Funboys is a Northern Irish television sitcom first broadcast on BBC Three as a short film on 26 May 2023. It was followed by a four-episode series that premiered on 10 February 2025 on BBC Northern Ireland, and on 13 February 2025 on BBC Three. The show is about three emotionally stunted young men in small-town Northern Ireland.
The 14-minute short film was filmed on location in Northern Ireland. At the BBC Comedy Festival in May 2024, it was announced that the short film would be expanded into a four-episode series.
Funboys was filmed with the support of Northern Ireland Screen. The story is by Simon Mayhew-Archer.
Show co-writer and co-creator Ryan Dylan stated that the show was inspired by "mundanity meeting melodrama. The idea of three young men navigating life with unfiltered emotionality, while being completely clueless about what any of it means. Deep feelings colliding with shallow understanding. Also, low self-worth. Desperation." Lee R. James, who portrays Lorcan, said that the show "was inspired by the lack of representation of the rural folk who wander these lands. The small towns we grew up in are filled with oddities that deserve the spotlight."
Vicky Jessop of The Standard wrote that Funboys is as a "beautifully bonkers comedy" and a worthy successor to This Country. Jessop described it as "heartwarming and naff in 'equal measure, this tiny gem is well worth a few hours of your time." The Belfast Telegraph described the show as "not exactly Derry Girls but itâÂÂs beautifully bonkers" and "quirky and desperately bingeable."