Hello everyone, welcome back! After what feels like one of the longest summers ever, September has FINALLY arrived, signalling the start of a new academic year for many kids and students across the UK. Starting back at school after the holidays was one of my favourite times – catching up with your mates after six weeks away, showing off all your new stationery and folders you bought and making brand new notes on the interesting topics you’ll be learning about. However, if you’re an unemployed grad like me, September seems to blend into the rest of the months and doesn’t feel as significant as it used to be. So, I’ve selected my top ten back-to-school TV shows and films that will re-live some of those glory days without leaving the sofa, reminiscing on that all-too familiar feeling of being back in the classroom.
10) Dead Poets Society (1989)
Peter Weir’s dramatic masterpiece is one of the more emotional and touching tributes to schooling life and has become the perfect ode to the late, great legend himself, Robin Williams. Williams plays an eccentric English teacher at a private boarding school for boys, inspiring his pupils through the medium of poetry to have more confidence in themselves and to not be afraid of who they are, turning your bog-standard English lesson into something rousing, motivational and downright unforgettable. You’ll begin to see each student’s personality shine through as the plot progresses and combined with the stunning backdrop of rural America and the heart-warming dialogue, the film has truly captured the hearts and minds of viewers for many years and will still be loved for generations to come.
9) Bad Education (2012-2014)
Before his astronomical rise to fame, Jack Whitehall burst onto BBC Three in Bad Education – a hilarious parody about the life of a schoolteacher at a slightly dodgy British comprehensive, chock-full of stereotypes and standout characters that will make you roll on the floor laughing. Whitehall stars as Alfie Wickers, a newly-graduated history teacher who has trouble disciplining his unruly, mismatched class and often resorts to sharp, witty banter to connect with them. Full of oddball characters like deputy headmistress Isobel Pickwell (Michelle Gomez) and headmaster Shaquille Fraser (Matthew Horne), this show has a fabulous blend of sarcastic humour and slapstick gags that will cater to all comedy tastes.
8) Easy A (2010)
Set in the sunny town of Ojai, California, this coming-of-age rework of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter is still incredibly popular and is one of my go-to’s for an easy, funny hangover film. Starring Stanley Tucci, Penn Badgley, Amanda Bynes and Emma Stone in her first lead role, the film follows high school student Olive as she deals with a callous rumour about her virginity that quickly turns into a huge scandal and becomes tricky to get out of. The film brilliantly reflects the themes seen in Hawthorne’s novel, including hypocrisy, social conformity and humiliation, and cleverly showcases all the gossip and drama that comes with being a teenager. However, it also touches upon the feelgood and warmth factor, striking a perfect balance that keeps viewers watching it over and over again.
7) Superbad (2007)
If Superbad were released in 2020, I don’t think it would enter on my radar as a film to go and watch. But for some reason, the intense and almost overbearing American humour that bounces between Jonah Hill, Michael Cera and Christopher Mintz-Plasse is hilarious yet charming enough to be loved by myself and countless others, earning its place as one of the best high school comedies of all time. The film follows three seniors as they finish high-school and attempt to become ‘cool’ (aka buying booze and losing their virginities) before going off to college, and it’s safe to say they end up in some pretty tricky situations. This is a classic Judd Apatow production that often highlights the plight of the underdogs, similar to that of his hit films The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Knocked Up, and considering it’s based on Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s own high school experiences, you know you’re in for a laugh-out-loud, stoner-esque film that features iconic scenes and dialogue, cementing its place in contemporary popular culture.
6) Wild Child (2008)
Alongside St. Trinian’s and Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging, Wild Child completes the holy trinity of British teen girl films that defined the childhoods of many. But as iconic as the other films are, Wild Child takes my top spot – and for great reason. Chick-flick queen Emma Roberts stars as Poppy, a rich, spoilt Cali girl who is sent away to boarding school in the UK by her father and struggles to fit in with the disciplinarian regime, but soon forms strong friendships with her roommates whilst catching the attention of the headmistress’s son. Featuring Juno Temple, Alex Pettyfer, and Kimberley Nixon, this classic teen film is full of quirky girly gags, hilarious scenes and some shocking plot twists that makes the boarding school experience look like a LOT of fun!
5) School of Rock (2003)
I can’t quite believe this film is nearly SEVENTEEN years old (and truly shows my age!), but as a staple film of my childhood, its legendary status has earned its place in the top five. The film follows Jack Black’s iconic character Dewey Finn, a struggling musician who pretends to be a teacher at the local school to earn some rent money and ends up entering into a Battle of the Bands contest with the talented schoolkids he befriends. Including an all-star cast featuring Joan Cusack, Sarah Silverman, and Miranda Cosgrove, the film is full of slapstick gags that’ll tickle the funny bones of kids and adults alike, accompanied by an impeccable soundtrack compiled of various classic rock bangers that’ll make you WISH Jack Black was your cool music teacher.
4) Fresh Meat (2011-2016)
If anyone wants to experience a dramatic, almost stereotypical interpretation of the lives of UK uni students, then look no further than Fresh Meat. The show follows six students who all attend the fictional Manchester Medlock university and end up thrust together in a very large (and frankly unrealistic) student house, fending for themselves within the chaotic student bubble. Each character is an archetype of students you’ll see regularly on a real life campus, ranging from Howard (Greg McHugh), the slightly strange, antisocial computer geek, to Josie (Kimberley Nixon), the typical passive-aggressive housemate, and Zod (Zawe Ashton), living the hedonistic lifestyle whilst suffering from crippling overdraft debt. The show is full of relatable student experiences, ranging from the hilarious to the uncomfortable and even downright disgusting, that’ll make any recent grad miss being back at uni and if you don’t see even a tiny sliver of your student life in Fresh Meat, did you even have that quintessential uni experience?
3) The Inbetweeners (2008-2010)
It’s 2008, and The Inbetweeners has just exploded onto E4, introducing a new breed of lewd, crude, schoolboy humour onto our TV screens. But despite the controversial and infantile jokes, the show has since cemented itself as a classic British comedy. The show follows four mates – Will (Simon Bird), Simon (Joe Thomas), Jay (James Buckley) and Neil (Blake Harrison) – as they navigate the ups and downs of being British teenagers, dealing with sex, puberty, girls and the troubles of adolescence, all whilst juggling their GCSEs and A Levels. The show is not afraid to make viewers uncomfortable, throwing in various swears, insults, sex gags and toilet humour every five minutes, but it’s all part of the honest, down-to-earth portrayal of what teens really get up to. Displaying this normality of everyday life within a British secondary school has resonated with a whole generation of young adults across the UK, and is still as popular with school-kids today as it was since its first broadcast over ten years ago.
2) Sex Education (2019-Present)
Despite NOTHING beating my number one show on this list, I firmly believe that Sex Education is one of the best shows I’ve watched for a long time and deserves all of the love and hype it gets. The plot revolves around high school student Otis (Asa Butterfield) and his friends Eric and Maeve (Eric Effiong and Emma Mackey) who operate a sex clinic for the students in their year, making great use of Otis’ expansive knowledge of the field obtained from his mum Jean, a reputable sex therapist (Gillian Anderson). Amidst the retro American high-school vibe, the show is full of moments that illicit many laughs, gasps and tears as you become invested in each character and their story, building a well-developed plot line that’ll hopefully reveal all during the third season in 2021. The show brilliantly sheds light on normal sexual experiences that teens go through every day, bringing these taboo subjects out into the open and into ordinary conversation – something that’s become even more important in this day and age.
1) Community (2009-2015)
Ask anyone what their favourite American sitcom is, and it’s guaranteed that most will say Friends or The Office, but I believe that Community EASILY trumps both of these shows and is criminally underrated for its cleverly thought-out jokes and sharp meta-humour. The show follows six misfit students at Greendale community college that are clubbed together to study for their Spanish class, but soon form strong bonds of friendship as they deal with situations both in and outside the classroom. Featuring an all-star cast including Donald Glover, Alison Brie and Joel McHale, the show is filled with niche pop-culture references, parodies of film and TV tropes and well-developed characters that you’ll adore, all whilst using a blend of silly, outlandish humour and sarcastic wit that appeals to both American and British audiences alike.
So, there we have it, my top ten back-to-school films and TV shows to get stuck into during September! What are your favourite school-based shows? Let me know by leaving a comment down below or getting in touch via Instagram at @fi_dot_gee!
See you in the next one!
Fiona xx
Fi.Gee 