TOAST OF LONDON and PEEP SHOW DVD winner!

Thanks if you entered my DVD competitions last week, to win copies of TOAST OF LONDON Series 3 and PEEP SHOW Series 9 on DVD. The winner is below:

Win PEEP SHOW Series 9 on DVD for Christmas!

If you're struggling for a last-minute Christmas gift idea, now's your chance to pickup a copy of an iconic Channel 4 comedy, absolutely free. I have a copy of PEEP SHOW Series 9 to give away to one lucky reader! It probably won't arrive for Christmas Day, but it'll make a nice addition over the festive period.

Autumn 2015 TV - Part Two

It's the second half of my feature, alphabetically listing all the TV shows I've been watching this autumn, with thoughts on how they're developing...

'The Knick' (season 2) - Cinemax.
It's another great year for this period medical drama, so far, which too many people are overlooking. I'm not sure why that is. The subject matter? Its wintry 1900s setting? The stigma of Cinemax? It's their loss. The Knick is amazing. Boardwalk Empire with stethoscopes. Gruesome surgeries. Genuinely insightful stuff about turn-of-the-19th-century medicine and social norms. Clive Owen as a coke-addict genius surgeon. Andre Holland stealing the show with a raised eyebrow. And it's all directed with surgical precision by Steven Soderbergh (Sex, Lies & Videotape, Ocean's Eleven), every single week. I feel blessed it exists.

MSN TV: Channel 4's PEEP SHOW (series 8)

Over on MSN TV: I review the belated return of Channel 4's PEEP SHOW for its eighth series, starring David Mitchell and Robert Webb as perennial losers Mark and Jeremy.

US sitcoms The Big Bang Theory, New Girl and Community are all the rage right now. However, Channel 4's homegrown Peep Show remains one of the most experimental for its unique "first person perspective" format and razor-sharp insight into the male condition. We could feasibly follow Mark and Jez into middle-age and beyond. Now in its ninth year, it's overtaken Drop the Dead Donkey as Channel 4's longest-running sitcom, and still doesn't show enough alarming signs of fatigue. While its creative peak was probably reached somewhere between series three and five, it has never dropped to an extent where you secretly hope creators Sam Bain and Jesse Armstrong bring it to an end.

Continue reading at MSN TV...

'PEEP SHOW' 7.5 & 7.6 - "Mark's Parents" & "New Year's Eve"

Apologies for the lateness of these closing reviews. Peep Show was a victim of a lazy Christmas and various New Year distractions. I'm going to mainly encapsulate my feelings about series 7 as a whole in this double-bill review.

The belated arrival of Peep Show in 2010 gave the show a rare opportunity to include two timely episodes, as the final weeks revolved around two big events in the calendar: Christmas Day and New Year's Eve. The former, in "Mark's Parents", was perhaps the highlight of the series, with Mark (David Mitchell) hosting Christmas dinner in the company of his supercilious parents, overexcited Jez (Robert Mitchell), spaced-out Super Hans (Matt King), and girlfriend Dobby (Isy Suttie) -- although Mark, in typically toe-curling fashion, decided it would be best to keep his relationship with dippy Dobby a secret, knowing his snobby parents wouldn't approve of her. What was interesting about episode 5 was seeing my usual reaction to Mark and Jez be reversed; as Jez was helpful and positive about Christmas Day (he even prepared the turkey in a responsible manner), whereas Mark dissolved into a short-tempered, haughty, cowardly mess.

Some of the best episodes of Peep Show restrict things to a single location (like the amazing party episode of series 6), so "Mark's Parents" worked especially well for taking place in the flat, with half the episode spent in the living room around a dining table. The greatest joy of this show is the incisive dialogue and character interaction, so there was plenty to savour with this meal between family and friends. You had to feel sorry for poor Dobby, asked to pretend she was Mark's platonic friend, when this was actually her ideal "meet the parents" moment, and Mark sunk to a new low in his failure to be proud he's dating someone as life-affirming as Dobby -- even if she may not be the sophisticate his parents want for him.

The finale, "New Year's Eve", was a fun episode with an adventurous nighttime lark, let-down by the fact it capped the six-part series in a rather mechanical, unimaginative way. The problem with Peep Show (maybe every odd-numbered series?), is that the overarching storyline rarely goes anywhere very interesting, often feels rushed, and sometimes stretches logic past breaking point.

I haven't been very interested in Jez's pursuit of Zahra (Camilla Marie Beeput) this series, for one key reason: it's ultimately just another variation on the joke of Jez lying to a woman above his social standing, yet dumb enough to fall for his dishonesty, before falling into his bed. The easily deluded seems to be the kind of woman Jez goes for, perhaps because writers Jesse Armstrong and Sam Bain love to indulge the male fantasy of a loser successfully wooing a hot babe. For me, this situation only works when the woman in question is proven to have been manipulating Jez all along (like series 6's Russian émigré), but Zahra was just a plot-device. She spent the entirety of the finale following Jez around, failing to realize the erudite soul mate he's painted himself as is just a scruffy idiot. Nothing about the development of her relationship with Jez rang true this year, even allowing for some comedy wriggle room. And the fact series 7 ended without a confrontation between Jez and her boyfriend Ben was a big let-down.

It's also a shame that Peep Show delivers life-changing moments like Mark becoming a father, only to barely mention that fact the next five episodes. Mark's son only featured a few times after his birth -- because using babies for TV is expensive, according to a Twitter Q&A with Sam Bain -- but that doesn't excuse the baby's lack of impact. I don't need to see Mark's son every episode, I just wanted to feel his presence, or sense his birth has impacted Mark's character in some way. You could argue Mark's indifference is largely the joke (he's hiding from the responsibility), but I don't see him that way. Mark would want to be involved in his son's upbringing.

It's just a pain that the presence of a baby chips away at Peep Show's premise of two bachelors living together, so the writers avoided it as much as possible. Similarly to how they avoided Mark getting married to Sophie. It would rock the boat too much. Interestingly, this series climaxed with Jez deciding to live with Zahra, shortly before she dumped him, then discovering Mark's already asked Dobby to move into his vacant room. But while that's a big change primed form series 8, you know it won't last. They'll perhaps play with the Mark-and-Dobby-as-flatmates idea for a few episodes, then find a way to get Dobby out and Jez back in.

Overall, series 7 was less than the sum of its parts. I remain inordinately impressed by the superb dialogue Jesse Armstrong, Sam Bain and Simon Blackwell write, and there are always some memorable moments in every episode, but the overarching narrative felt weak and recycled this year. Plus, it was almost criminal that the uproarious Johnson (Paterson Joseph) was reduced to a brief role in the finale, along with Jez's erstwhile girlfriend Big Suze (Sophie Winkleman). Together with the lack of Sophie (Olivia Colman) this year, it gave series 7 something of an undernourished feel.

What did you make of these final episodes, and series 7 as a whole?

WRITERS: Jesse Armstrong & Sam Bain
DIRECTOR: Becky Martin
TRANSMISSION: 24 & 29 December 2010, Channel 4/HD, 10PM

'PEEP SHOW' 7.4 - "The Christening"

This felt like a "bottle episode" (traditionally a budget-saving exercise, using limited locations and cast), although I doubt it was intended as such. But it was further evidence that Peep Show's at its funniest when it's found a way to have Mark (David Mitchell) and Jeremy (Robert Webb) interact with each other for as long as possible. They're a fantastic comedy double-act (which is remarkable when you remember they never share the screen because of Peep Show's POV format), and this fourth episode was a marvelous way to humiliate and frustrate them both in equal measure.

The whole half-hour saw Mark and Jez locked in the "netherzone" between Zhara's (Camilla Marie Beeput) flat and her building's exit, on the morning Mark's son is christened. As Mark panicked ("all I have in the dad-bank is my record of punctuality"), Jez was more laidback and blithely used his mobile phone's remaining battery charge to order a pizza -- which had to be pushed through a letterbox, piece by piece, sandwiched between a newspaper ("periodical pizza shields!")

Many sitcoms have attempted something similar to this episode, forcing characters into a claustrophobic situation (my favourite being Red Dward's "Marooned"), and Peep Show's offering proved an excellent way to accentuate the writing of this show. The plotting of Peep Show is quite rudimentary, but it's the characters and dialogue that are so relatable and hilarious, so this episode worked to its clear strengths.

By the time Mark and Jez had managed to get back inside Zhara's flat, only to then hide in the shower when her boyfriend Ben (Danny Babington) returned home and went for an audibly grotesque bowel movement, the greatness of this episode wasn't in question. The only downsides were the disappointingly abrupt development between Jez and Zhara (who have now slept together, between episodes), which felt rushed and unearned. It's a shame Peep Show only airs 6 episodes every year, because I can't help thinking a few story elements are hastily glossed over because time's in short supply. It would be great to have a situation where the Jez/Zhara storyline was allowed to breathe more.

Overall, this was a highlight of series 7 and a great way to focus the talent of writers Sam Bain and Jesse Armstrong, who turned a potentially sluggish and tedious setup into a brilliant comedy situation. They could probably write an episode where Mark and Jez became trapped together in an elevator and it would be a tour de force.

WRITERS: Sam Bain & Jesse Armstrong
DIRECTOR: Becky Martin
TRANSMISSION: 17 December 2010, Channel 4/HD, 10PM

'Peep Show' back for series 8 & 9

Channel 4 have today commissioned an eighth and ninth series of their BAFTA-winning comedy Peep Show, which is currently halfway through its seventh year. The bad news is that creators Jesse Armstrong and Sam Bain have so many work commitments next year that Peep Show's return is likely to slip into spring 2012. Is that too long to wait? Well, at least we know its long-term future is secure and, unlike so many comedies around, it's still not showing any signs of fatigue. Long may it continue!

'PEEP SHOW' 7.3 - "Mr Nice"

This third episode was entertaining and well-written, as usual, but didn't offer much unique to comment on. It was penned by regular contributor Simon Blackwell, and his work is indistinguishable from creators Jesse Armstrong and Sam Bain, which is as it should be, but this episode still felt like mid-series padding. It was still very funny, but lacked big development.

Two storylines dominated: Mark (David Mitchell) began to fret that he's incapable of satisfying Dobby (Isy Suttie) sexually, so bought a nine inch dildo nicknamed "Kenneth" to help spice up their love life; and Jez (Robert Webb) continued his quest to get Zahra (Camilla Marie Beeput) into bed, which currently involves pretending he's interested in her hobbies, such as art house cinema and reading books. Unfortunately, Jez has become trapped in his role as Zahra's platonic new pal, and her boyfriend Ben (Danny Babington) is actually pleased Jez is servicing his girlfriend intellectually, leaving him free to (ahem) service her physically.

I'm enjoying the situation with Jez more than I expected to, probably because it's a love-triangle that involves two new characters. Mark tends to bounce between the same supporting characters (even after he got fired from his job and became a waiter), whereas Jez is more likely to draw in new blood. However, so far Zahra appears to be just another naïve yet sophisticated love interest (rather like Big Suze), but suffering from a complete lack of insight when it comes to Jez's obvious idiocy. But I'm intrigued to see what happens when Jez steals Ben's girlfriend -- which he will surely do, as all women fall for his charms/lies sooner or later (although most are revealed to have been manipulating Jez from the beginning.)

The highlight of this episode was Jez having to speed-read Wuthering Heights, as he'd agreed to host Zhara's book club but has only ever read "Mr Nice", and this led to Mark having to talk Jez through the very act of reading prose ("it's like watching a sheep use an iPhone.") What I appreciated about this story was seeing Mark step in to spare Jez's embarrassment at the book club (after Ben criticized Jez's ignorant remark about the book's theme), by cutting Ben down to size with a intelligent rebuttal. Sometimes you forget that Mark and Jez are childhood friends, rather than flatmates who tolerate each other, so it was a welcome return to the camaraderie that somehow felt more central in the earlier years.

Oh, and Super Hans (Matt King) going cold turkey from drugs and consequently developing a rapacious desire to knit was wonderful. As was Mark getting fired for peeing in the restaurant's jalapeno sauce, to avenge a disgruntled customer who earlier sold him a duster for £11.

A funny episode with an amusing scenario for Jez to endure, if lacking huge laughs and big surprises.

WRITER: Simon Blackwell
DIRECTOR: Becky Martin
TRANSMISSION: 10 December 2010, Channel 4/HD, 10PM

'PEEP SHOW' 7.2 - "The Dobby Club"

I'm not sure episode 2 was necessarily better than the premiere, as it was more low-key, but it was a more traditional installment of Peep Show, taking place in the familiar milieu. I was surprised by how quickly Mark's (David Mitchell) fatherholod was pushed into the background, as it feels like this development might not have such a huge impact on series 7. There may just be episodes, like this one, where Mark spends a chunk of time carrying his newborn son around, perhaps using him as an easy way to charm women.

The raison d'être of this episode 2 was to get Mark back together with newly single Dobby (Isie Sutty), by defeating Gerrard (Jim Howick) in his own underhanded quest to win her heart. It was great to see Gerrard given a bigger role, as we caught up with him working in a model shop, before he joined Mark back at his flat to play with their purchases (a doll of Franklin D. Roosevelt versus a Cyberman action figure). It's both funny and tragic that Mark, now an unemployed father, has regressed back into childhood as a coping mechanism.

Jez's (Robert Webb) story continued the hospital situation from last week, with him trying to woo Zahra (Camilla Marie Beeput), despite the fact her comatose boyfriend Ben (Danny Babington) has woken up and is thus a tougher obstacle. Zahra's blissfully ignorant that Jez is only interested in her sexually, while Ben's under the misapprehension that he's a do-gooder who deserves recompense for supporting his girlfriend at the hospital. This leads to Jez being given a job working for Ben (who runs a online musical portal), which gives him leverage to rejoin Super Hans's (Matt King) band "Man Feelings", with the power to given them a record deal, provided they rename themselves "Danny Dyer's Chocolate Homunculus".

Both storylines were enjoyable this week, even if I've never been a proponent of seeing Mark and Dobby get together. I'm not against them as a couple, but I preferred the early days of Mark and Sophie's relationship. It was also fun to see Gerrard more active in a storyline, as he's been something of a background figure for years, and I appreciated getting an insight into his personality. The fact Mark's circle of friends don't work together now gives the show added freedom to explore different situations/environments (such as Gerrard's geeky model shop), which is something that benefitted much of series 6, too.

Jez's storyline is another tweak on the story he's given every year, but I suppose that's part of the charm. He's someone who never learns from his mistakes and, if he manages to charm Zahra into an affair (all hot women seem drawn to Jez!), I still expect the fallout to be fun. He's a pitiable character who always seems to land on his feet, but is simply unable to stop himself from ruining a good thing. Now he's been given a credible job in the music biz (over a silly misunderstanding), but the fact it means actual work, and his boss is the boyfriend of someone he fancies, means he'll inevitably throw it all away.

Plenty of amusing moments this week, too, such as Jez using Sophie's breast milk to make cups of tea ("it's one step away from cannibalism!"), and there was a wry meta moment when Mark bemoaned the fact he can't see into Dobby's head and hear what she's thinking -- which is, of course, an ability we the audience have when it comes to Mark and Jez. And from six years of experiences, I think it's safe to say Mark wouldn't want to hear what Dobby's thinking. You certainly wouldn't want to get inside the mind of Super Hans...

What did you make of this week's episode?

WRITERS: Sam Bain & Jesse Armstrong
DIRECTOR: Becky Martin
TRANSMISSION: 3 December 2010, CHANNEL4/HD, 10PM

TV Ratings: 'Peep Show', series 7

Peep Show returned for its seventh series on Friday night, but only attracted 885,000 for Channel 4 at 10pm, with an additional 151,000 watching Channel 4+1 at 11pm. This is the show's lowest rated premiere ever, which is particularly cruel because series 6's premiere attracted a series high of 1.8m. However, don't be too disheartened! Peep Show is notoriously low-rated, despite its huge critical success and strong DVD sales, but it's been profitable enough for Channel 4 to keep it on-air for years. But also, more importantly, this year's premiere was made available a week early via the 4OD online service. It's likely all the diehard fans saw episode 1 earlier in the week, so episode 2's ratings should give a better indication of how popular Peep Show is this year.

'PEEP SHOW' 7.1 - "Mark The Dad"

Unusually, this premiere continued directly from series 6's finale; no doubt because the prospect of seeing father-to-be Mark (David Mitchell) and best-friend Jez (Robert Webb) in a hospital, supporting Sophie (Olivia Colman) through her labour, was comedy ground too fertile to pass up.

The arc of the storyline was somewhat predictable: Sophie was dilating in agony, making "birth partner" Mark extremely uncomfortable (as they're no longer a couple, he's unsure how to support her); Jez was distracted by a beautiful woman called Zahra (Camilla Beeput), pretending to be supportive of the fact her boyfriend's in a coma (reading him extracts from FHM), while secretly hoping he dies; Mark was distracted by a water boiler problem at home, sending Super Hans (Mark King) to fix it (hoping for "minimal water damage"), before growing so impatient with Sophie's eight-hour labour that he headed to a local KFC and video-game arcade.

As always with Peep Show, its genius stems from being allowed to eavesdrop on the thought processes of its two leads, mainly because the dark recesses of their psyches aren't too dissimilar to our own. Mark and Jez are exaggerated creations to an extent -- but the core of what they say, do, and think has a realism to it. All great comedy reflects its audience, and Peep Show's found the perfect format for making the audience complicit in its character's actions and behaviour. We're literally in the head of Mark and Jez for the majority of every episode, and it's both a frightening, depressing, and hilarious place to be. Mark's anxiety over his imminent fatherhood was brilliantly portrayed, in a way it wouldn't have been without hearing his internal voice.

Overall, this premiere wasn't anywhere near Peep Show's best efforts (the "paedophobe" mix-up with "paedophile" was beneath this show, while some of the comedy scenarios felt a little forced), but it definitely marked a clear turning point for the series. Mark's now a father, with responsibilities he can't shirk, and no doubt that's going to play into the remaining five episodes quite extensively.

Asides

• Was it impossible for Sophie's parents to get to the hospital? Or Mark's?
• Mark's thought after glimpsing Sophie's cesarean: "I thought it would be all Chip and Pin, not London Dungeon!"
• Out of interest: I've always thought a female spin-off to Peep Show could be worth pursuing, although perhaps it would require female writers to give it the realism Jesse Armstrong and Sam Bain bring to their male creations. Anyone agree?
• I know chasing girls with a tissue of lies and eventually tying himself into knots is what Jez tends to do every series, but has that arc run its course now? I can't help thinking it's time Jez was given a different storyline, so I hope his dealing with Zahra was just a one-off subplot for this episode.

WRITERS: Jesse Armstrong & Sam Bain
DIRECTOR: Becky Martin
TRANSMISSION: 26 November 2010, Channel 4/HD, 10PM

PEEP SHOW 6.6

[SPOILERS] The finale to this excellent sixth series wasn't the perfect ending I was primed for, but the last five minutes were as close to comedy bliss as one could hope – if slightly undermined by a lack of resolution. It was a shame the first half was a bit dry and implausible by Peep Show standards (a driving instructor who doesn't teach?), but there was still much to enjoy and more ears-full of dialogue to savour...

Here, Jez is contemplating extreme measures as his lover Elena's (Vera Filatova) marriage to Gail (Emily Bruni) approaches, such as drowning his unwitting love-rival when she joins him aboard a rowing boat after a picnic. Meanwhile, Sophie (Olivia Colman) buys Mark (David Mitchell) an intensive course of driving lessons, hoping he'll pass his test and get a license before their baby is born, so he can take her to the hospital when she goes into labour. Unfortunately, Mark's a terrible learner driver (not helped by the apathetic, youthful instructor he's assigned), but he's forced into pretending he's passed to save face in front of Jeff (Neil Fitzmaurice), whose accompaniment of Sophie to ante-natal classes singles him out as a "rival dad". And then Sophie suggests calling their son Tarquin Oliver Nimrod or, even worse, Geoff...

It was an episode where the pay-off was worth the wait, as Sophie went into labour and phoned Mark to drive her to the hospital – a duty he couldn't offload onto anyone else, especially a drunken Jez watching Jaws on a laptop. Their low-speed, irresponsible dash to Sophie coincided with Jez needing to break-up Elena and Gail's wedding day, which he eventually did after replacing Mark in the driver's seat and nearly running over Gail on the road. With Sophie aware that Mark lied about passing his test and seeing the state Jez is in, she was forced to drive herself to the hospital with Jez and Mark sat uselessly on the backseat...

One thing that frustrated me was how there wasn't clearer resolution to any of the storylines this year. Sure, it seems likely that Elena and Gail will split and have left the show by the next series, but nothing's certain. It also feels likely that the series 7 premiere will jump ahead in time and we'll see Sophie with a months-old baby already, as that's usually what Peep Show does. It rarely, if ever, continues immediately from a cliffhanger ending -- which is a shame, really. I was looking forward to seeing Mark being frantic at the hospital during the birth, or for a part of this episode to take place in the maternity ward, but it ended a little too prematurely for me.

Still, while this finale didn't quite fill a half-hour with comedy gold like last week's sensational episode, it was worth watching for Mark's stressed meltdown in the car as he constantly kept stalling the engine. I also loved Super Hans casually revealing he has "twins" (pictures of whom Orange have deleted from his phone), and I have to commend Robert Webb for his performances this year -- while David Mitchell tends to get all the awards (a tad unfairly, as Webb is hardly the "weak link"), Webb certainly proved himself the standout half this series.


23 October 2009
Channel 4, 10pm

written by: Sam Bain & Jesse Armstrong directed by: Becky Martin starring: David Mitchell (Mark), Robert Webb (Jez), Eliza Bennett (Sarah), Emily Bruni (Gail), Olivia Colman (Sophie), Vera Filatova (Elena), Neil Fitzmaurice (Jeff), Jim Howick (Gerard), Matt King (Super Hans), Will Beer (Ross) & Mark Kempner (Driving Examiner)

Box-Eyed: Six for the Fall

After an extended break due to a heavy workload and holidays, my Box-Eyed at Newslite.tv finally returns this week with a brief look at six Autumn TV shows I recommend you try out (if you're not already).

PEEP SHOW 6.5

[SPOILERS] It's the penultimate episode already, and series 6 hasn't really gone in the direction many were expecting, as the father of Sophie's (Olivia Colman) baby was identified early and we've arguably focused more on Jez's (Robert Webb) relationship with émigré Elena (Vera Filatova) than uncomfortable parental issues...

The great thing about Peep Show is how many of its best episodes take place entirely within the confines of Mark and Jez's flat (just five sets, including the hallway), but that forces the script to be robust and funny enough to go the distance. I also find it amusing to imagine episodes without the hilarious "inner voices" – as the show would be a very different beast. Most episode's would look rather mundane, as so much of the comedy comes from hearing and identifying with whatever crosses Mark and Jez's mind at key moments.

In this episode, Mark and Jez decide to host a party together. Mark intends to use it as the perfect venue to make a move on Dobby (Isy Suttie) before she gets a fresh circle of friends at her new job, while Jez just wants to make Elena jealous and force her to choose between him or her lesbian lover Gail (Emily Bruni). Naturally, the festivity takes some beautiful turns for the worst: Super Hans (Matt King) arrived wearing a "rental snake" as his "USP", which he later lost; Dobby belatedly arrived after the party had peaked and ended up going home with the intubated, sickly Gerard (Jim Howick); Sophie's dad arrived with a tempting offer to fix their marriage so he can be a proper husband and father; Jez admitted to Elena he loves her, but after she agrees to dump Gail for him her long-term partner pops the question and she accepts; Mark dealt with two gatecrashers who are gorging on his homemade lasagna; and there's a mystery of Da Vinci Code proportions for Mark to solve when someone left a stinking mess in his loo.

There were a few moments that didn't quite click (like Mark's father-in-law turning up), but this was mostly another fantastically farcical episode where most things had pay-off (like those "puke points" Jez distributed around the flat) and the storyline for Jez took a big step forward. I'm still a little unsure about exactly where the Mark/Dobby situation is headed, as it never really seems to gather much steam for me. I know a lot of people find Isy Suttie incredibly funny and endearing, too, but I'm not quite onboard with that assessment. I rather wish Sophie had been given more screen-time than she has in this series, but maybe her role will increase again after giving birth. And I'm still not convinced Mark's the father of her child, either...

Overall, it almost goes without saying that this was a truly marvelous episode, packed full of memorable moments and lines of dialogue -- from Mark's iPod suddenly "shuffling" the party music to a dull speech, Jez describing Mark as "a fusty, sweater-wearing no-fly zone with a ten-foot carrot up [his] arse", the throwaway shot of Super Hans making his snake dizzy in a salad mixer, Mark's unspoken quest to discover who blocked his toilet, and Jez agreeing to be Elena's "human mannequin".)

I remain in awe at the highs this comedy achieves, week in, week out. What did you all think?


16 October 2009
Channel 4, 10pm

written by: Sam Bain & Jesse Armstrong directed by: Becky Martin starring: David Mitchell (Mark), Robert Webb (Jez), Vera Filatova (Elena), Emily Bruni (Gail), Isy Suttie (Dobby), Jim Howick (Gerrard) & Sophie Winkleman (Big Suze)

PEEP SHOW 6.4

[SPOILERS] Another marvelously twisted comedy of embarrassment this week, as Mark (David Mitchell) overheard Jez's new girlfriend Elena (Vera Filatova) talking to her long-term lover... and isn't pleased when it becomes clear Elena wants him to break the news to Jez...

Mark also had to contend with the return of ex-boss Johnson (Patterson Joseph), who is now working from a terraced house on a new management consultancy startup business. While the possibility of being part of something big and lucrative is attractive to unemployed Mark (I guess he didn't get that historical walk job?), Johnson's tenuous grasp of reality, general lack of common sense (particularly regarding a "wireless" printer that needs wires), and insistence that Mark must contribute £2,000 to be an equal partner, has him unsure how he should proceed.

When Jez is eventually told of Elena's cheating ways by Mark, his head-in-the-sand attitude turns the situation into a positive after he learns Elena's partner is in fact a woman, Mensa "genius" Gail (Emily Bruni). Wrongly expecting a sexy threesome to naturally present itself, Jez instead became a rather tragic figure -- forever sneaking away for quickies with the manipulative Elena whenever Gail's away, and eventually finding himself stuck outside on her freezing cold balcony when Gail makes a surprise return.

Gail herself gets Mark a job at Banditos, a tacky Mexican restaurant, where on his first night he's horrified to discover his workplace is the venue for Johnson's meeting with a potential client. Mark's forced to try and juggle his waiting duties with presenting himself as Johnson's loyal "wingman" to two businessmen, which inevitably proves impossible.

There was also the return of Big Suze (Sophie Winkleman), whose relationship with Johnson appears to be hitting the rocks, no doubt because they're living far beneath the executive lifestyle she was accustomed to now that JLB has closed. She didn't really get much to do, but I suspect her reintroduction will be of greater consequence in the final two episodes. Is she destined to get back with Jez? His relationship with Elena isn't likely to last, after all.

This fourth episode was another comedy masterclass. It's proving difficult to come up with fresh ways to say the performances and scripts are sublime, so I'll just reiterate that fact. However, I'm not sold on Vera Filatova as Elena, who isn't always convincing when talking to what is, in reality, a cameraman. Indeed, there can be occasional "disconnects" with guest-star performances in Peep Show, as the regular actors are so accustomed to this filming style that it's become second nature to them -- meaning new actor's inexperience can lead to a less credible performances, as it has Filatova.

It was also great to see the outrageous Johnson back, although I sometimes find myself torn with Paterson Joseph's performances. His character's so broad and crazy that he's the least plausible character in a sitcom that goes to great lengths to present itself as painfully realistic (if heightened for comic effect.) Fortunately, you can't deny Johnson's never anything less than magnetic to watch, but I do sometimes wish his character was less of a cartoon...

I take it everyone else loved this one?


9 October 2009
Channel 4, 10pm

written by: Sam Bain & Jesse Armstrong directed by: Becky Martin starring: David Mitchell (Mark), Robert Webb (Jez), Vera Filatova (Elena), Patterson Joseph (Johnson), Emily Bruni (Gail), Sophie Winkleman (Big Suze), Phillip Brook (Father) & Jasper Jacob (Colin)

PEEP SHOW 6.3

[SPOILERS] I think it's safe to say series 6 is already better than last year, and is close to eclipsing the excellent third series if it maintains this quality. Episode 3 was superb, full of so much wonderful dialogue that a quicker way to list my favourite sound-bites would be to transcribe the script verbatim...

Jez (Robert Webb) is blissfully in love with the beautiful Elena, so much so that he's unaware she's essentially controlling him -- making him do her ironing, take the blame (or "wank bullet") for porn found on her work computer, and travel to Hastings to buy her favourite bread -- but loved-up Jez is happy to oblige. Meanwhile, Mark (David Mitchell) is presented with a career opportunity by Dobby (Isy Suttie) that, rather unimaginably, seems like something he'd both be good at and enjoy– being the tour guide on a history walk. However, Mark's ambition to present a fact-based tour with none of the sellout theatricality doesn't really work, so he's forced to adhere to stereotype and clutch a Holmesian pipe to keep an audience...

As usual for Peep Show, it's not so much the plot that's a joy (although this episode's was stronger than some), but the characterization and internal monologues we eavesdrop on – like Mark mentally correct Jez's bad grammar during a discussion. The external dialogue is just a brilliant: from downloading porn safely ("always wipe, Mark; discharge your pipe, then have a wipe -- that's the rhyme) to Dobby's summation of the medium ("men like looking at distressing images of heroin addicts showing their genitals for money.") It's a smorgasbord of perfectly-delivered quips, asides, and comic statements – shaming years worth of other sitcoms in a single sitting. The great thing is that a good 25% of the gems pass you by on first viewing, so Peep Show lends itself to repeats far better than you'd expect.

The comic situations presented were also very funny, particularly Jez going through his rehearsed explanation for why Elena's computer had porn on it (bluntly claiming he's a sex addict who masturbates twelve times a day), or Mark already secretly regretting having a child with Sophie (Olivia Colman) because it's destined to endure his childhood and repeat his mistakes. Speaking of which, I still suspect Mark's not the father but he's the best option available to Sophie right now.

Overall, what more can you say? Funny, heartfelt, cynical, sarcastic, desperate, uncomfortable, awkward, hilarious comedy at its finest. Peep Show's what I hold up to anyone who doubts British comedy these days, as the format and bravery is light-years ahead of what anyone else is doing, and it's proven itself unexpectedly robust. You'd expect the joke to have worn thin by now, but it's just getting funnier. I fully expect to see Mark and Jeremy as two sad old men in a nursing home one day.


2 October 2009
Channel 4, 10pm

written by: Sam Bain, Jesse Armstrong & Simon Blackwell directed by: Becky Martin starring: Robert Webb (Jez), David Mitchell (Mark), Olivia Colman (Sophie), Vera Filatova (Elena), Isy Suttie (Dobby), Penelope Beaumont (Jan), Justin Brett (Michael), Rufus Jones (Peter) & Robert Popper (Annoying Man)

PEEP SHOW 6.2

[SPOILERS] Another terrific episode, taking its cue from the great tradition of British farce. For the majority of this half-hour, events were contained within Mark (David Mitchell) and Jez's (Robert Webb) tenement block, as the pair grappled with a malfunctioning new boiler and a terrible lie...

Jez made a play for their sexy new neighbour, who turned out to be a Russian drug-dealer called Elena (Vera Filatova); while Mark invited Dobby (Isy Suttie) round for a date at their flat, intending to finally make his move on her...

Unfortunately, matters were complicated when Jez lied to émigré Elena about being an expectant father, once he learned she has a fetish for "DILFs". Jez was then forced to retell the lie to Mark, whom Sophie (Olivia Colman) had confirmed to him is her baby's father following their paternity test. Mark, wrongly relieved the test branded Jez the father and freed him of responsibility ("I can do anything! I can leave T-Mobile!"), was therefore emboldened to kiss Dobby, only for Jez to break the truth to him seconds after he finally got his colleague into bed. And then Sophie arrived to talk things over with Mark, meaning both guys had to try and keep the girls in the dark about what's really been going on...

Confused? It made more sense when you basked in the social embarrassment as it unfolded on-screen, watching things tangle into a cat's cradle of confusion, heartache, lies, and awkwardness: from Mark melting down and blaming his troubles on their overheating boiler, to Jez trying to keep his romantic chances alive whatever the cost. At times, it could be argued the episode veered into the ridiculous -- what with Mark insisting on wearing three condoms, electrocuting himself as he tried to dismantle the door-bell Sophie was ringing, or just the fact Jez continues to pull girls way out of his league -- but for the most part it kept its head.

Most interesting to me was how Mark has been named the father of Sophie's baby so early in the series, as I was expecting that revelation to come in the final episode as a lead-in to series 7. This unexpectedly early reveal has me very suspicious, particularly as we only have Sophie's word that she's telling the truth, and she's been known to be quite manipulative when she wants something. Will Mark get to see the paternity test result himself, or will he just take Sophie's word for it? A part of me suspects the baby is Jez's after all, but Sophie knows Mark would make a better father, or at least a more reliable provider of alimony.

Then again, it was strange that Sophie suddenly mentioned the possibility that Jeff could be the father, so maybe it's neither of them? I guess it depends if the writers want to keep Mark and Jez as fatherless losers next year, or plough ahead with them as misfit co-parents. I'm hoping for the latter, with Jez as a father shirking responsibility, and Mark back with Sophie as the baby's stepfather. How about you?


25 September 2009
Channel 4, 10pm

written by: Sam Bain & Jesse Armstrong directed by: Becky Martin starring: David Mitchell (Mark), Robert Webb (Jez), Olivia Colman (Sophie), Isy Suttie (Dobby) & Vera Filatova (Elena)

TV Ratings: Peep Show, Merlin, Strictly Come Dancing & X Factor

There was great news for Channel 4's Peep Show last Friday; traditionally a low-rated series that justifies its existence through DVD sales and industry kudos. The sixth series debuted with 1.81m (plus 208,000 via the time-shift channel), making it Peep Show's most watched episode ever! Either word has finally started to spread about the series following its high-profile BAFTA wins, or there were a lot of hypnotized Derren Brown viewers stuck to their armchairs and unable to reach their remotes!

On Saturday, BBC1's Merlin conjured itself 5.08m viewers for its series 2 premiere; its second worst performance ever, but actually not that far behind series 1's average of 5.74m. As consolation, it beat a particularly gripping edition of ITV1's gameshow The Cube.

The big weekend clash was between BBC1's Strictly Come Dancing and ITV1's X Factor, a scheduling conflict for Saturday primetime that caused great anger amongst fans -- despite the fact both shows regularly stepped on each other's toes last year, and nobody cared. Anyway, Strictly was the loser in this TV battle, managing 7.72m to X Factor's 9.27m. It was X Factor's lowest number this year because of Strictly's arrival as competition, but still enough to defeat its BBC rival. The BBC apparently have no plans to avoid further clashes, either...

PEEP SHOW 6.1

[SPOILERS] A welcome return for the BAFTA-winning sitcom, now in its sixth year and still feeling fresh. You have to commend that longevity in Peep Show, as most British sitcoms, particularly ones with a strong cult following, tend to peter out around the fourth series. Series 5 was a slight disappointment to me, because I felt the aftermath to Mark (David Mitchell) and Sophie's (Olivia Colman) wedding disaster wasn't very fulfilling, but this new series appears to have a much stronger narrative through-line...

Mark and Jez (Robert Webb) are both prospective fathers to Olivia's gestating baby -– one biologically, one spiritually, with neither brave enough to confront the situation and get the truth. Anyway, Mark's celebrating a promotion at JLB, splashing out on a new sofa for the flat, and he's even found Jez a job as a "phone pig". However, it all came crashing down around their ears following a fire drill that turned genuine ("bloody hell, Mark; get your elbows in, it's all gone Backdraft!"), when their boss Johnson (Paterson Joseph) arrived to inform the staff that the company's collapsed and they're all unemployed.

For Mark, a ray of light shines from the disaster when he becomes the spokesman for the staff in their battle to win compensation from JLB's German firm, led by Steffan Strauss (Robert Cambrinus), whom Mark impersonates with a Hitler moustache for a satirical sketch performed with Dobby (Isy Suttie). Things are complicated very nicely when Mark's blackmailed with a cheque for £15,000 to end the workers revolt, yet pressured by Dobby and Mark into raiding JLB after-hours and ransacking the place. Cue scenes of Mark stealing the ergonomic keyboard he covets anyway, before spraying fire extinguisher foam over Dobby just as Steffan and Johnson arrived.

It was another superbly-written piece, full of tiny gems you don't catch on first viewing, that once again finds new ways to humiliate and embarrass the pair. I'm assuming we won't find out who's the father of Sophie's baby until the finale (at the earliest), but that will give the show a certain mystery to play with. It was also very funny to see both Mark and Jez doing their best to put notions of fatherhood out of their heads, quickly hiding baby clothes delivered to them by Super Hans (Matt King) under the bed. The fear of parenthood and growing up is something that continually undermines Jez and Mark's lives; the latter rewarding himself with a plush sofa that further ties him indoors, where life's just that little bit easier to ignore. But not even they could ignore a screaming baby when it enters this world – could they?


18 September 2009
Channel 4, 10pm

written by: Sam Bain & Jesse Armstrong directed by: Becky Martin starring: David Mitchell (Mark), Robert Webb (Jez), Olivia Colman (Sophie), Matt King (Super Hans), Paterson Joseph (Johnson), Neil Fitzmaurice (Jeff), Isy Suttie (Dobby), Jim Howick (Gerrard), Vera Filatova (Elena), Endy Mckay (Lisa), Robert Cambrinus (Steffan Strauss) & Douglas McFerran (Security Guard)

PEEP SHOW 5.6 – "Mark's Women"

Writers: Sam Bain & Jesse Armstrong

Director: Becky Martin

Cast: David Mitchell (Mark), Robert Webb (Jez), Matt King (Super Hans), Olivia Coleman (Sophie), Paterson Joseph (Johnson), Isy Suttie (Dobby), James Howick (Gerrard), Alex Lowe (Edwin) & James Bachman (Monster)



Mark considers making a move on Dobby, but matters are complicated by a breakthrough with Sophie. Meanwhile, Jez and Super Hans join a cult...

Episode 6 heralds the winds of change for next year, but it's come so late that I can't help thinking season 5 (despite a few highlights), was narratively treading water. The "will they, won't they" between Mark (David Mitchell) and Sophie (Olivia Coleman) built nicely to their disastrous wedding in season 4, but this year's fallout has been disappointing. Fortunately, season 6 is already looking twice as promising...

Here, Mark decides that Dobby (Isy Suttie) could be "the one" after her love of role-playing computer games comes to light. Amusing to see Mark indulge his geekiness with Dobby and co-worker Gerrard (James Howick) with an online video-game, as he's not usually so obviously nerdy in his pursuits – just kind of stiff and awkward. He also gets promoted by Johnson (Paterson Joseph), moving from Credit Manager to Senior Credit Manager.

As Mark's life seems to improve, Jez (Robert Webb) comes to realize he might be a "knobhead" after all, as he visits the local New Wellness Centre with Super Hans (Matt King) for a "personality test". Soon afterwards, both become more self-aware of their failings in life, and Mark is astonished to find Jez quickly becoming brainwashed by this "cult" – who base their teachings on seven sacred truths from golden tablets found inside an asteroid that crashed in Siberia back in 1911. Still, despite Mark's concerns, it does mean Jez starts being helpful around the house... so it can't be all bad.

Matters are complicated when Mark and Sophie sleep together after a drunken party at work, and Mark finds that his bachelor condom "Old Meg" ripped during intercourse. As he warns Sophie to take preventative measures with a morning after pill, he's gobsmacked to find she's already pivoted herself in bed to best enable her chances of pregnancy.

Soon after, Mark is told by Johnson that he has to fire Sophie -- which would be difficult enough, but becomes impossible when Sophie reveals she's pregnant with his baby. Mark's dreams of a fresh relationship with Dobby disappear in the wake of Sophie's bombshell, and Jez reveals he's moving out of the flat to join a New Wellness commune. It then becomes apparent that the guilt that drove Jez to visit the New Wellness Centre to begin with came about because he drunkenly slept with Sophie behind Mark's back... so Sophie's baby might be his!

It's a superb twist that should make season 6 a great deal more interesting than this season. The key thing missing from season 5 was a decent throughline. We just had Mark's somewhat implausible ability to meet potential girlfriends every week, and a few uncomfortable moments whenever he bumped into Sophie. Jez was given even less to do, really – as the blossoming of his band didn't amount to much, and his financial worries were brushed under the carpet. I just think Peep Show works better if there's a strong storyline linking everything together -- but season 5 didn't really have one.

That said, this finale will really shake things up next year. Who's the father of Sophie's baby? If it's Mark; does this mean he'll get back with Sophie for the sake of his child? If it's Jez's; how awkward will that be – especially if Mark does get back with Sophie! "My flatmate is the father of my wife's child"; it's ripe for The Jeremy Kyle Show. I'm expecting great things in season 6, as a pregnancy should prove the episode-to-episode backbone missing in season 5. And I'm already predicting Sophie gives birth in season 6's finale, ready for a trials of fatherhood storyline for Jez/Mark in season 7. Hey, Peep Show could go on for years at this rate... bliss.

Overall, this was a very funny episode and had the storytelling meat to back it up. The sight of Jez "programmed" by the Scientology-esque cult was excellent (deserving of its own episode, to be honest), although it was a bit of a stretch to find cynical Super Hans fell for the mumbo-jumbo, too. But, that was a small concern, really. The moment when Sophie positioned herself in bed to intentional get pregnant was pretty dark (for her, especially) and I hope this isn't the last we've seen of geek-girl Dobby. But next season -- can we have more Johnson, please? He was criminally underused this year.


6 June 2008
Channel 4, 10.35 pm