The 50 best TV shows of 2022: No 6 - Big Boys

Jack Rooke's truly special comedy about male friendships and mental health had it all - laughs, tears, 00s cultural references and top-tier sex jokes.

Dylan Llewellyn interview

The 'wee English fella' from Derry Girls is playing another total sweetheart in the Channel 4 comedy Big Boys. He tells Ellie Harrison about how he nearly quit acting, the 'homely' appeal of his new show and why's he's ready to play against type .

Big Boys is a new six-part semi-autobiographical Channel 4 comedy, written and created by comedian Jack Rooke (Happy Man). Directed by Jim Archer, it stars Dylan Llewellyn (James in Derry Girls) as Jack, who is gay, unconfident and floundering in loving co-dependency with his mum (Camille Coduri) after the death of his father.

Finally making it to Brent University, Jack, who has the fashion sense of a particularly outlandish Build-A-Bear creation, befriends the outwardly laddish but mentally fragile Danny (Jon Pointing). The opening double episode rips through fresher campus life ("You can't call yourself working class unless you've burned the roof of your mouth on a Greggs"), and Jack's inaugural LGBTQ+ night out: "You drank poppers?" Big Boys can be a rough, scruffy ride (think Fresh Meat after downing a couple of cut-price wine boxes), but I enjoyed its Tiggerish spirit and full-hearted embrace of difficult themes. Here's a comedy that isn't afraid to bounce into darkness.

Big Boys is a new six-part semi-autobiographical Channel 4 comedy, written and created by comedian Jack Rooke (Happy Man). Directed by Jim Archer, it stars Dylan Llewellyn (James in Derry Girls) as Jack, who is gay, unconfident and floundering in loving co-dependency with his mum (Camille Coduri) after the death of his father.

Finally making it to Brent University, Jack, who has the fashion sense of a particularly outlandish Build-A-Bear creation, befriends the outwardly laddish but mentally fragile Danny (Jon Pointing). The opening double episode rips through fresher campus life ("You can't call yourself working class unless you've burned the roof of your mouth on a Greggs"), and Jack's inaugural LGBTQ+ night out: "You drank poppers?" Big Boys can be a rough, scruffy ride (think Fresh Meat after downing a couple of cut-price wine boxes), but I enjoyed its Tiggerish spirit and full-hearted embrace of difficult themes. Here's a comedy that isn't afraid to bounce into darkness.

Big Boys review

Jack Rooke's sprightly comedy will be your next coming-of-age obsession.

Jack Rooke: 'My mate who killed himself couldn't afford private therapy'

The comedian and writer discusses his new Channel 4 show Big Boys, male mental health, grief, and Alison Hammond.