Ellen Faye Article

The Inbetweeners represents very common and usual characters that most ordinary people can identify with or have encountered during their school days. The main characters are all fairly geeky and are depicted as outsiders to some degree, they are not the most popular boys in school but they are the normal ordinary boys that are forgotten about. The four male characters in the show are represented individually but as a group they are the losers at sixth form for example none of them have ever had an intimate relationship with a girl. Individually they each have a role in the group which are; the geek, the idiot, the over confident, and normal guy. Nearly every episode will feature all of the boys wanting to be noticed or trying to impress either girls or other class mates.  Most of their attempts are unsuccessful and this is where the comedy element of the show is included, watching the boys make idiots of themselves, makes the audience laugh but at the same time we feel their embarrassment because we can identify with some of the situations they find themselves in. In comparison the TV programme Skins which also features a group of teenagers doing the same type of activities but characters with in ‘Skins’ are always successful and they never make fools of themselves. This is because the teenagers in this show are depicted as cool and iconic to the kids that watch the programme. Finally ‘The Inbetweeners’ shows audiences four teenage boys on their transition from young adults to men, and them trying to do more mature and grown up activities for acceptance, but always failing.