Common Sense Media Review
By Joyce Slaton
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Teenage boys talk super dirty in witty high school comedy.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 17+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The Inbetweeners
What's the Story?
New guy at school Will (Joey Pollari) is immediately befriended by Jay (Zack Pearlman), Simon (Bubba Lewis), and Neil (Mark L. Young), three fellas who aren't exactly nerds but aren't exactly popular, either. In the grand fashion of on-screen teen boys, they lust nonstop after women, make up salacious stories about their sexual exploits, and engage in hijinks like pointing out to the entire lunch room that one of their cohorts has an erection and skipping school to drink vodka because they surmise that girls like rebels. But when actual girls appear, the boys tend to transform from swagger to stuttering, and all their sex talk is just that: talk.
Is It Any Good?
There's a very sharp writerly hand on the wheel of THE INBETWEENERS, which elevates the humor from dumb raunch to truly inspired filthiness in the same way the original British series did. But there's plenty here to trouble parents, who would probably prefer to watch the show themselves for a laugh, rather than have teens tune in. One gag will illustrate this concept: Will shows up to skip school with his friends and lies to one of their mothers that the van parked down the street is his. "I know it's a little molestery," he says, "but I got a great deal, from a molester. But he didn't molest in it, he just used it to um, transport for molesting." A few minutes later, the boys pass the van as a shirtless man leans out and offers them a ride. "Maybe later," says Simon. "You got cool muscles." A few minutes later, Will refers to having "dodged a rape."
If that set up and dialogue is hilarious to you, you'll find The Inbetweeners hysterical. And teens who are able to distinguish reality from hyperreal satire will probably also find The Inbetweeners very funny. But parents will want to talk to teens about sex, underage drinking, and treating each other with dignity and respect after they watch, though it would probably be too embarrassing to actually sit through all the sex jokes and watch together.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about whether the way the characters talk on The Inbetweeners is realistic. Teens: Is this the way you talk with your friends? Do you hear others talking this way?
How do you think the girls on the show would feel if they heard the boys' discussions? Do you think this is the way real teens think about sex? Parents, talk to your teens about your own values regarding sex and relationships.
How does the show depict drinking? Do you think it's realistic? What consequences to the characters face?
The principal and parents on The Inbetweeners are presented as being somewhat oblivious to what the main characters are up to. In your family, how do parents keep track of kids' activities? Do you think The Inbetweeners' teens could use more supervision?
How old do you think the actors playing teens on The Inbetweeners really are? Would it surprise you to learn that some cast members playing teens are actually in their twenties? Why do TV shows frequently use twentysomethings to play teens?
TV Details
- Premiere date : January 25, 2010
- Cast : Bubba Lewis , Joey Pollari , Mark L. Young , Zack Pearlman
- Network : MTV
- Genre : Comedy
- Topics : Friendship , School ( High School )
- TV rating :
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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