Worried About The Boy is the story of George O’Dowd, aka Boy George (Douglas Booth) as he becomes one of the defining characters of the 1980’s music scene. Beginning with George as a teenager trying to come to grips with the fact that yes, he is just a little bit different, and later moving into the heart of London where he lands a job as cloakroom attendant at legendary nightclub Blitz run by Steve “Fade to Grey” Strange (Marc Warren). Blitz is the heart of the growing new romantic movement and George dives into it with gusto.
Falling in love for the first time, with singer Kirk (Richard Madden) from Theatre of Hate George realises where his future lies and persuades impresario Malcolm McLaren (Mark Gatiss) to give him a start in a band but it isn’t until he meets bass player Mikey Craig (Dean Fagan) and molds his own band around him that he starts to flourish. With the arrival of drummer Jon Moss (Matthew Horne), George meets one of the keys loves of his life. The addition of Roy Hay (Jonny Burt) means Culture Club is ready for the big time.
We forget now that Boy George is such a icon of our time what a massive shock to the system he was to the British public in the early 1980’s, kind of like Elvis in reverse parents were flabbergasted and more than a little put out by this new pop superstar, they just couldn’t come to grips with whether he was male or female. This fabulous drama, part of a BBC eighties season, does a great job in bringing his earliest years in the business to life.
The casting is fabulous too, newcomer Douglas Booth does a great job as George whilst Mark Gatiss is a fab Malcolm McLaren, Marc Warren is also very groovy as Steve Strange and Matthew Horne from Gavin and Stacey plays Jon Moss.
Cast: DOUGLAS BOOTH as George; MATTHEW HORNE as Jon Moss; DEAN FAGAN as Mikey Craig; JONNY BURT as Roy Hay; MARK GATISS as Malcolm McLaren; FREDDIE FOX as Marilyn; MARC WARREN as Steve Strange; RICHARD MADDEN as Kirk; CHARLIE ANDSON as Vernon; ISABEL FORD as Mrs Brandon; FRANCIS MAGEE as Jerry O’Dowd; ANDY QUINE as Career Advisor; DANIEL WALLACE as Christopher; NEIL TOON as Rusty Egan; ELIZABETH LOWE as Caroline; JOHN DRAYCOTT as Pap 1; ANDONIS ANTHONY as Pap 2; NATALIE O’BRIEN as Emily; NICOLA POTTS as Mo; HANNAH HARDFORD as Sarah; SUZANNE PRESTON as Dawn; KIERAN BUCKERIDGE as John
Writer: Tony Basgallop / Producer: Matthew Bird / Director: Julian Jarrold
UK / BBC Two / 1×90 minute episode / Broadcast Sunday 16 May 2010 at 9.00pm
