It’s the perfect time to look at television programs that focus on students as Freshers arrive at university for their first week away. Relive your university days on the TV with Fresh Meat, The Young Ones, and Bad Education to Clique
Ah, student life. Everybody has a story. Although these times are long gone and the worries that we had: how to be in time for the first class and how to pay for college papers are behind us, there is always something to remember with love.
Instead of boring you with my woes-is-me stories, I’m here for television talk: in this instance, 10 shows that are focused on student life.
These 10 shows will help you relive the glory days when you learned how to boil eggs by yourself.
If you have never been a student, I would suggest Fresh Meat as an option.
All about student life on TV with the best topic idea:
Fresh Meat (Channel 4, 2011-2016)
This was Jack Whitehall’s first acting role. Fresh Meat was the name of six freshmen – except Howard, who are all students at Manchester Medlock University. The comedy-drama was created by Sam Bain and Jesse Armstrong – who also co-created Peep Show. It focused on their lives, as they live in a house far from campus. Many student-related topics were discussed, including financial and work pressures, job searching, exam stress, and job hunting. The variety of cast was praised. The series itself was hilarious and able to detail all the drama of uni life up until its conclusion in 2016. This left a gap Fresh Meat-sized in our lives and students with no job prospects and crippling debt.
Head Of The Class, HBO Max (2021)
Similar to the 1986 ABC sitcom, HBO Max’s head of the Class reboot follows the story of a group of high-achieving students at Meadows Creek High School, whose lives are turned upside-down when a new teacher, Alicia Gomez (played by Isabella Gomez, One day at a time star) arrives.
Honors debate class’s overachieving geniuses now need to learn how to live with a teacher who focuses on living and experiencing life rather than getting straight A’s.
The Young Ones, BBC2, 1982-1984
Our previous entry was inspired by The Young Ones, which featured four undergraduate students living in a house. Ben Elton and Rik Mayall created The Young Ones. They featured a punk medical student who was a conscientious wannabe anarchist, a paranoid hippie peace student, and a charming, suave underground mob boss. It was diverse, we can safely say. It was considered the first comedy of the alternative generation, which sounds exactly like Rik would say. The Young Ones used violence, physical foulness, and blood sex as part of their arsenal. You may also find some pub trivia in it: The title refers to the song of that name, written by Sid Tepper, Roy C. Bennett, and sung by Cliff Richard, The Shadows, and which reached #1. The show’s creators licensed it in 1986 to make it a PC video game.
Clique (BBC3, 2017-Present)
Clique, a slick and impressive thriller, takes us away from the comedy to an eerie Edinburgh. Clique is about Georgia and Holly, childhood friends who are starting university. Holly is pushed to the sidelines when Georgia is pulled into an elite clique made up of alpha girls. Holly is left behind. Holly decides to join Georgia’s party, only to find a world full of corruption, danger, and erraticism. It was written by Jess Britain, who also has Skins on the resume. It focuses on friendships as well as the dark side of youth. The first series was a great success, and a second series is planned. If empty nesters want to be closer to their university kids, this is not the series for them.
Unskilled Education (BBC3, 2012-2014)
In this next entry, Jack Whitehall plays the role of Alfie Wickers, a young teacher. Wickers was not the greatest teacher, but he had a mix of students, from Joe the teacher to the wheelchair-bound Rem Dog to the inexplicably flirtatious Chantelle. It was even adapted for the big screen.
Big Bad World (Comedy Central UK 2013, 2013)
Blake Harrison, Neil from the Inbetweeners, is a Norse Literature graduate who returned home to Great Yarmouth. The title refers to what happens after graduation and how you make your way in the world. Big Bad World received some decent reviews despite only eight episodes. It was filmed entirely in Ramsgate. Yarmouth and Norwich were also used.
Community (NBC and Yahoo! Screen, 2009-2015)
The pond is home to Community. This community college, which according to the internet, is basically a university with fewer courses, was created based on Dan Harmon’s personal experiences attending a college. After it was revealed that Jeff Winger lied about having a Columbia University bachelor’s degree, the law firm suspended him, and he was forced to enroll at Greendale Community College in order to get a real one. The first season sees Jeff form a study group, which is your typical misfit group. Misadventures ensue. Community boasts an impressive cast, Harmon said 95% of the work involved in putting it together. This includes Chevy Chase, Alison Brie, Donald Glover, and Joel McHale. It was also praised for its writing and acting skills.
Skins (E4, 2007,-2013)
Skins is the most famous student drama in this country. It took viewers to Bristol to see the lives of a group of teenagers as they navigate their way through Sixth Form. The show explored many storylines, including dysfunctional families, bullying, suicide, gender, and mental illness. Each episode switched the focus from one character to the next, which proved to be huge ratings and critical success. Skins’ teens were impossibly beautiful and hedonistic, which propelled the show to new heights.
The Inbetweeners, E4, 2008-2010)
What is it like being a teenage boy? Jay, Simon, Neil, and Neil faced a host of problems while trying to navigate life as students. The Inbetweeners made it to the big screen with two movies. Although the format did not age well, the episodes that were good were very good. You can see Neil punching a fish.
HIT, La 1 (2020 – present)
Last but not least, HIT, a Spanish drama series is set at a fictional high school in Madrid, Spain, called Instituto Anna Frank.
Tensions are rising at the school, with students locked in an apparent constant struggle with one another.
If the school is to be kept open, this must stop. Ester hired Hugo Ibarra Toledo (whose initials form part of the series’ acronym title), a controversial man whose methods were definitely not standard.
He chooses a group with particular problems, and each episode of HIT focuses on common high school issues such as bullying and isolation, violence and addiction, as well as the lack of support for teachers.