Dylan Llewellyn's 'Big Boys' Randomly Arrives on Hulu with Zero Fanfare

There are two things I dislike about the current television landscape more than anything: When a great show winds up on a platform nobody watches (looks at Rogue Heroes on MGM+), and when a great show lands on a platform everybody watches, but the platform doesn't bother to market it. (No, I will never forgive Max for keeping It's a Sin from the American public.) Currently, Hulu is the chief offender in the second category, partly due to the frankenstream nature of the service, having at various points been A: a free way to watch TV; B: a Netflix competitor; C: the host for FX; D: Disney's dumping ground for shows that aren't family-friendly enough for American conservatives; and E: a cable replacement service. However, Hulu has now brought over Channel 4's hit comedy Big Boys, which stars Derry Girls' Dylan Llewellyn and which all fans of the Irish series should absolutely check out. 

Initially billed by Channel 4 as "a silly, sweet comedy about two boys from very different ends of the 'spectrum of masculinity' who become best mates at Brent Uni freshers' week 2013" when it debuted in 2022, the series is a period comedy set in the early 2010s and is a semi-autobiographical tale based on series creator Jack Rooke's own experiences growing up. Rooke took home a BAFTA for the show's second season; both episode runs garnered rave reviews, and now both seasons arrive on Hulu.... a few hours before this was published.

The good news is that there is a Season 3, and Hulu will almost certainly do at least some marketing (think Obituary or Extraordinary level marketing), so perhaps when the new season arrives, Americans will discover one of the best comedies of the decade they're not watching. But currently, that's only a wild hope. (It's not like Hulu has ever bothered to tell anyone about Better, after all.)

Here's the series synopsis:

Nineteen-year-old Jack is a dweeby, sheltered, closeted boy from Watford, trying to overcome his grief after his dad's passing and figure out what he wants in life. He leaves behind his potty-mouthed mum, Peggy, who has persuaded him to take up a scholarship at the local uni so that he can make something of himself and not just be stuck at home, masturbating and knitting blankets to sell on Etsy. Meanwhile, 25-year-old Danny is your typical loud-and-proud lads' lad. Hailing from a run-down seaside town, Danny is a few years older than every other fresher, trying to live out a lost adolescence while confronting the demons of his mental health.

Living in an ex-classroom shed on campus, the boys are thrown together by the enigmatic Jules, the head of the SU who was a student herself a decade ago and has just never left. They soon meet Corinne, a sharp, study-centric Scot who's learning to let her hair down, and Yemi, the savvy fashion kid who, at 19, has already seen it all, done it all, and begrudgingly guides this gang of misfits through freshers and beyond. And so we follow their first year at Brent Uni as they explore, experiment, and try to discover themselves, helping one another along the way.

Big Boys stars Llewellyn as Jack, with Jon Pointing (Starstruck) as Danny, and Camille Coduri (Doctor Who) plays Jack's mum Peggy. (What's with Coduri endlessly playing widows? Sorry to Pete Tyler.) The rest of the core cast includes Katy Wix (Ghosts), Izuka Hoyle (Boiling Point), Olisa Odele (It's a Sin), and Rooke as the Narrator. Season 2 promotes Harriet Webb (I May Destroy You) from recurring to a main character. The supporting cast includes Annette Badland (D.I. Ray), Ian Burfield (Merlin), Sheila Reid (Bodies), and Robert Gilbert (Killing Eve). Season 1 also features Rhiannon Clements (Vera) and Kristy Philipps (The Pact), while Season 2 adds Marc Warren (Van der Valk), Shane Zaza (Happy Valley), James Doherty (Endeavour), and Jake Dunn (Renegade Nell).

Rooke penned all episodes of Seasons 1 and 2, based on his books, Cheer The F**k Up, Good Grief, Happy Hour, and Love Letters. Jim Archer (Brian & Charles) directed all installments. Rooke also executive produces alongside Bertie Peek, Ash Atalla, Alex Smith, Thomas Dixon, Chelsea Chandler, and Franky Chadwick.

Big Boys Seasons 1 and 2 are now streaming on Hulu. Season 3 is expected out in 2025.