Big Boys

At times, great television can arrive at truths that feel like existential answers. And this last goodbye to Big Boys – one of the finest British comedies of the past decade – feels like one of those moments.

It remains one of the most joyous, heartfelt shows out there.

The finale will stop you in your tracks. You realise that Rooke has been building up to this all along. It’s a magnificent piece of writing.

The performances by Llewellyn, Odele, Hoyle and Wix (not to mention Camille Coduri as Jack’s mum and Harriet Webb as his cousin Shannon) are rendered in bright, technicolour strokes, but the comedic focal point is Pointing’s Danny. The unexpected tenderness of “lad” culture, as it intersects with the diverse reality of modern higher education, is something that no show captures better.

It’s one of the most funny, tender, profound sad-happy comedies I’ve seen this year and is worth anyone’s time, not just because it tackles the themes of grief, coming of age and sexuality with a beautifully light touch, but because the cast give the impression that they love performing it.

Following on from Derry Girls is no small feat, but Big Boys holds its own. It's warm, chock-full of personality and very funny.

Although it is gentler and less frenetic, Big Boys’ combination of frankness, heart and wit – and the seriousness with which it treats young people and the problems they face – evokes the mighty Sex Education. At the same time, Rooke makes it entirely its own thing – and one that can pierce your heart when you least expect it.