The Inbetweeners

In the morass of reality shows and naff sitcoms that made up TV schedules last year, The Inbetweeners stood out like an unexpected classroom erection. A bright, spirited and filthy comedy about teenagers in sixth form that was closer in tone to Peep Show than American Pie, its four stars were instantly likeable, no matter what they got up to. With the second series due out in April, we went for a chat with them during filming, happily finding them on location at a pub in Ruislip.

As I arrive, the boys are trying to cram down their lunch before the afternoon’s shooting begins. Simon (who plays geeky public schoolboy Will) is still in his school uniform, leading to a discussion of their real ages. They’re all actually in their early to mid twenties, but enjoying acting like kids again. ‘I’m not a million miles away from a 16-year old’, admits James, taking a relaxed break from being Jay, the show’s foul-mouthed sex pest. We’re interrupted by a guy who comes wandering over to ask where the broken generator is: no one knows, and he shambles off. ‘Yeah…I do all the minor electrical repairs on the set – just leave it with me’ mutters Joe (the Carli-obsessed Simon in the show). The others burst out laughing: it’s apparently not the first time they’ve been mistaken for kids on work experience.

I ask them about their most memorable moments from making the show: they all agree their favourite was watching the show’s writer, Damon, try to spit water out of a window without realising it was closed and instead smacking his head into the glass.

‘That’s the mistake that the more stupid varieties of birds make,’ laughs Joe. 

‘I’ve run through a glass door before’ says James. ‘I’ve still got the scar!’

‘One of my abiding images of the first series is that poor disabled girl in her wheelchair’, says Simon. ‘With the props guy up a stepladder, with a stack of Frisbees, and the director going, “No, harder! In the face!”’

Simon also shudders as he recalls a scene that saw him having to stare at Blake’s (the show’s gormless Neil) bare arse: ‘They had to do take after take of me literally looking up his arse!’

‘It was only because you kept laughing every time!’ grins James.

‘That’s because his arse is an absolute joke’ deadpans Simon, and everyone cracks up again.

‘There was that scene in the caravan club episode where Joe has to lick the girl’s ear…that girl was quite young’ says Simon.

‘She was sixteen! She was legal!’ laughs Joe.

‘What about that scene you had to “prepare” for?’ says James, gleefully. They all shout over each other as they try to explain the scene in which Joe’s character, Simon, is supposed to have an erection: on asking how they were going to achieve the effect, co-writer Ian’s advice was simply to ‘get an erection’, to which Joe just agreed without realising it was a joke. He hasn’t been allowed to forget it. ‘You do whatever’s necessary for the shot!’ protests Joe. ‘It’s ironic, isn’t it, but no one’s asked you to have an erection in this series, have they?’ comments Simon as everyone erupts into laughter again.

Conversation turns to fans and possible catchphrases, the most popular apparently being ‘Friend!’ and ‘Bumder’ (that’s a cross between ‘bummer’ and ‘bender’ for those of you who missed it). ‘I’ve had, “Your dad’s bent” shouted at me,’ says Blake, slightly nonplussed. ‘We’re hoping that “Bus wankers” will catch on from the new series,’ says Simon. ‘That’s just driving very slowly past a bus stop and shouting, ‘”Bus wankers!”’. James explains.

I ask how similar they are to their characters and the resulting argument lasts about 20 minutes ‘I’m playing completely against type – I’d hate to be like Jay,’ begins James, innocently, but the others erupt.

‘That’s a good one!’ yells Joe.

‘He always says that because he wants people to think he’s this debonair type,’ smirks Simon.

‘That’s so unfair!’, James mumbles as he sinks back into his seat.

 ‘I’m not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but I’m definitely not as dumb as Neil,’ Blake says. 

‘Yeah, apart from Blake, I think we’re all fairly well cast,’ says Joe.

‘Oh, cheers!’ tuts Blake, as everyone laughs.

‘You know what I mean!’ splutters Joe. ‘We’re all similar to our characters apart from you.’

‘No! I’m not at all!’ protests James.

I ask him if he’s ever, like his onscreen counterpart, used the phrase, ‘frothing at the gash’ and everyone admits that, no, he hasn’t. It turns out it’s not Jay’s obsession with sex that reminds them of James, but his love of taking the piss out of his mates, especially, it seems, Joe. As pudding arrives, James explains how Joe had, had to repeat one take over and over again, and was getting more and more wound up about it. ‘On the tenth take, I was right next to Joe and I leant over and whispered, “Oops, double figures…”’ ‘…And he went mental!’ finishes Simon. ‘He went and complained to the writers and the producers, and they were like, “Come on, that is pretty funny!”’

Simon takes out a camcorder: they’re taking it in turns to film an on-set diary for the DVD extras. ‘We’re all in the same hotel, so three of us are going to have exactly the same stuff’, complains James. ‘But now it’s Simon’s turn, Maxim have turned up!’ Simon points the camera at me. ‘Come on next question. Ah, how the tables have turned, Maxim!’

They all laugh again and we keep chatting until the director yells that it’s time for them to go back to work. The four of them have obviously become good mates while filming the show, something Joe readily acknowledges as they head off. ‘That was one of the things that was so good about getting a second series – it was so nice to see everyone.’ There is a brief, thoughtful pause. ‘Ahh’, smiles Simon, sweetly. ‘That’s a bit gay, isn’t it?’