Major update on The Inbetweeners comeback as James Buckley says stars would be mad to turn it down
An Inbetweeners comeback has been given fresh hope by James Buckley, who admits he and his co-stars would struggle to turn down the life-changing cash.
Co-writer Damon Beesley told me in August that a reunion for a third movie was on the cards if there was “enough interest” after James’s fellow Inbetweener Joe Thomas revealed days earlier that conversations had started.
And now James, who played sex pest Jay Cartwright, has backed a possible reunion alongside Joe, Simon Bird and Blake Harrison, and says he would be mad to turn it down.
James said: “It’s no secret that would be the most profitable thing I could go into right now.
“I do have children, I do have a family, I do have bills, and sometimes you’ve got to take that into consideration, just as a practical thing, a boring, dull, provider of a family thing.
“All that stuff I do think about and what’s great is I know, if four of us boys get together — and (writers) Iain Morris and Damon — and we all have a little chat and we said ‘Shall we go again?’ I know it would be greenlit straight away.”
And on concerns whether the comedy would still work if the stars are now adults, rather than school kids, he told Headliners: “My argument is men never grow up, I still find The Inbetweeners funny.”
‘You never know’
The coming-of-age comedy spurned three TV series on E4 and two successful films between 2008 and 2014, turning the four lads into household names.
Speaking in August, Damon told me: “We’d need to be convinced there was a strong enough idea creatively but if there’s enough interest out there for a new Inbetweeners adventure, you never know.”
Paul Chuckle says he relaxes by watching reruns of his hit BBC kids’ show ChuckleVision, which he fronted with late brother Barry for 21 years. He said: “It is on YouTube, ChuckleVision, every episode we ever did. There’s stuff I don’t recall doing. It makes me laugh so it must be all right.”
Rylan’s barely started
Rylan Clark got an early Christmas present yesterday when Paramount+ announced Dating Naked UK is returning for series two.
It confirms my TV Biz story in October that the host’s saucy romance programme would be back in 2025.
The show, which features singles living together and looking for love in a tropical paradise while completely nude, has become the streamer’s most successful unscripted series ever.
Rylan said: “We had such an amazing first series and I’m so excited that Dating Naked UK is coming back.
“Our contestants made strong connections the first time around and I can’t wait to do it all again.
“Let’s hope for more romance, undressed and unblurred. Laters, daters!”
Filming for the ten new episodes starts next year.
Channel 4 has confirmed The Last Leg will return for a 32nd series on January 24 at 10pm.
Alex Brooker, Josh Widdicombe and Adam Hills will be back on the Bafta-nominated quiz show, with a new feature where viewers can share their moans, Brooker’s Got Issues.
Finally, Ben gets Wallace
When actor Peter Sallis died in 2017, it marked the end of his epic run voicing Wallace in the Wallace & Gromit animations.
For their new outing, which airs tomorrow at 6.10pm, the baton was handed to Ben Whitehead. Although he admits it wasn’t his first experience of becoming Wallace.
Ben said: “I used to do lots of impressions when I was young and Wallace was one of them. I did the voice to Steve Box who was the director auditioning me at the time and I suppose it was a nice added bonus.
“I became Peter’s understudy for many jobs that he wasn’t able to do outside of filming, for example some of the Wallace & Gromit games.
“Thanks to Aardman Animations for being patient – they have given me 21 years to get it right.”