That’s the genius of comedian and writer Jack Rooke. It’s the secret language smuggled into this sprightly coming-of-age Channel 4 comedy, partly because of when and where the show is set – at a university on the outskirts of London in the autumn of 2013 – but primarily because it’s the vocabulary of being queer and online in the 21st century. And that a pet goldfish isn’t named after the This Morning presenter Alison Hammond for the sake of it, but because Hammond is an adored gay icon and inspirational beacon of positivity who once played Connect 4 with Beyoncé. That River Island shirts once served as code for the chronically uninspiring. It’s a show that expects its audience to remember the specific Visa-related woes of 2010 X Factor contestant Gamu Nhengu. Big Boys is a show that refuses to over-explain.
