The story
From a flat in Brentford, West London, MC Grindah, DJ Beats and their mates run Kurupt FM, a pirate radio station pumping UK garage to anyone in range. A documentary crew trails them as they chase a breakthrough, manage messy relationships and get roped into the latest money-making scheme from their self-appointed manager, Chabuddy G. Every one of them is supremely confident and rarely competent, which is exactly where the comedy lives.
Why it matters
Years before BBC Three went online-only, People Just Do Nothing showed YouTube could be a scouting ground: improvised Wasteman TV clips led to a BBC pilot that became iPlayer's most shared video that month. The full series went on to win BAFTA and RTS awards for scripted comedy, reached Netflix in the US and spawned a cinema film.
From web series to TV
The cast began posting improvised clips on YouTube in 2010 under the name Wasteman TV. Producers at Roughcut TV spotted them and made a BBC Three pilot, released in August 2012, which became the most shared video on iPlayer that month; the BBC ordered a series that launched on iPlayer in July 2014.
Notable facts
- The BBC Three pilot, released in August 2012, was the most shared video on iPlayer that month, prompting a full series order. (source)
- From series three, episodes premiered on the online-only BBC Three on iPlayer before being broadcast on BBC Two. (source)
- The show was added to Netflix in the US in May 2017. (source)
- A film continuation, People Just Do Nothing: Big in Japan, was released in August 2021. (source)