means, but that will at least create new job opportunities for some deserving chefs. Meanwhile, we’re treated to some heavy-hitter celebrity dining cameos from Christopher Biggins and Shirley Ballas. 

The whole thing is an unquestioning celebration of wealth. This preview was typed through gritted teeth, which is quite a physical feat if nothing else.

The Real Derry: Jamie-Lee O’Donnell – Thursday, Channel 4, 10pm

Timed to coincide with the 50^th anniversary of Bloody Sunday, this documentary follows the Derry Girls actor as she reflects upon life growing up during the last few years of The Troubles. 

O'Donnell is a devoted Derry girl who wants to find out more about the complex history of her community. 

I haven’t seen this programme, preview copies weren’t available, but I reckon I can probably vouch for it in good faith. O’Donnell speaks to young people growing up in Derry today, kids who by and large have no truck with sectarian prejudices. 

According to the press blurb, it will provide viewers with some hope for the future of Northern Ireland.  O’Donnell is a smart person, she’ll do this justice.

Devon and Cornwall – Friday, Channel 4, 8pm

John Nettles’ bombastic narration during this otherwise genteel series is one of the funniest things on television. It’s a delicious chunk of pure uncut ham. Wonderful. This week, Nettles wraps his rich rococo tones around another set of everyday Devon and Cornwall stories. 

We meet woodsman John and his daughter Betsy as they attempt to revive and maintain a lost tradition – sculpting stave baskets from ash. Meanwhile, two friends put their fairly ancient powerboat through its paces ahead of a big race, and a hotelier/fisherman sets out to sea to haul in his lobster pots. 

Devon and Cornwall is a perfectly pleasant programme, and I’m sorry if I’ve ruined it by drawing attention to Nettles’ Matt Berry-esque theatrics.

Brian Cox: Seven Days on Mars – Friday, BBC Two, 9pm

Is there life on Mars? I’m inherently suspicious of questions that even David Bowie couldn’t answer, but you can’t deny the basic pleasure of watching Professor Brian Cox (sort of) fulfilling a childhood dream during this programme. 

He spends an access-all-areas week in NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory as it continues its exploration of the surface of Mars. 

42 years ago, young master Cox wrote a letter to the JPL asking about their pioneering deep space missions. The reply he received set him on the path to becoming a physicist. 

Cox follows the JPL during one of their most ambitious projects to date: navigating Martian terrain via the first powered aircraft we have ever sent to another planet.

Avoidance – Friday, BBC One, 9:30pm

Romesh Ranganathan co-writes and stars in this likeable comedy drama about Jonathan, a newly separated man struggling to come to terms with his situation. He can’t accept it, hence that title. 

Jonathan is a nice guy, but his glib passivity is exasperating. No wonder his partner finally gave up on him. He’s never depicted as some sort of hapless victim, a romanticised sad-sack hero. This isn’t a simplistic vanity project a la Ricky Gervais’ After Life. It’s drily amusing and warm-hearted. The underlying pathos is kept in check, it never descends into sickly sentimentality. 

Also, Ranganathan, a stand-up by trade, is an entirely natural actor. Avoidance began last week; catch up with episode one on iPlayer.

LAST WEEK’S TV

The Outlaws – Sunday 5th June, BBC One

Series one of Stephen Merchant’s appealing comedy drama about a mismatched gang serving community service in Bristol was a deserved hit. And now it’s back. Episode one wasted no time at all, it jogged our memories and got on with the story. 

Merchant is a talented screenwriter with an obvious love of classic romantic comedies and thrillers. The Outlaws is basically a Scorsese film shot through the prism of Ealing Studios. The characters are sympathetic and rounded, they’re recognisable ‘types’ with flesh on their bones. 

It succeeds on its own sweet terms: a heartfelt character piece disguised as a crime drama. Merchant ensures that we care about the plight of these fictional constructs. It's a fine-tooled piece of entertainment.

Everything I Know About Love – Tuesday 7th June, BBC One

This isn’t a complaint, just an observation: in the last few years, TV execs have commissioned a notable surge of semiautobiographical coming-of-age dramas set in the fairly recent past. The ‘90s up until the early ‘10s to be exact. 

That's an inevitable development. The commissioners, many of them in their late thirties/forties, are drawn to stories which reflect their own formative experiences. So here’s the latest one, set way back in 2012. 

It follows a group of mid-twenties female friends who’ve just moved to hipster Camden. Don’t let that premise put you off, it’s not smug or annoying at all. It’s a sharp, funny, charming and self-aware meditation on youthful friendships and infatuations.

MY NAME IS LEON + OUR LIVES: DARTS DREAMS + BIG BOYS

This article was originally published in The Courier on 4th June 2022. 

NEXT WEEK’S TV

My Name is Leon ‐ Friday, BBC Two, 9pm

Set in early 1980s Birmingham against a simmering backdrop of racial tensions, this sensitive drama is told through the eyes of Leon, a mixed‐race ten‐year‐old growing up in care. Leon wants nothing more than to be reunited with his beloved mother and baby brother. 

Based on the novel by Kit de Waal, it’s a heart‐wrenching yet ultimately uplifting portrait of a lost child gradually gaining a sense of identity. Newcomer Cole Martin is wholly unaffected as Leon, it's a stellar performance. 

He’s supported by an exceptional adult cast including Monica Dolan as Leon’s kindly foster carer, and Malachi Kirby as an accidental surrogate father who gently teaches him about the importance of standing up against injustice. A beautiful film.

Long Lost Family Special: Switched at Birth ‐ Monday, STV, 9pm

In the latest episode of this always poignant and sensitively‐handled series, hosts Nicky Campbell and Davina McCall pose two difficult questions: “What if you suspect you were swapped with another baby when you were born? And what if, as a parent, you discover you’ve been raising the wrong daughter?” 

Septuagenarian Rosemary loves her adoptive family, they’ve had a very happy life together, but she understandably feels the need to find out about her biological parents. We all want to know where we came from. 

Meanwhile, two Mediterranean mothers articulate the complex emotional impact of having their babies accidentally switched at birth. A clerical error with, to put it mildly, significant repercussions for all concerned.

Cooking with the Stars ‐ Tuesday, STV, 8pm

It’s a fairly quiet TV week, folks, hence why I’m nudging this returning series in your direction. Please do not regard it as a glowing recommendation. I really can’t emphasise that enough. 

Hosts Tom Allen and Emma Willis preside over another group of celebs as they attempt to learn the skills of a restaurant chef. Naturally, they’ll need a lot of help to get to that level. Enter various top chef mentors such as Rosemary Shrager. 

Among this year’s oven‐ready stars are Anton Du Beke, Dame Kelly Holmes, The Chase’s Anne Hegerty, and comedian Joe Wilkinson. The theme in episode one is classic British dishes. A cook‐off between the first pair of contestants, Du Beke and Wilkinson, ensues.

Lucy Worsley Investigates ‐ Tuesday, BBC Two, 9pm

The penultimate chapter of Worsley’s current essay is quite the historical cold case: what were the actual circumstances surrounding those 15^th century English princes, both of them heirs to King Edward IV’s throne, who were allegedly murdered in their beds? 

I must admit, I’d never heard of this bizarre mystery before watching the programme. My specialist area of historical expertise is (cough) 20^th century socio-political pop culture. That’s why the likes of Worsley are always welcome on my screen. She may be right, she may be wrong, but she informs and entertains with persuasive, questioning, sceptical rigour. 

I ended up falling down an internet research rabbit‐hole after watching this episode. Still none the wiser, but what a story.

The Bridge: Rocket to a Fortune ‐ Tuesday and Wednesday, Channel 4, 10pm

In series two of this reality show, eight strangers from the UK are tasked with building a 1,000‐foot bridge between their basecamp on a remote Vietnamese island and a giant uninhabited rock. Why? Because if they succeed, one of them will win £200,000. 

This naturally throws up a thorny moral conundrum: they have to work together as a team while being fully aware that they’re also competitors. Twist # 2: there’s another team competing for the same prize, but at first they’re unaware of each other’s existence. 

It’s all rather cruel and dubious, as some of these people are clearly quite fragile. But of course, that doesn’t stop the producers from exploiting the situation for maximum dramatic impact.

Bradford on Duty ‐ Thursday, BBC Two, 9pm

Bradford in the north of England was once one of Britain’s most affluent cities. Decades of deindustrialisation and austerity put paid to that. 

In this new five‐part factual series, we follow some of Bradford’s dedicated frontline workers as they campaign to restore much‐needed civic pride and wellbeing to the beleaguered city. 

Preview copies weren’t available, but this sounds like a potentially worthwhile endeavour. It promises to shed light upon the everyday struggles of district nurses, police officers and council workers, as well as the people who rely upon them for support. 

It will, we’re told, confront vitally important intertwined issues such as homelessness and wealth/health inequality ‐ but with some humour, warmth and hope.

Our Lives: Darts Dreams ‐ Friday, BBC One, 7:30pm

Eighteen‐year‐old Chloe O’Brien from Perthshire is a talented darts player. She’s already established herself as part of Scotland’s youth team, but now it’s time for her to try out for the Scottish ladies’ international squad. This charming documentary charts Chloe’s quest. 

She’s sharp and likeable, a protagonist you can get behind. Like all budding sportspeople who want to get somewhere, Chloe is totally dedicated. She’s made sacrifices, it’s an all‐consuming vocation. 

The programme subtly cocks a snook at those who look down on darts as ‘not a real sport’. Chloe and her close‐knit Angus Ravens teammates prove that it requires real skill; an acute combination of arithmetic, tactics, spatial awareness and hand‐eye coordination.  

LAST WEEK’S TV

Top of the Pops: The Story of 1999 ‐ Saturday 28th May, BBC Two

Last week’s contrived theme: at the very end of the 20^th century, just as Prince predicted, we really were all partying as if there was no tomorrow. 

Sure, we experienced some apocalyptic anxiety surrounding the Y2K bug, but why worry when Steps ruled the charts? Anyway, nothing bad actually happened and we all enjoyed doing the Tragedy dance. 

As usual, this was a historically askew yet harmless exercise in shallow nostalgia aimed at middle‐aged people such as myself. 

We all know that 1999 heralded the beginning of the end for TOTP as any kind of cultural force, but the programme neglected to mention that. One hopes that its sad decline will be addressed in future episodes.   

Big Boys ‐ Thursday 2nd June, Channel 4

This is a delightful new sitcom I failed to mention when it started a fortnight ago, for tedious logistical reasons more than anything else. I’m recommending it now with full‐tilt enthusiasm. 

A tender autobiography penned by Jack Rooke, it stars Dylan Lewellyn from Derry Girls as an awkward gay teenager who forms a close bond with a straight ‘lad’ when they’re suddenly thrown together at university. Jack’s new pal immediately accepts him for who he is. 

Big Boys is funny, frank, sweet and sensitive, it hits every emotional beat ‐ whether happy or sad ‐ with perfect timing. No wonder the great Russell T. Davies has been showering it with praise. All six episodes are available on All 4.