DVD: The Inbetweeners: Series 3 (18)
The Inbetweeners is not known for its high-brow comedy, but the third (and what looks set to be final) series manages to outdo itself for moments of hilarious crudity.
From a group vomiting session in a tent to the appearance of a rogue testicle during a fashion show, it is full of cringeworthy moments that manage to be consistently entertaining. Not that toilet humour is all there is to this school-based sitcom; it succeeds because of the twinges of painful recognition it causes in anyone who remembers the crushing embarrassment of their school days, and it feels as if much of the events depicted actually happened to the writers in one form or another. Saying that, there are times in this series when the show doesn't feel at its best – some of the situations the central characters (led by "briefcase wanker" Will) find themselves in feel a touch contrived, whilst the fact that this is the third series would have been a good opportunity to make more use of the supporting characters, especially Greg Davies' head of sixth form Mr Gilbert, whose rare appearances are almost always the highlight of an episode. Still, thanks to some brilliant performances and a willingness to always go that little bit further, The Inbetweeners remains one of the freshest and funniest comedies produced about the very real pain of growing up.
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