The second series of Funboys, a BBC sitcom about three twentysomething friends from the fictional Northern Irish town of Ballymacnoose, returns with Steve Coogan joining the cast. The show, created by Rian Lennon and Ryan Dylan, continues its gleefully silly and laugh-out-loud comedy, offering a serious work of comedy beneath its daft exterior.
Plot and Characters
The series follows Jordan (Rian Lennon), a whiny manchild; Callum (Ryan Dylan), a wretched loser; and Lorcan (Lee R James), the more intelligent and level-headed of the trio. They are joined by Lorcan's worldly English girlfriend, Gemma (Ele McKenzie). The group engages in various hijinks, from terrible dates and panic attacks to a robot-battle tournament. The comedy stems from the ludicrous sentimentality surrounding their friendship, featuring group hugs, motivational speeches, and melodramatic arguments delivered with hammy flourishes.
Steve Coogan's Cameo
In this series, Callum starts working at a living history attraction, playing a 19th-century peasant. Steve Coogan appears as his boss, Phillip, a brutal land agent who takes his performance too seriously. This setup allows Funboys to double down on its melodrama-pastiching MO, as the pair chew multiple layers of scenery.
Key Storylines
Jordan learns about the Irish famine and develops empathy, deciding to donate his Family Guy DVDs to Namibian children and give away the family car. His friends stage a flat bum contest to return him to his selfish self. Sex is a primary preoccupation: Jordan and Callum get close to losing their virginities, while Lorcan reluctantly agrees to Gemma's desire for analingus, leading to comedic reactions from Callum and Lorcan's father.
Comic Style and Influences
The show's mock-earnest tone satirizes cosy film and TV, with a 1980s-style title sequence and cheesy movie bombast. It overlaps with Tim Robinson and Sam Campbell's work, and draws on the overemotional stupidity seen in Jamie Demetriou's Stath Lets Flats. According to the review, "the level of silliness belies some serious comic architecture."
Availability
Funboys aired on BBC Three and is available on iPlayer now.
