Jack Whitehall

Bad Education review: Young Whitehall shows promise

There was certainly pressure on Jack Whitehall to deliver and with a backdrop as familiar as a secondary school there was a real chance that Bad Education would fail. Fortunately, it's a triumph with believable characters and just enough one-liners to ensure it remains pacey and laugh-out-loud funny.

Fresh Meat's Jack Whitehall goes back to school in this buzzing new sitcom, this time as a teacher. Not that you would want your kids in his charge, of course. Distractions such as the newly single biology teacher (Him & Her's Sarah Solemani) are enough to stop him from doing anything sensible, like, say, marking mock exam papers.

A good first day of term for this new school-set sitcom, the second to launch tonight alongside Sky Living's Gates. Bad Education sees Jack Whitehall casting himself as a flaky loser teaching in a state school, juggling the usual array of tricky students, a ball-busting headmistress (Michelle Gomez), and colleagues both unattainable (Sarah Solemani) and berkish (the brilliant Mat Horne, having a ball). Post-Fresh Meat, Whitehall's on a hot streak, and no mistake.

No school comedy would be complete without an excruciating sex education class and Jack Whitehall doesn't disappoint. As hapless history teacher Mr Wickers he wriggles and squirms and clearly yearns to crawl under a desk away from the pitying gaze of his worldly-wise pupils. The only person more immature is the head (Mathew Horne in a hilariously hideous wig) who befuddles his staff and enrages parents with his senseless slang. There hasn't been a sitcom this masterfully puerile since The Inbetweeners.

Having shown surprising acting chops in Fresh Meat, Jack Whitehall is a man presently in search of a worthy vehicle. In Bad Education - which he also writes - Whitehall stars as feckless, perpetually hungover teacher Alfie Wickers. His pursuit of the concerned, competent Rosie (Sarah Solemani) sees him spin a web of deceit in this opening episode, which concludes at parents' evening. It's funny and occasionally in creditably poor taste, but you get the feeling that Whitehall's phoning it in somewhat.

Jack Whitehall on his Bad Education

"Mr Wickers is a knob, but a knob in a loveable way, I hope... He is quite immature and a bit of a man-child, so I think he is a heightened version of myself in some ways"

More school-based humour as comedian Jack Whitehall stars as a hapless teacher straight out of training college in this infectious new comedy. Alfie (Whitehall) seems to have more in common with his pupils - who treat him with both affection and derision - than his fellow teachers. With a fierce deputy headmistress (Michelle Gomez) forever looking for an excuse to fire Alfie, it's just as well that the bonkers headmaster (Mathew Horne) is more tolerant. Alfie's chief quest, however, is to go on a date with the biology teacher (Sarah Solemani).

A gangly fellow slouches into the playground. "Every morning - off!" barks teacher Michelle Gomez, yanking at his hoodie. But this is a teacher too: Jack Whitehall, so funny in Fresh Meat, who's written this school-set comedy, which will hopefully be his own star vehicle. Good to see Gomez back and also Sarah Solemani from Him & Her, who plays another teacher.

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