Channel 4 confirms Jack Rooke’s Big Boys will return with a second series

Words: Alastair James; pictures: Channel 4

The critically acclaimed Jack Rooke-written comedy, Big Boys is set to return for another season after being renewed by Channel 4.

It follows a successful first season, which was praised “a tender, poignant tale of troubled teenage years,” by The Times and the “next coming-of-age obsession,” by The Independent. 

The series stars Derry Girls‘ Dylan Llewellyn as Jack, a closeted university fresher grieving the loss of his father who becomes roommates with Danny (Jon Pointing) – a brash and confident straight ‘lad’ who becomes his friend and mentor.

.@jackrooke‘s Big Boys returns to @Channel4 and its bigger and better than ever: https://t.co/6C6WlZk6iS pic.twitter.com/7pFcbiU0BS

— Channel 4 Press (@C4Press) August 23, 2022

Speaking on Tuesday (23 August) comedian and writer Jack Rooke, says: “The response to Big Boys series 1 has been so phenomenally kind, heartwarming and beyond anything any of us could have hoped for, the fact we got onto Gogglebox is probably the proudest moment of mine and my mum’s lives (she got over 100 likes on Facebook for it!)

“And so after a huge spitroast at Harvester, I decided I probably do have some more embarrassing stories about me & my mates to mine for comic material so get ready for an even more cringe second year at Brent University.”

Channel 4’s Head of Comedy, Charlie Perkins, adds: “I’m so happy to confirm that Big Boys is returning. This is one of my first commissions as Head of Comedy at Channel 4 and it fits squarely into what I think makes the greatest comedy; so much heart blended with so much silliness.

“Jack is a very special person. I can’t wait for what’s to come in series two.”

Ash Atalla, the Managing Director at Roughcut TV, who produce the show for Channel 4 says: “Big Boys comes from the heart and soul of Jack Rooke and we’re so happy to bring it back.  We promise more sex, drugs, and tears in series 2.”

Left-right: Jon Pointing, Jack Rooke, and Dylan Llewellyn

Speaking to Attitude ahead of Big Boys‘ first season Jack said he “loved the idea of writing a sitcom about a gay guy and a straight guy who are best mates,” which he says is something we don’t see often enough on TV.

“It’s so nice to see and I feel really honoured that Channel 4 have trusted me to write it, and also to still have loads of very queer reference points in there. I wanted it to have stuff about hook-up apps, I wanted it to have stuff about the scary gay clubs as well as going to gay clubs where it’s like ‘Everyone here is welcome, even straight guys so long as you’re on good behaviour’. I love that openness and I hope I’ve captured a lot of that queer coming-out, coming-of-age experience.”

The Attitude September/October issue is out now.