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We are the creators of The Inbetweeners – ask us anything!
EDIT 3: We've answered a few of the more unusual questions way down the thread, hope you enjoy. Signing off again for now, thanks for having us, Reddit!
EDIT 2: Going to do some more now, thanks for your patience!
EDIT: Really sorry, we have to head off now, but will be back later today or tomorrow to answer as much as we can, especially top voted. This was really good fun, thanks for your questions.
Hey Reddit. Damon Beesley and Iain Morris here. We used to be comedy commissioners at UK broadcaster Channel 4, and then we created the UK TV comedy The Inbetweeners and The Inbetweeners Movie. The sequel, Inbetweeners 2, is out now in the UK. We’ve also written for Flight of the Conchords and script edited Peep Show. Ask us anything. (We have Catherine from Film4 typing for us because there are two of us, but these are our answers)
Proof: https://twitter.com/iainkevanmorris/status/495263913345560576
InbetweenersMakers700 karma
Damon: Chances are high.
Iain: By posting this on Reddit you automatically forfeit all rights to this idea. Consider it done.
theorangestreak353 karma
Sequel wankers.
Flash forward 10-15 years. If we popped back in on the lads, where would you two like to see them in life (which may be different than where you actually think they’d end up)?
Also, I want to hear this story about you two coaxing Joe Thomas into using his actual erect penis for a nude scene.
Thanks for all the laughs, Iain and Damon.
InbetweenersMakers261 karma
Iain: The erect penis story is too long to tell. In the end he didn't use his erect penis.
Damon: But he would have.
Iain: The key thing is that in 15 years they're all going to turn out as alright human beings. They're nice boys, with a bit more life behind them they're going to be alright.
Gamer9131251 karma
Where did the idea for "BUS WANKERS" come from? Jay's personality? And, where did the idea for the show itself come from.
InbetweenersMakers580 karma
Damon: A friend of mine was queueing for a bus in Bromley which is in Kent, and some youths drove by and called him a bus wanker. The foul mouthed comic geniuses.
ieuano179 karma
If your daughter brought one of the boys back to the house to meet you, as a parent, which one would you want her to choose?
InbetweenersMakers34 karma
iain: i'd say none of them. you'd think Simon, but truth is there's a darkness in there. i think Will would want to please you, but i'd be upset if my fictional daughter brought back someone that much like me. (beta)
MLeader162 karma
Can you PLEASE settle this once and for all for me: What is an 'inbetweener'?
Also... What are your top 5 British comedies? Film or TV.
InbetweenersMakers424 karma
Iain: They're not cool, they're not geeks, they're in-between.
Damon: 1. Fawlty Towers 2. The Office (UK) 3. I'm Alan Partridge 4. The Ali G Show 5. Peep Show 6. The last series of Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle 7. Blackadder
JT11192125 karma
Hi, how are you both? I've been following the Inbetweeners journey from the very first series and much of it coincided with what i was doing at the time, e.g. A-levels, going off to uni etc. I'm looking forward to seeing the new film, and just want to say thank-you, and all the best. Jordan.
InbetweenersMakers325 karma
Iain: We weren't that involved in the creative process, although I did direct the last episode.
Damon: So quite involved.
Iain: No, because I turned up for two weeks…
Damon: …and phoned it in.
Iain: No, but the directors were great, and the actors were great. Do I watch it myself? No. Do I wish it had been better? Yes.
IspamObjection117 karma
Fairly simple question from me.
Favorite episode of The Inbetweeners and why?
InbetweenersMakers285 karma
Iain: There's three I like, but you do yours.
Damon: We're both going to say the same one. Will's birthday. Patrice. Paedos.
Iain: I really like trip to Warwick. Jay's "If she fucks like she complains, you're in for a treat." And Field Trip.
Damon: Bunk Off's the first thing we ever wrote. So that has a special place in my heart.
dalybear111 karma
How would you feel about an American from Reddit asking for a cameo in Inbetweeners 3??
InbetweenersMakers452 karma
Iain: I'll guarantee you a part in it because it's never going to happen.
InbetweenersMakers451 karma
Iain: They're both insanely funny, is the annoying truth.
Damon: Karl Pilkington.
cmjmurphy85 karma
How did the writing process go about? Some scenes are so funny and crude that it's hard to think someone had the balls to put it on tv!
InbetweenersMakers205 karma
Iain: Channel 4 were incredibly supportive, right from the start. If anything they pushed us to do whatever we wanted. Damon's gone for a wee by the way. He last had a wee 30 minutes ago, I'm not even joking. He has a bladder issue.
nycerine65 karma
How was it to work with Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement? They (flight of the conchords) seem somewhat different comedy-wise compared to The Inbetweeners.
InbetweenersMakers91 karma
Iain: When we did work with them, they were amazing. They're friends who we think are hilarious. Bret sang a song at my wedding.
Damon: I sang the song as well, with Bret. But he never mentions that. It was James Bobin and I were joint best men. Hedging his bets. And it was James' idea to write a song in honour of Iain Morris's impending marriage. And Bret performed it with us. I don't think there's video evidence.
Iain: There is! My friend Joe has it.
Damon: So it was like being a member of Flight of the Conchords for about three minutes. I like Jemaine, but that line up had real potential.
nycerine11 karma
Thanks for the reply!
Iain: There is! My friend Joe has it.
I'm sure heeps of people would love to see that, but I can see how that'd be a little bit too much of an invasion of privacy.
InbetweenersMakers34 karma
Iain: If I find it, I'll put it up somewhere. There's no such thing as privacy these.
hard5tyle64 karma
Were many of the embarrassing stories from the inbetweeners based on personal experiences?
Which was the worst?
InbetweenersMakers519 karma
Iain: For me it was probably when Will tries to lose his virginity to Charlotte. Or accidentally insulting people with Down's Syndrome on a rollercoater, both of which I did.
Damon: Mine was getting a hand job at an under 18 disco on the side of the dance floor.
Iain: When you were 35.
guy_mcfly64 karma
So I heard you guys shot parts of inbetweeners 2 in South Australia, how did you go against drop bears?
InbetweenersMakers139 karma
Iain: Jay knocks out a drop bear in the film.
Damon: Joe Thomas fell for the drop bear hoax for only the second time in his life.
ken_new59 karma
Was the pilot for the series called "Baggy Trousers" and you auditioned it in Edinburgh? My friend went up for it and I think he mentioned that it eventually became the inbetweeners. Spoiler alert - he did not get it.
InbetweenersMakers116 karma
Iain: Correct, he did not.
Damon: Was he the security guard at the hotel where we did the auditions who accidentally auditioned? He got dragged in by our over-keen producer and then realised he was in an audition. Rather than admit the mistake, he read for the part of Simon. And that man is Joe Thomas! He's not.
joe14c52 karma
Hi Iain & Damon! Why did you decide to take the boys to Australia this time around? Was there ever any plans to follow their lives back in England ?
InbetweenersMakers105 karma
Iain: Because it felt like the kind of place that Jay would go for a gap year. And it felt like the kind of place that Neil and Simon would like to go for a gap year, it's not got that poshness one associates with gaps years in South East Asia or India.
MrUnderlay43 karma
Of all the scenes that you have included in the Inbetweeners TV series, which was the biggest laugh at trying to set up?
InbetweenersMakers158 karma
Iain: Joe in the boat when he stood up with a sock on his penis, I thought I was going to die. I was a mess. It was freezing cold, he was soaking wet, and then the final humiliation.
Damon: Also that day, James Buckley had to set the flare off, despite being given an extensive safety talk, which he basically ignored, he almost blew his own head off, before firing the flare horizontally like a bazooka down Littlehampton harbour.
InbetweenersMakers88 karma
Damin: We had to stop because he's very sensitive and he used to cry.
Iain: I don't think we bullied him. We're all very good friends and had a laugh.
MillieMouse42 karma
I am a huge fan of the series, favorite character Mr.Gilbert , I assume that these tales have some reference to your school days, so which of you inspires each character ? and was there a Mr.Gilbert like teacher ?
InbetweenersMakers48 karma
Iain: Just teachers we knew and imagining how they would like to speak to us if they could. I had a teacher called Mr Simms, who was probably the funniest man I've ever met.
Beeslo41 karma
Damon. My last name is Beesley. Is our spelling of our glorious last name more common in the UK? Here in the US, most people spell it Beasley (the heathens!). Also, do you want to get together for a family BBQ as we are surely related. ;)
InbetweenersMakers150 karma
DAMON: it's not very common in the UK either. we could be related. IAIN: it's not common, but it is 'common'.
Blepharospasm41 karma
How on earth have you managed to get the actors to agree to all the shit you put them through over the years?
Seriously...
InbetweenersMakers85 karma
iain: joe thomas is the easiest
damon: joe says yes to anything.
InbetweenersMakers73 karma
damon: he's like the manchurian candidate but you don't have to hypnotise him
DrFucktardPhD40 karma
Considering the large following in North America, why was it decided not to release the sequel across the pond?
InbetweenersMakers76 karma
Iain: No-one watched the first one in the cinemas. So we've got to work out another way to do it, which we will.
InbetweenersMakers51 karma
iain: we're working on it. where are you in the states? i'll be in montana in two weeks.
InbetweenersMakers43 karma
Iain: Yes. I was drinking with him last night tip 1 in the morning trying to keep his wandering hands off me.
chiwawa09029 karma
Has there been any drama or any big issues between the actors? or between you and the actors?
InbetweenersMakers55 karma
iain: no. we honestly all get along very well. they are very funny gits.
Awkwardsam29 karma
How was it coming up with material for the new movie (not seen it yet unfortunately) compared with the first? Was it more difficult or was it easier as you're used to that kind of humour?
Also do the actors have any input in content or anything?
Can't wait to see the new one I've heard it's even funnier than the first!
InbetweenersMakers51 karma
Iain: We spent a long time thinking about where to set it. We had far too much material. When we first showed it to Film4 the first draft was about 200 pages. The actors do have input. They read it and say what they like and don't like and sometimes we listen to them.
Damon: This time there's a little bit of improvisation that's made it in. In general we've not done a lot of improv. Because as a test in the first series we asked them to do some improv and it was just so disastrous we thought let's just stick to the script.
Awkwardsam11 karma
I would have thought they'd be great at improv!
But thanks for the reply!
InbetweenersMakers44 karma
damon: they are, just not so much in character. they are four very very funny youngish men,.
InbetweenersMakers99 karma
Iian: We only really coined "bumder". I don't think that's made it into popular usage, thank god. It's not as if the world hasn't got enough homophobic slurs.
moosebrah27 karma
Do you ever wish you had never created the Inbetweeners? Are there bits of the show you look back on and think "what the f**k was I thinking there?"?
InbetweenersMakers72 karma
Iain: Yes.
Damon: Yes. It's all quite weird, isn't it?
Iain: Also because a lot of it happened in real life, it's more painful than you could imagine to look back.
Damon: It is a bit like watching a well produced home video of your life. You forget almost that it's actors playing a role because you know these events so well.
stannny27 karma
Hi guys, thanks for taking time to do this AMA.
With regards to the first movie, the girls you picked to match the boys were incredibly well done, especially Lisa for Neil. Was it a tough process to find the perfect actors for these roles?
InbetweenersMakers35 karma
Iain: We're pretty thorough on casting. All the girls were brilliant, they all went through an exhaustive casting process and they're all doing really well now. Jessica Knappett has a series, Drifters.
joedude2025 karma
Hey, Did you have a direct input into the inbetweeners 2?, i must ask who came up with the 'poo scene' and were you influenced by Kevin & Perry Go Large?
Also what have you written for FOTC i'm a massive fan :)
InbetweenersMakers38 karma
Iain: For Flight of the Conchords, we wrote The Actor in series 1. and Unnatural Love in series 2 where Jemaine gets an Australian girlfriend. And I also came up with the name of the toothpaste for women, Femident.
InbetweenersMakers28 karma
Iain: 2. We thought of the poo scene together. 3. We had forgotten about Kevin and Perry until we were reminded about it by Harry Enfield at a preview screening.
joedude2013 karma
The poo scene made me genuinely cry with laughter as with everyone else I watched with, well done absolutely brilliant film!
InbetweenersMakers55 karma
Iain: That's incredibly nice to hear, thank you so much.
Damon: Spoilerwanker.
Horse324 karma
Hi guys big fan of your work, how do you feel about sharing the names of the two characters in Extras?
InbetweenersMakers30 karma
Iain: I thought it was funny actually.
Damon: Incredibly honoured.
suplauren23 karma
What do you think a female version of the Inbetweeners group would be like?
InbetweenersMakers76 karma
iain: i need some sleep, but then we're taking the film to australia. damon: PS4, fifa 15
InbetweenersMakers66 karma
Iain: Fishpunch. Easy. Joe slapping his cock is pretty good as well, to be fair.
Damon: Weirdly, I like the scene where they stop at a petrol station on the way to caravan club, and where Simon gets a hand job on the side of the dance floor.
InbetweenersMakers31 karma
iain: if you read the actors interviews you will see that they have no respect for us. we are the wrong people to ask.
TehPerfessor8 karma
Reddit friend! What inspired the "car friend?" Bit? I nearly die laughing every time I watch it!
InbetweenersMakers6 karma
iain: true story, happened to damon. they wound up a mate of his about his new 'friend' until to prove he wasn't a 'friend' he jumped on the guy's car. we love that people love 'friend' because on paper it wasn't the easiest sell, but if you have mates like that it makes sense.
Redwinevino1 karma
Hello and thank you for doing the AMA,
Do you think there is ever a chance of more Flight of the Conchords happening?
Honest_Joseph-1 karma
Hey guys, I'm a big fan of FOTC. It was a huge influence on my sense of humor.
Will you help a struggling writer out and read my script for an original sitcom?
InbetweenersMakers4 karma
Damon: Absolutely not.
Iain: There's a great Harry Hill joke where when young stand ups would ask him for advice on how to get to where he is, he'd say "there's a book, and that book is the Bible and you should read it cover to cover. It doesn't stop them, but it slows them down." But seriously good luck. You could try sending it to Bwark and someone will probably read it.
Neoor567 karma
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