The End of the F***ing World is a British dark comedy-drama television programme, based
on a graphic novel of the same name by Charles Forsman.
The eight-part programme premiered its first episode on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom
on 24 October 2017, after which all eight episodes were released on All 4.
It was a co-production with Netflix, who released it internationally on 5 January 2018.
The programme follows James (Alex Lawther), a 17-year-old who believes himself to be a
psychopath, and Alyssa (Jessica Barden), a rebellious classmate who sees in James a chance
to escape from her tumultuous home life.
The show is based on Forsman's mini-comics The End of the Fucking World, which were collected
into a book in 2013.
Series creator Jonathan Entwistle contacted him about making a film, and a short was made
in 2014.
Instead, an eight-part serial was commissioned, with filming beginning in April 2017.
It was written by Charlie Covell, and episodes were directed by Entwistle and Lucy Tcherniak.
In August 2018, Channel 4 renewed the programme for a second series.
The programme has been met with critical acclaim, and has been praised for its writing, execution
and subject matter, as well as for Lawther and Barden's performances.
It was nominated for the 2018 British Academy Television Award for Best Drama Series.
== Premise == James is a 17-year-old who believes he is
a psychopath.
He kills animals as a hobby, but grows bored of the practice.
He decides he wants to try killing a human.
He settles on Alyssa, a mouthy, rebellious 17-year-old classmate with issues of her own.
She proposes they run away together, hoping for an adventure away from her turbulent home-life,
and James agrees with the intention of finding an opportunity to kill her.
They embark on a road trip across England, and begin to develop a relationship after
a series of mishaps.
== Cast and characters ==
=== Main === Alex Lawther as James, a 17-year-old who believes
he is a psychopath; the disturbed love interest of Alyssa.
Jack Veal portrays a young James.
Jessica Barden as Alyssa, a rebellious teenage girl.
Initially James' intended victim but later his love interest.
Holly Beechey portrays a young Alyssa.
Gemma Whelan as DC Eunice Noon, Darego's police partner.
Wunmi Mosaku as DC Teri Darego, Noon's stern police partner.
Steve Oram as Phil, James' caring father.
Christine Bottomley as Gwen, Alyssa's mother.
Navin Chowdhry as Tony, Alyssa's abusive stepfather.
Barry Ward as Leslie Foley, Alyssa's estranged drug-dealing father.
=== Guest === Kierston Wareing as Debbie, Leslie's ex-girlfriend
with whom he has a child.
Geoff Bell as Martin, a family man and creep who gives Alyssa and James a ride.
Alex Sawyer as Topher, a young man Alyssa meets and attempts to engage in sexual activity
with.
Jonathan Aris as Dr. Clive Koch, an author, professor, serial killer and James' first
human victim.
Eileen Davies as Flora, Clive's mother.
Earl Cave as Frodo, a miserable petrol station employee.
Felicity Montagu as the manager of the petrol station.
Alex Beckett as Jonno, one of Leslie's buyers.
Leon Annor as Emil, an imposing store security guard whom Alyssa is caught by.
Matt King as DC Eddie Onslow.
Kelly Harrison as James' dead mother.
Zerina Imsirovic as Alyssa's baby sister.
== Episodes ==
=== Series 1 (2017) ===
=== Series 2 ===
== Production ==
=== Development ===
The series was based on the work of the same name by Charles Forsman.
Originally self-published as a series of mini-comics, the series was published as a graphic novel
by Fantagraphics Books in 2013.
It was republished in hardback in 2017, in anticipation of the television series.While
Forsman was publishing the mini-comics, Jonathan Entwistle contacted him about adapting it
to a visual format – the original idea was to make an American film, and later a web
series was considered.
A film was pitched to Film4, and Entwistle was given funding for a short.
Made in 2014, it featured some cast and crew who continued their roles for the television
series.
Entwistle directed and Dominic Buchanan was producer; Jessica Barden played Alyssa.
However, instead of Alex Lawther, James was played by Craig Roberts.Though the short was
well-received, no production companies wanted to invest in the idea as a full-length film.
Entwistle and Buchanan decided to make a television series with Clerkenwell Films, following which
Channel 4 and then Netflix became involved.
Forsman had no official role in the show's production, wanting to continue working on
his comics, though Entwistle would regularly consult him and keep him updated.
In August 2018, Channel 4's director of programmes Ian Katz expressed frustration that many people
think the programme is a Netflix original, saying that "it's absolutely a Channel 4 show".The
programme's plot differs from that of Forsman's comics.
In print, the two kill a satanist serial killer, whose wife was a police officer; instead the
television series features police officers Eunice Noon and Teri Darego, and does not
show the serial killer to be a satanist.
Another major difference is the ending of the graphic novel: the satanist police officer
chases after James, and the two begin to attack each other, while police try to break up the
fight.
There is then a gunshot.
In the final scene, Alyssa's mother talks about her daughter being safe from James,
while Alyssa is seen carving the name "JAMES" into her arm.
Some critics interpreted this to mean that James was dead, but Forsman sees the ending
as ambiguous.
=== Filming === The first series began filming in April 2017
and concluded a few weeks before the show's release in October 2017.
Though filmed in England, the programme has an American tone to it; Entwistle was inspired
by Twin Peaks and Fargo.
Episodes were filmed largely in suburban areas and across Surrey, with locations such as
Guildford bus station, The Square shopping centre in Camberley, Woking and Longcross
Studios.
There was also some scenes in Bracknell in Berkshire.
Another filming location was Leysdown-on-Sea on the Isle of Sheppey.
Entwistle uses mostly close-up shots, particularly in early episodes where most frames feature
only one character.
He uses this for deadpan humour, by moving from face to face to get shots of characters'
reactions.The series is set in the present day, but Entwistle aimed to make it feel like
it could have been set "any time from 1988 to 2006".
Additionally, diners have a 1970s-style design, and the soundtrack features songs from the
1950s, 60s and 70s, along with original music from Graham Coxon, the founding member of
Blur.
Entwistle describes Coxon's scores as "guitar-based suburban noir", and notes that more of his
music is used in later episodes for the police officers.The second series began filming in
March 2019.
=== Continuation === The first series covered the entirety of the
storyline in Forsman's original comics.
On 25 January 2018, Jonathan Entwistle spoke of the potential for a second series.
He confirmed that "We're exploring and we're seeing what we can do to expand the world
and see where we get to."
Entwistle then went on to say that Netflix was enthusiastic about a second series of
the show if one could be conceived.
Writer Charlie Covell said "I think there are a number of stories we could tell" and
that she would "love to write more".
Actor Alex Lawther stated in an interview that he would be "very excited" about a second
series, as it would give Covell "a chance to explore something from her imagination".A
second series was announced on 21 August 2018 on the official Channel 4 Twitter account.
== Release == The eight-part programme premiered its first
episode on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom on 24 October 2017, after which all eight
episodes were released on All 4.
The End of the F***ing World was a co-production with Netflix who exclusively released it internationally
on 5 January 2018.
On that weekend, sales of the graphic novel rose considerably, with Fantagraphics Books
selling out of the current print run according to Forsman.
== Reception ==
=== Critical response ===
The End of the F***ing World currently holds an approval rating of 98% on review aggregator
website Rotten Tomatoes based on 44 reviews, with an average rating of 8.21/10.
The site's consensus states, "Misanthropy and humor blend perfectly in this romantically
nihilistic show that proves that falling in love can feel like The End of the F***ing
World."
Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 81 out of 100, based on
12 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".Reviewer Daniel Fienberg of The Hollywood Reporter
lauded the programme's writing, characters, and soundtrack, as well as praising the performances
of Alex Lawther and Jessica Barden, calling it a "pitch-black, eight-episode comedy gem
of a UK import".
Kelly Lawler of USA Today called it "batty fun", also praising Lawther and Barden's performances
while praising the programme's surreal concept and execution.
=== Accolades