Peep Show - Series 1 to 6 [DVD]

Surely most people reading this will be aware of the basic premise of peep show, but for the as-yet-uninitiated, a brief synopsis: Mark and Jeremy (David Mitchell and Robert Webb) are flatmates in suburban London. Mark is a reasonably successful executive in a finance company, Jez can be accurately described as a bum. The two of them have an oddly symbiotic relationship, with the massive character flaws in each of them strangely balanced out between them. Mitchell is quoted as saying that they both take comfort in the fact that they aren't the other. The series follow their exploits in a quirky style, with footage mainly shot from the perspective of the two characters, and a voiceover of the thoughts running through their heads adding another dimension to the comedy.
This unconventional style of filming is just one of the factors that makes Peep Show stand out from the crowd. The comedic talents of Mitchell and Webb are probably at their most sublime here, with spot-on timing and biting sarcasm seemingly second nature to both of them. The support characters are all unusually strong as well, with many cliches avoided and even minor characters contributing hilarious lines of dialogue (most noteworthy of all is Matt King as Superhans, Jez's bandmate, who is utterly sublime and ridiculous).
However, what really makes Peep Show is the writing. It goes without saying that good comedy needs a good script, but this is something else. The writers (Jesse Armstrong and Sam Bain) clearly know Mitchell and Webb exceptionally well, and it's plain to see that Mark and Jez are massively grotesque versions of the actors that portray them. This, added to the razor sharp wit of all the contributors, means that the dialogue is always perfectly matched to the performers, and is also supremely well constructed.
In the hands of a less talented group of people, the idea of a POV sitcom with a voiceover of the characters' thoughts could have been carcrash television at its worst, but in the capable hands of Armstrong, Bain, Mitchell, Webb, and all the other contributors, the shooting style and voiceover ideas add new dimensions to the comedy. Beautifully crafted dialogue and plots follow in the rich vein of footlights comedy, with Blackadder an obvious influence. But Peep Show has a place of its own, as a modern take on these ideas, with cultural relevance and incicive wit. Somehow it has remained fresh (and even become more refined) since its inception, and long may it continue.

All 6 seasons for £25? (correct at time of writing this) Madness! That's just over £4 a series. So why would you not want to purchase it? Peep Show is one of those shows that becomes part of British Culture and regularly pops up in those "50 Greatest Comedy Shows/Comedy Actors" programmes. And rightly so! I cannot compare it to anything I have seen in the last 10 years.

The POV style of filming is what gives Peep Show its best moments. To hear the inner workings of Mark and Jeremy and what they really feel is hilarious and shocking. "I would literally stab a baby" When I heard that I did recoil as I couldn't believe Mark had said it. However these are his private thoughts, shared with just us. There are plenty of moments throughout all the series that will stick with you and when you hear people around you quoting them, it's difficult not to smile and say something back. The writers have got the thought process of Mark and Jez spot on and we can all find a Mark or Jeremy out there. During the Election 2010 all I see is Mark!

Series One is by far the best for me. You get to see just how conniving and treacherous Mark and Jeremy can be and also for excellent framework for each subsequent series. Series One is full of some of the best quotes and funniest moments. I don't feel that there is a weak series at all. Mark gets more anal and Jeremy begins to lose the plot a bit. If you are still unsure about Peep Show, I highly recommend the episodes involving Jeremy and Mummy the Dog, Marks Big Day and anything with Super Hans. Most of the extra's on the DVD's are basic enough and add some further enjoyment once you have watched the whole series.

Thankfully a 7th series is on its way and can only get better.

Peep Show is very original for the continual pov shots and interior monologue. It's a bit like a spikier, more confrontational version of Men Behaving Badly, with two flatmates, one a depressive businessman and the other a would-be creative layabout who does rather better with the ladies.

Wickedly funny, it really is all about the way we live now, and how we can feel dislocated from our surroundings and uncomfortable with the norms of society. Season's 3/4 are the best, I think, but all six years worth a look. Mark's internal sarcastic comments are very funny. The humour is pretty rude, befitting the title, and I felt my empathy with the characters diminishing in the 5/6 years as they fail to learn from their mistakes, but still...funnier than the BBC's stuff.

Enjoy