Farewell to Brassic – one of the funniest and rudest shows on TV

While their capers – which usually go hilariously wrong – are a highlight of each episode, the heart of the series belongs to the characters themselves, each brought to glorious and sweary life by the show’s stars.

There is single mum Erin (Michelle Keegan), whom Vinnie has always adored, Vinnie’s childhood best friend Dylan (Damien Molony, who left in series four to go and be Bergerac), gentle and sweet Cardi (Tom Hanson) and his fiery wife Carol (Bronagh Gallagher), Irish amateur boxer Ash (Aaron Heffernan), mechanic and podcast obsessive JJ (Parth Thakerar), Erin’s best friend Sugar (Joanna Higson), and entrepreneur Tommo (Ryan Sampson), whose various business enterprises have included local nightclub/sex den The Rat & Cutter and a van he converted into an ‘erotic love bus’ that is so iconic to Brassic fans that it’s now available to rent via Airbnb.

The core cast are backed up by some cracking supporting players. Steve Evets, who is best known for his lead role in the Ken Loach movie Looking For Eric, turned what started out as a minor role as grumpy Farmer Jim into a shabbily-dressed, foul-mouthed legend of the show, most memorably in a scene where he offensively rants about a rave (“who wants a disco biscuit?” is the only line we can share, but check out season 2 episode 5 and you won’t regret it).

There’s also Ramon Tikaram (as Terence McCann), Neil Ashton (as Davey MacDonagh) and Rachid Sabitri (as Manolito), who have all delivered their own quirky slices of menace as the career criminals and drug lords that Vinnie and his friends have fallen foul of over the years.

And no praise for Brassic could ever neglect to mention Dominic West, who plays Vinnie’s GP Chris Coxley, a doctor with a love of fine wine and cannabis, and a fixation for women’s knees. (“Knees, shins, thighs, but mainly knees, I had this marriage, she was my soul mate, but I couldn’t stop wanting to see other women’s knees, to kiss them, to lick them, so I tried it on with a couple of her friends, just getting close to their knees at parties,” is not a phrase you would ever imagine the man who played McNulty in The Wire and Prince Charles in The Crown would utter on screen, but it’s utterly marvellous).

There’s so much more to Brassic than crime and rude humour, however. There are nods to classic British movies like Trainspotting and The Italian Job, and terrific guest stars including Lee Mack, Greg Davies, Imelda Staunton (as Dr Chris’s aunt in Brassic’s one and only Christmas episode), and Bill Paterson (whose demise in the show is memorably absurd). Even the music is pitch-perfect, from the choice of Barrett Strong’s Money (That’s What I Want) as the theme, to the use of songs from The Black Keys, Tom Petty, Etta James, The Slits, T-Rex and ABBA, among many others.

Recognising how important the music is to the show, in 2022, Joe Gilgun and executive producer David Livingstone went so far as to launch ‘Brassic Unsigned,’ choosing an unsigned artist to feature on the soundtrack of the fourth season, with the winning song Narcissist by Anti!i used in a key scene.

It’s also smartly written by Brocklehurst and his team, who try interesting ways to handle some of the storylines, such as an episode featuring a monologue about Vinnie’s relationship with his dad being played out by puppets rather than as a flashback, which is more powerful than you’d expect.

In fact, the show triumphs in the way it tackles the more poignant or serious plot lines. Over seven seasons, this has included school bullying, abortion, sexual assault and even modern slavery, while some of the most moving moments – yes, Brassic can break your heart as well as make you snort with laughter – have come from Joe Gilgun’s superb portrayal of Vinnie, who struggles with depression and bipolar disorder (“I’m lonely yet I can’t stand being with people,” he tells Dr Chris).

Read more:

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• Brassic’s Michelle Keegan hopes Erin gets happy ending after season 6 cliffhanger

Gilgun, who has spoken in interviews about his own bipolar disorder and how the character of Vinnie is semi-autobiographical, has been nominated four times for a BAFTA but has sadly not yet won, something Brocklehurst noted when he spoke to press announcing that season seven would be the final season for Brassic.

“When Joe Gilgun and I sat down to create Brassic, we couldn’t have imagined, in our wildest dreams, that we would do seven series and gather such a loyal and loving fan base,” he said. “It’s been a complete joy to create this eccentric world, but all good things must come to an end, and we want to stop while we are still riding high. Maybe they can finally give us that BAFTA!”

And if they don’t, we can only hope that Vinnie, Tommo, Ash, JJ, Cardi, Carol, Sugar and Erin’s final adventure has them stealing one.

Brassic season 7 launches on Sky and NOW from Wednesday 25th September, with episodes dropping weekly. Seasons 1-6 are available to stream now. Find out more about how to sign up for Sky TV.

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