The creators of The Inbetweeners have confirmed that the cult UK comedy is set to return, more than a decade after its finale aired.
Production company Fudge Park, founded by showrunners Iain Morris and Damon Beesley, has signed a new partnership with Banijay UK which “paves the way for the return of the hit comedy title”, according to reports in bothVariety and The Sun.
The duo confirmed the return of the series, saying in a statement: “Incredibly exciting to be plotting more adventures for our four favourite friends (ooh friends).”
No major details have been revealed but the deal “unlocks the rights and the potential to bring The Inbetweeners back for new audiences across a range of platforms including film, TV, and stage”, according to a statement by Banijay.
Banijay UK chief executive, Patrick Holland, said he was “delighted to pick up the conversation about the future” of The Inbetweeners with Morris and Morris.
“They have an infectious creative vision for the brand which will resonate with audience old and new so I can’t wait to get going,” he said.
“We are thrilled to announce this exciting partnership with Banijay who share our vision and ambition for one of the most iconic comedies in British history,” Jonathan Blyth, managing director of Fudge Park, said.
“This is a wonderful moment for fans, there are exciting conversations afoot and more news to follow.”
It isn’t yet known whether the revival will take the form of a new series, film or spin-off, although the statements by the creators can be assumed to mean the story will revolve around the original four characters.
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First broadcast on E4 from 2008 and 2010, The Inbetweeners follows the misadventures of Will McKenzie (Simon Bird)), Simon Cooper (Joe Thomas), Neil Sutherland (James Buckley), and Jay Cartwright (Blake Harrison), a group of socially inept sixth-formers enduring school life, failed romances, and fragile masculinity at the fictional Rudge Park Comprehensive.
The series, conceived as a more realistic counterpoint to the darker teen drama Skins, went on to become a surprise phenomenon, pulling record audiences and winning a BAFTA Audience Award in 2010.
Two films followed: The Inbetweeners Movie in 2011 and The Inbetweeners 2 in 2014, which together grossed over £100m worldwide, setting box-office records for UK comedies.
The announcement comes shortly after Buckley and Thomas sparked fan excitement online by teasing a reunion. In August, Buckley shared photos of himself with Thomas on Instagram, writing: “Working on something…”
It was later revealed the pair had teamed up for a new podcast, Joe and James Fact Up.
In August last year, Thomas said the cast were eager to return. “All of us feel it would be nice to do,” he said on the Always Be Comedy podcast. “We’re all still around, we’re all still in each other’s lives. We all still like each other. And if it was something that came up, I think we would want to do it.”
The cast reunited for a two-hour special that aired on New Year’s Day in 2019, marking the 10th anniversary of the sitcom’s debut.
The special received overall negative feedback with many fans confused that the programme, titled Fwends Reunited, wasn’t a new episode but instead adhered to a chat show format, and some said it looked as though the four actors didn’t want to be there.
The reunion, hosted by Jimmy Carr, saw the stars of the series participate in an Inbetweeners quiz, a fake award ceremony and watch old clips from the show.
Critics dubbed the two-hour special “shambolic”, with Buckley calling it a “mistake”.
“It was maybe a mistake doing that reunion,” he told Heart Radio in 2019. “Me personally, I don’t want to ruin The Inbetweeners any more. At the moment, I wouldn’t want to go anywhere near it.”
Bird also said later that year that he wasn’t sure a revival would work, with the “characters grown up, which we now all are”.
“No one is going to buy us as teenagers any more,” he told Screen Daily. “And I think the idea of the four of us back together as 30-somethings is going to be a bit more depressing for everyone. I can’t see us doing any more of it.”
In 2024, Bird shut down any conversation about the cast getting together and said there were no plans for any forthcoming Inbetweeners projects.
Speaking to the MailOnline, Bird said: “I’m afraid to be the one pouring cold water on this but it’s not happening. I can tell you emphatically that there are no prospects of a reunion.”
He added that the cast “would be happy to but it’s not up to us, it’s up to the writers, Iain and Damon, and I know they’re both very busy these days. It’s not more likely to happen now than it was 10 years ago I’m afraid”.
“I think it was a comedy that inhabited a certain time,” he continued. “So, no, there has been no discussion about a new show or film.”
