28 September 2026
Joe Thomas and James Buckley hit the road for a new four-part comedy travelogue exploring how to (and not to) be a grown up.
Now a little bit older, but not necessarily any wiser, best mates Joe Thomas and James Buckley - who first hit our screens as Simon and Jay in The Inbetweeners - are back on Channel 4 and on a mission to work out how adulting works and how exactly you make the most of midlife without a crisis.
Joe recently entered his 40s and James is joining him there next year, so they’re embarking on an epic-ish journey to figure out what that means and what’s acceptable for them to be doing now they’re ‘grown up’. Who should and shouldn’t they be hanging out with and where can and can’t they go?
With very different approaches to life, Joe with a more introspective and esoteric view versus James who takes a more straight-talking, no-nonsense approach, the pair will embark on a road-trip full of funny and unconventional adventures as they search for people and experiences that might give them some answers to their big (mid) life questions.
Vivienne Molokwu, Commissioning Editor, Channel 4, said, “Whether you rewatch an ep of The Inbetweeners or catch them on their hilarious podcast, the chemistry between Joe and James is undeniable. Their genuine friendship and different perspectives on life make them both engaging and entertaining so I can’t wait to see them explore the very modern question of what to do when you’re too old to be young but too young to be old.”
Will Macdonald, Idle Industries, said, “As someone who could quite frankly watch Joe and James decide which takeaway to order, the thought of seeing them set off in a small car to get answers to big existential questions, and crack the meaning of midulthood is nothing short of thrilling. And hilarious.”
Joe and James: Boys to Men is a four-part series made by Idle Industries in conjunction with Fudge Park for Channel 4. Executive Producers are Will Macdonald and Damon Beesley.
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