<Tr> <Th_colspan="2"> External links </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> Website </Td> </Tr> <P> The End of the F * * * ing World is a British dark romantic comedy - drama television programme, based on a graphic novel of the same name by Charles Forsman . The eight - part programme premiered its first episode on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom on 24 October 2017, after which all eight episodes were released on All 4 . It was a co-production with Netflix, who released it internationally on 5 January 2018 . The programme follows James (Alex Lawther), a 17 - year - old who believes himself to be a psychopath, and Alyssa (Jessica Barden), a rebellious classmate who sees in James a chance to escape from her tumultuous home life . </P> <P> The show is based on Forsman's mini-comics The End of the Fucking World, which were collected into a book in 2013 . Series creator Jonathan Entwistle contacted him about making a film, and a short was made in 2014 . Instead, an eight - part serial was commissioned, with filming beginning in April 2017 . It was written by Charlie Covell, and episodes were directed by Entwistle and Lucy Tcherniak . A second series has not been announced, though Entwistle, Covell and Lawther have all commented on the possibility of one . </P>

Who plays james on the end of the world