The Carrs are back — and growing pains, football drama and adolescent crushes await as Alan’s semi-autobiographical sitcom enters a new decade…
Alan Carr’s Changing Ends is back for a third series later this month on ITVX, ITV1 and STV, bringing more warmth, wit and nostalgia from Northampton. Since its debut, the BAFTA-nominated series has racked up over 14 million streams on ITVX and bagged an RTS Award earlier this year — proof that Carr’s bittersweet blend of 80s awkwardness and heart has struck a national chord.
Series three picks up in the summer of 1989, with young Alan — played by Oliver Savell — now a fully fledged teenager navigating the trickier corners of adolescence. Hormones are raging, identity is wobbling, and there’s a new crush, Jake, turning up the emotional heat.
Meanwhile, Alan’s dad Graham (Shaun Dooley) has his own troubles: as manager of Northampton Town, he’s feeling the pressure as the Cobblers stumble down to Division Three. The series gently balances both struggles — one on the pitch, one of the heart — with Carr’s trademark humour and affection.
Love-struck Alan faces the agonies of sleepovers, swimming lessons and awkward nights out, while wondering whether to keep his feelings quiet or shout them from the rooftops. But amid the cringes and chaos, there are flickers of hope — and unexpected allies closer to home than he might imagine.
Alongside Savell and Dooley, the returning cast includes Nancy Sullivan as Alan’s loving mum Christine, Taylor Fay as Gary Carr, Gabby Best and Harry Peacock as Angela and Nigel Hudson, Rourke Mooney as Charlie Hudson, and Colin Salmon and Dotty Davies as Ron and Kay.
And of course, Alan Carr himself appears, narrating and reflecting on his younger self with the same mix of hindsight and hilarity that’s made Changing Ends one of ITV’s standout comedies.
The series comes from Baby Cow Productions, written by Alan Carr and Gabby Best, and co-created by the late Simon Carlyle, whose comic touch helped shape the show’s mix of humour and heart.
All episodes of Changing Ends Series 1 and 2 are available to stream for free now on ITVX — perfect for a rewatch before Alan’s next round of adolescent escapades begins.
