G’Wed Season 1 Review – Dig deep and you’ll discover a warm-hearted and genuinely funny comedy

Episode Guide

Episode 1 -| Review Score – 2.5/5
Episode 2 -| Review Score – 2.5/5
Episode 3 -| Review Score – 2.5/5
Episode 4 -| Review Score – 2.5/5
Episode 5 -| Review Score – 2.5/5
Episode 6 -| Review Score – 2.5/5

My initial impressions of this Liverpool-set comedy were not good ones, thanks to its early scenes of foul-mouthed teenagers and lack of anything approaching comedy. It wasn’t long before I began to regret my decision to watch it. But midway through the first episode, my opinion changed.

Yes, these kids turn the air bluer than a bunch of Everton fans with their scarves held high. But they turned out to be not as abrasive or as one-note as I originally thought. They were, in fact, a bunch of relatable teens who weren’t the badly written stereotypes that I first took them to be.

Of course, there’s a lesson to be learned there. It’s easy to judge those young people whose attitudes and language choices are different from our own. But when we look deeper, behind the immature sex talk and sweary banter, we might discover they’re just as sensitive and needy as we sometimes are. We’re probably less likely to joke about having sex with our friends’ mothers or drop our pants for the sake of a cheap laugh – which is what the teens in G’Wed do. But it’s important to remember that we were all young once and probably doing and saying things that make us cringe now. 

The 6-episode series is set on a Liverpool council estate where a ‘posh lad’ named Christopher (Jake Kenny-Byrne) moves in with his gran, shortly after his mother has died. His upbringing was far different to that of his neighbour Reece (Dylan Thomas Smith), who is a typical working-class kid with that special brand of cheek that Scouse youngsters are known for. 

Christopher sticks out like the proverbial sore thumb when he attends the local comprehensive school. He sits alone in the dining hall and is the butt of jokes from some of the people around him. Reece and Christopher don’t hit it off during their interactions but when Reece is threatened with expulsion from the school, he finds a way to prove his worth to his headteacher by offering to buddy up with Christopher. Initially, this is a ruse from Reece to keep himself at school, though it’s not long before he becomes friends with the new kid for real, despite their class differences. 

The series is very vulgar, which is why it will be off-putting to some. However, it has a lot of heart too. There are several poignant moments, such as a scene in which Reece offers to read a letter that has been belatedly sent to a tearful Christopher by his late mum. Such scenes are beautifully written and bordering on heart-wrenching. These kids are hurting, despite their brash exterior. This doesn’t stop them from obsessing over body parts and making silly TikTok videos. But it’s good to know the writers of the show don’t always resort to cheap laughs to keep us invested in the programme. 

Reece and Christopher get a lot of screen time but there’s still room within the series to explore the lives of some of their classmates. These include Ted, who is gay and in one episode, forms a relationship with one of the sixth-formers. He thinks he has found his soulmate but it’s not long before he discovers his boyfriend has been cheating on him. Reece and his friends rush to his support, with a final scene of revenge against the cheating boyfriend that is brilliantly shot and creatively done. 

We also meet Aimee, whose life is turned upside down when she discovers her Elvis-impersonating father has MS. She thinks she’s alone in her family predicament but then Christopher turns up to give her the support she needs. Their scenes together provide more sweet moments which contrast nicely with the cruder scenes that exist elsewhere in the series.

If you can forgive the rude humour that runs throughout G’Wed, you’ll benefit from some very funny episodes, including one that centres around Diversity Day, in which Ted and his straight friend give a comical presentation to the school about the common ground they have found, despite their differences. That ‘common ground’ isn’t anything profound – typically, it has something to do with body parts – but their scenes are amusing, despite the crassness. 

So, if, like me, you originally sat down to watch G’Wed and were put off by the foul-mouthed humour and initially unlikeable characters, and then turned it off as a consequence, I urge you to give it another chance. It’s smarter and wittier than I expected, and occasionally quite touching too. I appreciate the series won’t be for everybody, but if you can tolerate the potty-mouthed language and constant sexual references, you’ll discover a show that is actually quite warm and charming, just like the characters themselves. 

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