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Coming of Age (2008 TV series)
Encyclopedia
For other uses, see Coming of Age (disambiguation)
Coming of Age was a British
situation comedy
written by Tim Dawson
produced in house by BBC Productions and aired on BBC Three
. The show took a direct look at five sixth form students, Jas, Ollie, Matt, Chloe and DK, as well as new character Robyn Crisp, who are living in Abingdon
. Their lives rotate around the fictional Wooton College, their bedrooms, and as they're always getting thrown out of the local pub, Ollie's garden shed. A pilot was originally aired in 2007, followed by the first series in 2008, a second in 2010, and third beginning in January 2011. The third series ended on 8 March 2011.
On 27 May 2011 it was revealed by BBC Three's Controller Zai Bennett, that the show had been axed along with fellow BBC Three Comedies How Not to Live Your Life
and Lunch Monkeys
. He explained that "They were good to the channel, but have had their time,".
, Oxfordshire
. Although the show consists of scenes recorded on location and pre-recorded studio scenes, most of the show is recorded in front of a live studio audience at BBC Television Centre
, White City, London
.
Wooton College external shots filmed at West Herts College Cassio Campus, Langley Road, Watford.
and Amy Yamazaki
, who played Ollie and Jas in the pilot, have been replaced by Ceri Phillips and Hannah Job. Also, Dani Harmer
originally played Chloe, but was replaced by Anabel Barnston. As well as new sets, the theme tune also changed, from "Steady, As She Goes
" by The Raconteurs
to a specially written piece by Birmingham band Kate Goes and Richie Webb.
(who commissioned the show) noted: “I'm delighted that Coming Of Age has been such a hit with young viewers. The writer Tim Dawson and the young cast are bright emerging stars for the BBC.”
Despite this, the show often receives a poor reaction from television critics. Writing about the first episode, The Daily Telegraph
s Culture magazine was negative: "Crudeness abounds... but neither wit nor charm has tagged along for the ride.". Meanwhile, The Scotsman
said simply: "Coming of Age may be the worst BBC Three sitcom yet. It is supposedly aimed at teenagers, but I refuse to believe that even the easiest-to-please teenager is happy to accept something so horribly written, horribly acted and horribly vulgar in lieu of actual humour." However, some have been more willing to acknowledge the sitcom’s appeal, with the British Comedy Guide conceding, “For its fans, it's a heightened reflection of their own experience of teenage years, with brilliantly absurd exchanges and sublime vulgarity to match.
Coming of Age was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
situation comedy
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
written by Tim Dawson
Tim Dawson
Tim Dawson is an English television comedy screenwriter. He is the creator and writer of BBC Threesitcom Coming of Age which was piloted in 2007 and has run for three series to date. He created Coming of Age whilst still a teenager...
produced in house by BBC Productions and aired on BBC Three
BBC Three
BBC Three is a television network from the BBC broadcasting via digital cable, terrestrial, IPTV and satellite platforms. The channel's target audience includes those in the 16-34 year old age group, and has the purpose of providing "innovative" content to younger audiences, focusing on new talent...
. The show took a direct look at five sixth form students, Jas, Ollie, Matt, Chloe and DK, as well as new character Robyn Crisp, who are living in Abingdon
Abingdon, Oxfordshire
Abingdon or archaically Abingdon-on-Thames is a market town and civil parish in Oxfordshire, England. It is the seat of the Vale of White Horse district. Previously the county town of Berkshire, Abingdon is one of several places that claim to be Britain's oldest continuously occupied town, with...
. Their lives rotate around the fictional Wooton College, their bedrooms, and as they're always getting thrown out of the local pub, Ollie's garden shed. A pilot was originally aired in 2007, followed by the first series in 2008, a second in 2010, and third beginning in January 2011. The third series ended on 8 March 2011.
On 27 May 2011 it was revealed by BBC Three's Controller Zai Bennett, that the show had been axed along with fellow BBC Three Comedies How Not to Live Your Life
How Not to Live Your Life
How Not to Live Your Life is a British sitcom, written by and starring Dan Clark, about a neurotic twenty-nine year old man who is trying to navigate his way through life but is not helped by his bad instincts. On 27 May 2011 it was announced by the new BBC Three controller Zai Bennett that the...
and Lunch Monkeys
Lunch Monkeys
Lunch Monkeys is a British situation comedy, first shown on BBC Three in 2008.-Overview:Lunch Monkeys by David Isaac is a BBC Three comedy series set in the administration department of fictional personal injury law firm Fox Cranford. The stories focus on the support staffers who work in the...
. He explained that "They were good to the channel, but have had their time,".
Recording
Coming of Age is set in AbingdonAbingdon, Oxfordshire
Abingdon or archaically Abingdon-on-Thames is a market town and civil parish in Oxfordshire, England. It is the seat of the Vale of White Horse district. Previously the county town of Berkshire, Abingdon is one of several places that claim to be Britain's oldest continuously occupied town, with...
, Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
. Although the show consists of scenes recorded on location and pre-recorded studio scenes, most of the show is recorded in front of a live studio audience at BBC Television Centre
BBC Television Centre
BBC Television Centre at White City in West London is the headquarters of BBC Television. Officially opened on 29 June 1960, it remains one of the largest to this day; having featured over the years as backdrop to many BBC programmes, it is one of the most readily recognisable such facilities...
, White City, London
White City, London
White City is a district in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, to the north of Shepherd's Bush. Today, White City is home to the BBC Television Centre and BBC White City, and Loftus Road stadium, the home of football club Queens Park Rangers FC....
.
Wooton College external shots filmed at West Herts College Cassio Campus, Langley Road, Watford.
Theme tune
The Coming of Age production joined forces with BBC Introducing (a BBC wide project that supports unsigned, undiscovered and under-the-radar artists and DJs) to find the original theme tune and sound for the show. They held a competition for 6 up-and-coming artists including Kate Goes, to write a theme tune for the show from a written specification. KateGoes won, and worked with experienced composer Richie Webb - whose credits include That Mitchell and Webb Look and Comedy Shuffle.Cast
| Actor | Character | Duration | Series | Episodes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tony Bignell Tony Bignell Tony Bignell is an English actor and singer, best known for playing Matt in BBC Three sitcom Coming of Age.-Career:... |
Matthew Cobbett (Matt) | 2007–11 | 3 | 23 |
| Joe Tracini Joe Tracini Joe Tracini is an English actor and singer, best known for his roles in BBC's comedy series Coming of Age, Boomerang's sitcom My Spy Family. and the Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks.-Career:... |
Darren Karrimore (DK) | 2007–11 | 3 | 23 |
| Hannah Job Hannah Job Hannah Job is an English actress best known for her role as Jas in the BBC Three teenage comedy series, Coming of Age. Job has appeared on television in the minor role of Mandy in the BBC Children's series ChuckleVision.-Television:-External links:*... |
Jasmine Brown (Jas) | 2008–11 | 3 | 22 |
| Ceri Phillips Ceri Phillips Ceri John Phillips is a Welsh actor, writer and stand-up comic, best known for playing Ollie in BBC Three sitcom Coming of Age.-Early life and career:... |
Oliver Sinclair (Ollie) | 2008–11 | 3 | 22 |
| Anabel Barnston Anabel Barnston Anabel Barnston is an English actress best known for her role as Chloe in the 2008 BBC Three teenage comedy series, Coming of Age.-Career:... |
Chloe Wheeler | 2008–11 | 3 | 22 |
| Ellen Thomas Ellen Thomas (actress) Ellen Thomas is an English actress who has appeared in many different television and film roles, but is perhaps best known for her recurring role in the Channel 4 Bristol-based comedy, Teachers or as Grace Olubunmi in EastEnders.-Career:... |
Principal Jane Reed | 2010–11 | 3 | 23 |
| Matthew Earley | Mr. Wilberforce De Wilde | 2010–11 | 2 | 11 |
| Minnie Crowe | Robyn Crisp | 2011 | 1 | 8 |
| Alex Kew Alex Kew Alex Kew is an actor, musician and singer-songwriter from High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire.-TV & Film:He is best known for playing Josh Barker in the children's sitcom My Parents Are Aliens. He has also played a variety of other parts, most notably Declan in the final series of 2point4 children... |
Oliver Sinclair (Ollie) | 2007 | Pilot | 1 |
| Amy Yamazaki Amy Yamazaki Amy Yamazaki is a British actress best known for her portrayal of Charlotte Lau in the long-running Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks.-Career:... |
Jasmine Brown (Jas) | 2007 | Pilot | 1 |
| Dani Harmer Dani Harmer Danielle Jane "Dani" Harmer is an English television actress and singer. Harmer is best known as the title character in the UK television programme The Story of Tracy Beaker/Tracy Beaker Returns, and as Molly Venables in the BBC sitcom After You've Gone... |
Chloe Wheeler | 2007 | Pilot | 1 |
Episodes
There have been 23 episodes of Coming of Age broadcast so far. There are number of differences between the pilot and the subsequent series. Most notably, Alex KewAlex Kew
Alex Kew is an actor, musician and singer-songwriter from High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire.-TV & Film:He is best known for playing Josh Barker in the children's sitcom My Parents Are Aliens. He has also played a variety of other parts, most notably Declan in the final series of 2point4 children...
and Amy Yamazaki
Amy Yamazaki
Amy Yamazaki is a British actress best known for her portrayal of Charlotte Lau in the long-running Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks.-Career:...
, who played Ollie and Jas in the pilot, have been replaced by Ceri Phillips and Hannah Job. Also, Dani Harmer
Dani Harmer
Danielle Jane "Dani" Harmer is an English television actress and singer. Harmer is best known as the title character in the UK television programme The Story of Tracy Beaker/Tracy Beaker Returns, and as Molly Venables in the BBC sitcom After You've Gone...
originally played Chloe, but was replaced by Anabel Barnston. As well as new sets, the theme tune also changed, from "Steady, As She Goes
Steady, As She Goes
"Steady, As She Goes" is the debut single by the rock band The Raconteurs from their first album Broken Boy Soldiers. It has also been covered by such artists as Corinne Bailey Rae for BBC Radio 1's Live lounge....
" by The Raconteurs
The Raconteurs
The Raconteurs is an American rock band that was formed in Detroit, Michigan, featuring four members known for other musical projects: Jack White , Brendan Benson , Jack Lawrence , and Patrick Keeler .-Formation:The...
to a specially written piece by Birmingham band Kate Goes and Richie Webb.
Reception
The show proved enormously popular with its target audience from the beginning, with Series 1 enjoying an average weekly reach of 1.2 million, and each episode appearing in the top 10 requested programmes on BBC iPlayer the day following transmission. Series 2 built on this success, with the first episode premiering to 719, 000 viewers. BBC Three controller Danny CohenDanny Cohen
Danny Cohen is the current Controller of BBC One, the BBC's flagship television channel in the United Kingdom. He is the youngest person to be appointed as Controller of the channel.- Education :...
(who commissioned the show) noted: “I'm delighted that Coming Of Age has been such a hit with young viewers. The writer Tim Dawson and the young cast are bright emerging stars for the BBC.”
Despite this, the show often receives a poor reaction from television critics. Writing about the first episode, The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
s Culture magazine was negative: "Crudeness abounds... but neither wit nor charm has tagged along for the ride.". Meanwhile, The Scotsman
The Scotsman
The Scotsman is a British newspaper, published in Edinburgh.As of August 2011 it had an audited circulation of 38,423, down from about 100,000 in the 1980s....
said simply: "Coming of Age may be the worst BBC Three sitcom yet. It is supposedly aimed at teenagers, but I refuse to believe that even the easiest-to-please teenager is happy to accept something so horribly written, horribly acted and horribly vulgar in lieu of actual humour." However, some have been more willing to acknowledge the sitcom’s appeal, with the British Comedy Guide conceding, “For its fans, it's a heightened reflection of their own experience of teenage years, with brilliantly absurd exchanges and sublime vulgarity to match.
DVD releases
Series 1 was released on DVD 26th October 2009. Since then there have been no further releases and the show has now finished.DVD releases
| Release name | UK release date (region 2) |
Australian release date (region 4) |
North American release date (region 1) |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Series 1 Also includes "Pilot" |
26 October 2009 | N/A | N/A | Despite being filmed in HD no blu-ray release. |
| Series 2 | N/A | N/A | N/A | Despite being filmed in HD no blu-ray release. |
| Series 3 | N/A | N/A | N/A | Despite being filmed in HD no blu-ray release. |