Worth Watching: ‘Big Boys’ and ‘Am I Being Unreasonable?'
Plus, Channel 4 are launching a show called 'Virgin Island'
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Welcome to Worth Watching. Hope you’re doing well.
Channel 4 did a flashy event last night where they announced a lot of new shows.
One notable announcement was that Russell T Davies is to pen his first Channel 4 drama since It’s A Sin. Continuing the trend of shows he’s set in Manchester, Tip Toe will look issues facing the LGBTQ+ community today, as prejudice is on the rise.
Why is it called Tip Toe? “I used to walk into rooms and go, ta-daa! Now I walk on tip toe. In case I get seen,” Davies said in a press statement.
Elsewhere, David Mitchell and Robert Webb are returning to Channel 4 as part of a new ensemble sketch comedy series, the first the broadcaster has done in more than a decade. It will support established as well as up-and-coming comic writers.
Studio Lambert (the maker of The Traitors) are making a twisty and mischievous reality show about betrayal, deception and money. Let’s hope it performs better than Rise & Fall, which was cancelled after one series after disappointing ratings.
Channel 4 have also announced Virgin Island, a new six-part dating reality show where they put virgins on an island (no, really).
If you’re not a typical EastEnders viewer, I reckon you should be watching next week’s episodes. The serial drama is about to celebrate its 40th anniversary, and with that will be a live episode, including a storyline where viewers decide what happens next.
Soaps have been having a harder time in recent years due to the general decline in traditional linear television, but EastEnders have been coping better than many were expecting, thanks to well-crafted storytelling and watercooler moments.
I expect next week’s episode to be featuring both of these by the bucketload. Plus there’s the joy of watching, wondering whether any of the actors will mess up their lines (I still quote “how’s Adam?” on a regular basis.)
SHOWS TO WATCH THIS WEEK
Big Boys (Channel 4, all episodes available) -The third (and final) series of Jack Rooke’s semi-autobiographical comedy Big Boys is now out on Channel 4. It is highly likely that you will watch the third series in one big go. And you should.
The sitcom was groundbreaking when it first debuted, such as that it followed a gay lead character (played by Dylan Llewellyn) with a straight best friend (Jon Pointing), rather than the other way round. It was also consistently funny due to a mixture of nostalgic 2010s humour, relatable characters, and deadpan delivery.
Yet it was the tender, nuanced, and thoughtful way that it explored themes around mental health and grief where the show really went to another level. No spoilers here, but the opening of the final episode consists of one of the most beautiful and heartbreaking scenes I have seen on television in recent years.
I’ve been thinking and rewatching it multiple times ever since I first saw it.
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