JOver a week ago, Russell T. Davies posted about a new show on his Instagram account. “This is funny. And dirty,” he wrote. “Oh my god, it’s so dirty. That last line made me laugh so hard I had to rewind it five times.” I’ve only seen one episode, but it’s pretty funny. The show was his new ITVX sitcom called G’Wed, about Wirral schoolchildren, and, well, it needed Davies’ attention. .
Until his post, there had been a lack of publicity for the show. A 160-word article was published in the Observer, a slightly negative article was published in the Catholic weekly Tablet, and an article was published in the Wirral newspaper titled “Wirral locations featured in new ITVX comedy”. Gloves, that’s all. And while certainly Davies’ praise may not be entirely without context (it’s always worth pointing out that his series Nolly was a significant early project for ITVX), at least the show It attracted attention.
This is not a bad thing. Because, while not quite up to Davis’ fireworks display, Gawed certainly turned out to be pretty good. The script is sharp, the young cast is more energetic than any I’ve ever seen, and when it comes into focus, it’s able to become one of those increasingly rare animals. It’s a heartfelt show about class that never forgets that it’s a sitcom. , rather than some vague comedy-drama.
Gawed, filmed around Birkenhead’s Beechwood Estate, is a major contribution to previous shows. In its large ensemble cast, the film shares core DNA with “Derry Girls,” and its first episode can’t help but invite comparisons to “The Inbetweeners.” The pilot episode, “Posh Muppet,” concerns the arrival of Christopher (Jake Kenny Byrne), a well-spoken young man who is sent to a rough-and-ready comprehensive school. While the premise is that the suit sounds like a “briefcase prankster,” G’Wed shows its uniqueness in more subtle ways. Unlike The Inbetweeners, which is told from the perspective of a new student, the main character in this film is Judge Reese (Dylan Thomas Smith), who agrees to take care of the new student to avoid punishment at school. .
Also, unlike The Inbetweeners, Gawed does not feature only straight white actors. Several of the characters are Muslim and one is gay, and it’s telling that the show noticeably improved when it focused on these supporting characters. For example, the third episode revolves around a romantic relationship between Ted (a gay kid) and her handsome, overconfident sixth grader. I wouldn’t be surprised if, years from now, the writers and production staff point to this as the moment where it all came together. As Davis rightly pointed out, it’s incredibly raunchy, and there’s a scene where two kids discuss the best body orifice to eat chicken nuggets, but it’s also a hard-hitting emotional punch. It is also packed. It’s a tough balance to strike, but if G’Wed can find a way to do this kind of thing consistently, he might be able to keep running.
However, a quick note on this matter. For some strange reason, this diversity only applies to the male cast. The main female characters are not only straight and white, but also uniformly blonde and look so similar that it took half the series to tell them apart. It’s a really strange blind spot.
But G’wedo is very smart about classes. Not only does this production avoid the pitfalls that have crippled many other shows, but the house not only has rooms as large as regular rooms, rather than a vast set, but also intentionally It also emphasizes that it takes the viewer away from the destination. Passed. In the second episode, a character starts crying about not having money and how it has forced his family into a life of crime (this is almost certainly a sitcom made by inferior talent on the Wirral set). ). Then reveal: She made up the story as a hoax. This is the kind of detail you often see when someone makes a TV series about where they’re from, where they’re from, and the people from where they’re from. At least it’s an incredibly strong argument for not making everything in London.
No one knows if more episodes of G’Wed will ever be produced. So far, the press the show has received doesn’t inspire confidence, especially in a time when sitcoms are in the doldrums. But it starts solidly, and every episode is a clear improvement from the last. If it reopens soon, we might get a classic piece.