No mention of Misfits?

I guess the credits just haven't been updated yet. It took ages for TIE'86 to be added as well.

I'm stoked for Joe and really hope that Rudy proves to be a great character. My main concern isn't even the writing, it's the fans. I've seen so much hate for the poor guy just because he isn't Robert Sheehan and they don't fancy him. They've made post after post ripping apart his looks calling him "fugly" and a "thing" and saying he makes them want to throw up or kill themselves. He's 27, but they're all saying he looks 40 and is way too old to be hanging out with "young" people. Some of those even watched This is England so I guess they thought Woody was a middle-aged man? Did they watch a different show from me? Woody was younger than Rudy is probably meant to be, even in TIE'86 and the gang there were younger than the Misfits gang. He might not be babyfaced, but compare him to Heath Ledger before he died, Prince William, Gilly from Hollyoaks etc. All people his age who also looked a little older.

In short, as excited as I am for him, I am worried the fans will never give him a chance and it will all go to hell. I'm so sick of hearing the hate for such a lovely young actor.

I'll be honest, the little I've seen in the trailer hasn't inspired me. I don't think that's any fault of Joe's, and of course it's silly to judge on a few seconds of footage - but Rudy's character does seem to be a pretty stereotypical shameless'esque laid back northerner. That in itself wouldn't be a problem, if not for the fact that the other 4/5th's of the quintet are pretty introverted and/or laid back characters too (even Kelly, if she's not being provoked).

Nathan was kinda the spark they all bounced off - I ain't saying he was the most important character, or the 'main' character. Simply that he was the one that so much of the dialogue played off, in terms of the other's reactions to him. I can understand the writers not wanting to replace him with an identikit character, but Rudy looks a bit too 'anti-Nathan' to keep the group dynamic as entertaining as it was before.

Still, as I said, it's way too early to judge. And I do have faith in the writers so I'll give Joe/Rudy a few episodes before making any decisions.

Finally, and no disrespect to the bloke... I honestly thought he was a lot older than 27 from the trailer footage. I actually thought it was just me, I didn't realise other people had commented on it.

I can get him looking a bit older than his age. Maybe early 30's, but not 40. It doesn't really matter anyway, as the actor is in his 20's and so not too old. All people have to do is accept some people look older than their age, others younger and that is reality.

I think there must be more spark to Rudy than what was shown in the trailers. I don't want another Nathan though. I liked that his energy is different. I think what the gang needed was just someone who'd wind them up and make them roll their eyes.

I think Rudy seemed laidback, but also desperate to fit in. We need to see more before we can really judge.