The Young Offenders

Coming-of-age drama about lovable rogues Conor and Jock as they navigate their awkward teenage years, hatching plans and adventures to help distract from their tough home lives and their inability to stay out of trouble at school.

The Young Offenders (2018-present) is an Irish coming-of-age comedy-drama created by Peter Foott and broadcast on RTÉ2 and BBC One. Chris Walley plays Jock O'Keeffe and Alex Murphy plays Conor McSweeney, two lovable rogues whose awkward teenage years in Cork are a constant cycle of hatched plans and scrapes. Their engine is simple: they want to escape the pressures of tough home lives and the constant trouble they get into at school, and each episode turns on a new scheme that spirals out of control. Hilary Rose plays Conor's mother Mairead MacSweeney, while Dominic MacHale appears as Sergeant Healy and P.J. Gallagher as Principal Barry Walsh, the authority figures who keep the boys in check. The series runs across five seasons of six-episode blocks, with the storylines remaining rooted in its working class Cork setting. The tone is warm, rough, and funny, with the rough edges of adolescence balanced by a loyal bond between the two boys. Fans of Derry Girls and Skins will find resonance in its blend of teen mischief, Irish banter, and heartfelt friendship.

Audiences rate The Young Offenders positively, with the series gaining strength in its later seasons after a more modest start.

• Derry Girlscoming of age mischief, working class teen friendship, comedic crime-adjacent scrapes
• Skinsteen friendship comedy with small town misadventure and dry humor
• Peep Showlovable rogue duo, petty crime escapades, awkward adolescence, dry comedy

Created by

Peter Foott

Release Date

2018-02-09

Episode runtime

30 min

Rating

8.0 / 10 (60)

What is The Young Offenders about?

Two mischievous teenage friends in Cork use schemes and misadventures to escape their rough home lives and school troubles.

What is The Young Offenders like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Young Offenders as brisk, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as simple.

Is The Young Offenders violent?

Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The Young Offenders as mild.

What did critics think of The Young Offenders?

Audiences rate The Young Offenders positively, with the series gaining strength in its later seasons after a more modest start.

Which shows are like The Young Offenders?

Shows with a similar feel include Derry Girls, Skins, and Peep Show.

How long is The Young Offenders?

The Young Offenders: 5 seasons, 30 episodes.

Is The Young Offenders still running?

Yes, The Young Offenders is still running.