Ade Oyefeso

Visage's new-romantic anthem Fade To Grey gets a surprising new lease of life in this fresh eight-part comedy drama that follows the fortunes of two teenage lads in south London. Both believe their future lies in music but with the arrival of their GCSE results, it looks as if best mates Yemi (Ade Oyefeso) and Jay (Calvin Demba) may be headed for different paths. With adult responsibilities kicking in, it's down to cult internet comedy trio Mandem On The Wall, outside chillin' on their wall, to share with us the joys of the University of Life.

That dreadful word "urban" will most likely be used to describe this series about two friends dreaming of making it in the music business.

Yes, it's set on an estate in south London but so was The Bill and that was never described as urban. Yet, despite the lazy shorthand, it lets you know exactly what you're going to get. It treads a well-worn path of tropes such as studious Yemi (Ade Oyefeso) being pulled by swaggering Jay (Calvin Demba) into undesirable situations. Thankfully it doesn't try hard to be gritty, but it's a bit flat.

Dramas about kids on council estates are fast becoming a tired template, especially with films such as Attack the Block, Ill Manors and Fish Tank having set the bar so high. However, this new show set in southeast London just about holds the interest. Teenage producer and MC duo Yemi (Ade Oyefeso) and Jay (Calvin Demba) have received their GCSE results, which predictably fall at opposite ends of the spectrum. Yemi has gained a scholarship with all-As, but Jay is doomed to a life in his dad's business with a big fat fail. Unless, of course, a battle-of-the-bands style competition can change the course of their lives.

As first episodes go, it's a slow-burner pepped up by appearances from the YouTube smashes Mandem On The Wall, who quite literally sit on a wall offering their two cents like the crows in Dumbo. But there's a certain charm to Yemi and Jay's friendship that keeps you egging them on. It's not mind-blowing, but worth 30 minutes of your time.

The premise of E4 taking on homegrown hip-hop could invoke visions of the occasional cringe-inducing rap scenes from Glee. Thankfully, Youngers is considerably smarter: the show follows Peckham teenagers Yemiu, Jay and Davina (newcomers Ade Oyefeso, Calvin Demba and Shavani Seth) trying to follow the likes of Tinie Tempah and Dizzee Rascal into the music business. Add in the inclusion of local MCs in the club scenes and with a merciful lack of awkward faux-yoof dialogue, Youngers is much more than 8 Mile-On-Thames.