Hit Brit Comedy Set for Return
‘The Inbetweeners’, the hit British teen comedy series that gave the world a foul-mouthed library of hilariously childish quotes, not to mention two hugely successful spin-off films, appears to be making a comeback.
Banijay UK and Fudge Park Productions, the company founded in 2015 by show creators Iain Morris and Damon Beesley, have struck a deal that they say “paves the way for the return of the hit comedy title.” It is still unknown in what guise “The Inbetweeners” will return and on what platform, although Morris and Beesley suggested it would revolve around the original characters.
“Incredibly exciting to be planning even more adventures for our four favorite friends (ooh friends),” they said in a statement.
Originally broadcast on E4 in Britain between 2008 and 2019, ‘The Inbetweeners’ follows the misadventures of suburban teenager Will MacKenzie and his friends Simon Cooper, Neil Sutherland and Jay Cartwright in the fictional Rudge Park Comprehensive as they navigated school life, friendship, male bonding, lad culture and failed sexual encounters. It was originally intended as a more realistic counterpoint to the British teen show ‘Skins’ of the same name, which depicts an adolescence that is awkward and – as Morris suggested at the time – mainly ‘nonsense’.
More than three series of “The Inbetweeners” set new viewing figures records for the channel and won multiple awards. Two hit films followed, released in 2011 and 2014 respectively. The first set a record for the biggest opening weekend for a British comedy at the time of its release, while the sequel also broke box office records.
Created by Bwark Productions, the original company founded by Morris and Beesley, which was later sold to Zodiak Media (acquired by Banijay in 2016), the new deal unlocks what is described as “the rights and potential to bring ‘The Inbetweeners’ back to new audiences across a range of platforms including film, TV and stage.
“We are delighted to announce this exciting partnership with Banijay, who shares our vision and ambition for one of the most iconic comedies in British history,” said Jonathan Blyth, Managing Director of Fudge Park. “This is a wonderful moment for fans, there are exciting conversations underway and more news to come.”
Patrick Holland, CEO Banijay UK added: “I’ve worked with Damon and Iain on a number of Fudge Park projects over the years and was delighted to start the conversation about the future of ‘The Inbetweeners’ with them. They have an infectious creative vision for the brand that resonates with audiences old and new, so I can’t wait to get started.”
Banijay Rights are distributors of “The Inbetweeners.”
Since the series ended, Morris and Beesley have worked on numerous projects, both together and separately, collaborating on the comedy film ‘The Festival’ and later on the BBC series ‘The First Team’. Beesley also created the series ‘White Gold’, starring many of the cast of ‘The Inbetweeners’, while Morris co-wrote the sports comedy ‘Next Goal Wins’ with Taika Waititi, was one of the creators of the Apple series ‘Time Bandits’ and recently directed the Netflix film ‘My Oxford Year’.
