For the target audience of teenage girls this light-hearted slice of angst and alienation will strike a chord as the socially awkward heroine takes kissing lessons and endures the humiliation of luminous fake tan.
The script sensibly washes out it
s mouth, reserving its most choice language for comic effect, while discussions of boys and sex reflect the protagonists' inexperience and innocence. Teen-speak captures the spirit and energy of hip, modern youth ("I knew she was from Vulgaria!"), while the fresh-faced cast delivers natural, endearing performances, which prove adolescents are just as stroppy today as ever.
Parental woes momentarily cast a dark shadow over the heroine's vacillations before a fairy-tale resolution ensures every girl gets her guy.
Georgia Nicholson (Georgia Groome) is a typical 14-year-old: permanently embarrassed by her parents (Alan Davies, Karen Taylor), desperate to fit in at school and frustrated by her inability to find a boyfriend. Thankfully, she has her best mates Jas (Eleanor Tomlinson), Rosie (Georgia Henshaw) and shrinking violet Ellen (Manjeeven Grewal) to lift her spirits.
When handsome brothers Tom (Sean Bourke) and Robbie (Aaron Johnson) move to the area, Jas sets her sights on Tom while Georgia vows to win Robbie's heart.
Unfortunately, her sworn enemy Slaggy Lindsay (Kimberley Nixon) also has designs on the new boy, as well as the best cleavage in the entire year group to distract his attention.
Friction between Georgia and her nemesis intensifies when both girls decide to hold their 15th birthday parties on the same day, forcing class-mates to choose between them.
Meanwhile, Georgia watches in horror as her father is forced to leave home for a lucrative job in New Zealand, on the under-standing that the rest of the family will move south once he is settled.
The separation drives Georgia's lonely mother into the hunky arms of a 30-something builder (Steve Jones) but is there more to the handyman than meets the eye?
Angus, Thongs And Perfect Snogging is energetic and charming but has very limited appeal outside of the target audience, even for ardent fans of T4 host Jones.
Groome manages to be both goofy and heartbreaking, compelling us to fall in love with her body-conscious teen well before Robbie comes to his senses.
The full article contains 411 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
