HED: 'The Inbetweeners' review: Smart look at idiots

The InbetweenersHigh school has its jocks and nerds on one side. Then there's the rest of us -- the title IBs. Narrator Will (Joey Pollari) is the blazer-wearing new kid, transferred from private school. He falls in with braggart Jay (Zack Pearlman), dim Neil (Mark L. Young) and nearly-normal yet simple Simon (Bubba Lewis). "As much as I wished I didn't fit in with these idiots," he admits, "I did."

The idiots are forever in search of booze, chicks and cool -- but they don't have the faintest clue what to do with them. They mostly fantasize, talk trash and do embarrassing things. Usually simultaneously.

And yet -- it's good! "The Inbetweeners," based on the British series of the same name, nicely captures guys being guys. The writing, acting and direction mix sharp observations with pinpoint timing. No surprise -- this version was developed by Brad Copeland, out of "Arrested Development."