Inbetweeners revival 'wouldn't work' says star - because you couldn't excuse the offensiveness

Those hoping for hit teen comedy The Inbetweeners to make a return may be set for disappointment.

Actor Blake Harrison, who played Neil in the popular show and two successful sequel films, says he can't see it coming back - as the characters would now be too old to excuse their "offensive" behaviour.

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Speaking on Good Morning Britain, Harrison played down questions around a revival.

"I just don't think it would work, I think we're too old now.

"I think the reason it was so funny was you had these idiotic, ignorant, lads that you let them get away with saying things that would be quite offensive. But as they get older you can't excuse it, I think."

'I do miss the characters'

Earlier this month James Buckley, who played Jay, shared a photo of Harrison, Simon Bird, Joe Thomas and writers Damon Beesley and Iain Morris and joked it was a "Series 4 pre-production meal".

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Inbetweeners series 4 pre production meal pic.twitter.com/qGtA8mSFL4

— James Buckley (@James_Buckley) May 6, 2018

The show recently celebrated its 10th anniversary, prompting rumours of a return.

Speaking to i several weeks ago, co-creator Morris did suggest that bringing back the hapless boys was tempting.

"I miss the boys and working closely with them, and I miss the characters," he said. "I was out the other night and someone was telling me about a friend of theirs who used plastic bags as condoms, and I honestly had a moment of '˜oh god, I would love to hear Jay and Will discussing that'."

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However, Morris also explained he was happy where the disaster-prone foursome were left after 2014's Australia-set Inbetweeners 2.

A record-breaking hit: but would a revival disappoint?

The comedy TV show was a considerable success over its three seasons between 2008 to 2010, becoming E4's highest rated series of all time.

It has also amassed 86 million hours of viewing via on-demand service All 4, according to Channel 4, while the first Inbetweeners movie in 2011 broke UK box office records for a comedy.

Walking off into the sunset: perhaps it's best that Neil, Jay, Simon and Will are left as we remember them (Photo: Channel 4)

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But despite us living in an age of TV and big screen revivals, perhaps Harrison is right when he says it's best to leave The Inbetweeners lie.

As much as we adore those characters, their outrageous exploits were often endearing because they were too stupid, inexperienced and immature to know better. And they reminded us of our own teenage foolishness.

Neil punching a fish, Jay bragging about (imaginary) sexual conquests and Will and Simon neurotically fretting about social situations, may not seem quite as funny now they are fully-fledged adults.

The Inbetweeners is available to watch in full on All4. 

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[Main image: Channel 4]