Peep Show - Series Info
Information on the hit UK TV comedy series from Channel 4, Peep Show
A look at the unusual Channel 4 comedy series, summed up on the rear of the DVD as "Hilariously disorienting"...
The series centres around two flatmates, Jeremy, played by Robert Webb (more recently seen in the BBC's Smoking Room) and Mark (David Mitchell)
You'd be forgiven for assuming that Peep Show is some kind of Game On / Men Behaving Badly hybrid - after all, the two main characters are dysfunctional males (one an introvert, with a stable office job), that are living together under one roof.
This gives you a peep into the rather distorted worlds of the two leads... Mark, the frustrated, overly shy office worker is desperately chasing co-worker Sophie (Olivia Colman). Jeremy's in a band, hoping that his big break is around the corner... Where this differs from your average 'two lads' sitcom, is that events are witnessed from the 'first-hand perspective, complete with unspoken thoughts.
This is one of those series that requires you to watch a few episodes before you 'get it'. The first-person perspective takes a little getting used to, and this isn't a 'funny' comedy in the obvious way. The camerawork adds to the edgy feel of this series too, as it captures events from the star's viewpoint (sometimes through a pint glass).
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LATEST: Series 4 started April 2007Peep Show Series Summary
- Series One - Six episodes, transmitted on late-night Channel 4 in September / October 2003.
- Series Two - Six episodes, transmitted at 10pm, Friday nights in November / December 2004. Series 2 sees Toni and Nanci in Jez's line of fire, Mark not-stalking a college girl from a shoeshop, work with Super Hans on a film soundtrack, a double-bungee attempt, and wedding bells for Jeremy.
- Series Three - Six episodes, transmitted at 10pm, Friday nights. The first episode in Series 3 was transmitted on the 11th of November 2005, and sees Mark being mugged by a bunch of kids - and losing his precious Blackberry. Jeremy's found a way back into Big Suze's life. Series 3 includes some long-distance phone sex with Sophie, Mark's sister moving in, the pair becoming pub owners, and Jeremy's brush with illegality during jury service. Completed its run in December 2005.
- Series 4 - The fourth series takes to the air in April 2007...
Watch Peep Show online Peep Show is available for on-demand viewing. Channel 4 has launched 4oD, an online video-on-demand service. many of their programmes are available for download to your PC. Watch recent shows and classic Channel 4 shows from your desktop. Download the free player from www.channel4.com/4od. Shows are also available from www.apple.com/itunes |
Peep Show Availability:
Series 1, 2 and 3 box set available from Amazon.co.uk and Play.com |
Series 3 DVD became available in November 2006 from Review of Series 1
Unsurprisingly, the Series 1 DVD carries an 18 rating - mostly due to the language, but the subject matter is likely to be beyond the knuckle for those that prefer more mainstream comedy. The first episode sets the scene with Mark's obsession with Sophie, and his fear of a bunch of local kids taunting "Mark the Pedo" - Jeremy's trying to further his music career by seducing a music industry leukaemia sufferer. Episode two includes adventures with Hobbit porn, and use of Nazi Post-it notes to impress Sophie.. hardly 'Terry and June' sitcom material...
The Series 1 DVD includes a number of extras, including 6 specially filmed stand-alone scenes plus audio commentary over two episodes by the writers and the main characters.
The series saw something of a gear-change in Series 2... I can't help feeling that after reviewing the TV ratings, Channel 4's execs asked the producers to 'tune it down a bit', to de-weird it in an effort to increase its appeal to a wider audience.
If you liked another Channel 4 comedy gem, Spaced, you'll love Peep Show - personally, here in the office, we love it... one of the truly different comedies to grace our screens
Series 1 Episode Summary:
| Ep.1 | Mark (David Mitchell) sets himself the task of sleeping with his divorced neighbor Toni (Elizabeth Marmur, Coupling) and dreams up a seduction technique based on a history book he is reading, Battle of Stalingrad. His attempts at flirting with her just aren't working until he hits on the perfect way to make her laugh – play her some of his roommate Jeremy's music. Jeremy (Robert Webb) returns home to find the two of them making fun of his work, whereupon Toni invites the guys to a party at her apartment. Both are determined to hit on her until Jeremy discovers that Toni's sister, Paula, works in the music business and could be a useful contact. |
| Ep.2 | Frustrated that Jeremy's band is going nowhere and impatient that he is three months behind with the rent, Mark insists that his roommate put aside his music ambitions and apply for a clerical position in his office. The prospect of the "El Dude Brothers" working together excites him. Jeremy is less than enthusiastic; after all, he's a musician – you wouldn't expect the Rolling Stones to do your laundry. He decides he'll come across "like an unemployable freak" at the interview. Meanwhile, Mark's attempts to flirt with his co-worker Sophie (Olivia Coleman) backfire in an exchange of Post-It notes that leads her to believe he's a Nazi. |
| Ep.3 | Mark persuades Jeremy to abandon his usual Friday night appointment at the grocery store and join him for an evening 'on the prowl.' Jeremy's attempts at impressing two women fall very flat but Mark strikes up a rapport with Valerie, a teenage "Goth." Later in the evening the guys somehow find themselves smoking pot with Valerie and Toni in the bathroom of the Lazerbowl bowling alley. At the end of the evening Valerie goes home with Mark while Jeremy ends up next door at Toni's but with unwelcome company in the form of Toni's ex-husband. |
| Ep.4 | Mark is away at a business conference where he makes friends with the debonair and charismatic conference presenter, Alan. Could it turn into more than just friendship? Mark feels an inexplicable attraction towards Alan. When Mark suggests a possible move to Cardiff with Alan, Jeremy is suddenly forced to consider his bandmate, Super Hans (Matt King), as a replacement roommate. Unable to face the thought of not living with Mark, Jeremy resolves to sabotage any prospect of Mark moving away and to preserve the special relationship the "El Dude Brothers" have. |
| Ep.5 | Jeremy has finally landed a job in the music business – as a receptionist in the studio he uses with Super Hans. Toni pays a visit to the studio but Jeremy's attempts at impressing her with his knowledge of studio equipment fall flat. Meanwhile, Mark is passed over for a promotion in favor of Sophie. His feeling of rejection and failure is overwhelming. As his mental state slowly deteriorates his employers assign him a therapist (or "careers guidance advisor" as Mark prefers to describe him) before eventually sending him home. Meanwhile Jeremy gets fired after giving some unsolicited advice to a band in the studio. The guys decide to overcome their mutual dejection through a combination of phone stalking and pepper spray. |
| Ep.6 | Mark and Jeremy are both determined to turn the terminal illness and subsequent death of Jeremy's Uncle Ray into a vehicle for romantic conquest. Jeremy first attempts to use his Uncle's illness to gain Toni's sympathy and win her over. After Uncle Ray passes away, Mark invites Sophie to the funeral where they share a heart-to-heart and make plans for a weekend away. Feeling sorry for Jeremy following the loss of his uncle, Mark feels obliged to invite him along even though he would rather be alone with Sophie. Feeling like he shouldn't turn down such a kind offer, Jeremy agrees to go even though he hates the idea. The weekend plans go awry when Jeremy is rushed to the hospital following a suspected overdose. |
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