The Inbetweeners is loved for its cringeworthy humor, and capturing the trials and tribulations of awkward teenage years.
But the creators have deemed the show’s original, unaired pilot episode TOO cringeworthy even for fans.
The Inbetweeners has had scenes from its pilot leaked online[/caption]
The episode was never aired publicly[/caption]
James Buckley has slated the pilot and is glad it never got a wider release[/caption]
After clips of it surfaced online recently, fans finally got a sneak peek at this elusive episode, despite show bosses hoping it would stay buried.
When Baggy Trousers was filmed, the concept for The Inbetweeners was very different.
Only two stars made it from the pilot to the show we know it today: James Buckley, who famously became Jay, and Greg Davies who plays Mr Gilbert.
James, who owns one of the only complete copies of the pilot, has been vocal about his reluctance to ever let the entire episode see the light of day.
He even posted an apology on social media after snippets from Baggy Trousers appeared in an anniversary episode of the sitcom, Fwends Reunited.
The hasty filming of the original pilot meant Jeff and the rest of the cast were unprepared for the darker humor that would later define the series.
In Fwends Reunited, Jeff described the rushed production process and admitted to regretting how those early scenes turned out.
While the full pilot remains elusive, a 58-second clip recently emerged on Reddit, sparking a mixed reaction from fans.
Some called it “f*****g dreadful,” with one fan concluding it was “the right choice” not to air the episode.
Someone even joked that it “looks like something that would be on CBBC”.
However, others have been more forgiving.
“I guess this is what unaired pilots are for,” said one fan, who went on to point out that shows like Star Trek and Game of Thrones also refined their casting as the shows progressed.
The casting choices in Baggy Trousers left fans particularly baffled.
One shocked viewer exclaimed: “Mysti from The Mysti Show was going to play Carly?!”
Another, after seeing James Buckley momentarily attempt to portray Neil, was “glad” he didn’t continue in that role.
Fans generally agreed that the chemistry was off compared to the main cast that eventually brought The Inbetweeners to life, with one noting: “Crazy how good the actual cast is chemistry-wise.”
The cast of the sitcom changed significantly after Baggy Trousers[/caption]
