Quote: Dolly Dagger @ October 2 2009, 10:43 PM BSTI've always quite fancied being a historical tour guide.
Me too!
Except I'm too self-conscious. And have an awful memory for detail.
Peep Show - Series 6 Page 30
Quote: Renegade Carpark @ October 2 2009, 10:42 PM BSTMaybe I'm just picking nits, but the level of 'outrageousness' seems to have dropped considerably. In previous shows they ran over a dog, set fire to it and then ate it in front of it's owners. Admitting you like porn seems a bit tame in comparison.
I see what you're getting at but, for me, that episode with the dog was a low point for Peep Show.
Last week's episode was masterly and this one was equally old-skool Peep Show (reminded me of the swimming pool episode). Bain, Armstrong and Blackwell: leave the dogs alone, please!
Quote: Renegade Carpark @ October 2 2009, 10:42 PM BSTMaybe I'm just picking nits, but the level of 'outrageousness' seems to have dropped considerably. In previous shows they ran over a dog, set fire to it and then ate it in front of it's owners. Admitting you like porn seems a bit tame in comparison.
I can appreciate what you mean and, to some extent, agree. It feels to me that series 6 is maybe deliberately going to be a transitional series in the show. With the series 7 commission already in the bag, the writers and producers may want to use these six episodes to have a change of pace and just explore facets of the characters we haven't seen much of. How does Jeremy cope with true love? How does Mark cope with satisfaction? The show has been fairly full-on and fast paced in terms of plot and story development in the previous series, so this may be a good time to slow it down for a while.
EDIT: From a writer's perspective the show is strong as ever, I think. I have given up trying to do any work on my script in the hours after this show airs, as I just end-up comparing every line I'm writing against Peep Show. The amount of great dialogue the writers pack into a show is depressingly good.
Quote: Aaron @ October 2 2009, 10:46 PM BSTMe too!
Does that mean we're a bit sad?
Quote: Dolly Dagger @ October 2 2009, 11:03 PM BSTDoes that mean we're a bit sad?
I was a tour guide at a local historical site, so I will be sad with both of you. 
I totally understand what you're saying and it's good to take a show along a different path to keep it from going stale, but I have this innate fear that the writers might get a bit 'soft'.
We've seen it happen with a lot of other long running sitcoms from OFAH to Friends, where they ditch the very thing that made the show entertaining and ventured into some sort of weird drama-soap-comment on society-indepth character study-psychedelic mess type of thingymadoodle.
The previous series had this underlying current of nervous desperation throbbing away in the background. The new series just doesn't have the same 'vibe' or 'energy'.
Again, I'm over analysing because I love the show so much. So I will take a massive chill pill and see how it all pans out.
Quote: Renegade Carpark @ October 2 2009, 11:04 PM BSTwhere they ditch the very thing that made the show entertaining and ventured into some sort of weird drama-soap-comment on society-indepth character study-psychedelic mess type of thingymadoodle.
I really don't see any evidence of this. The characters haven't changed at their most fundamental level, nor has the style or tone of the episodes to any major degree. The internal monologue stuff is still as interesting and occasionally edgy as it always was. I really think if you watched an episode from series 2 or 3 alongside an episode from the current series you wouldn't notice major changes in the approach.
The episodes where the characters have ended up in some mad or awkward situation were mostly (let's forget the dog episode shall we?) not that outrageous anyway. The plots have always (rightly) stemmed from the behaviour and feelings of the characters. At the moment they are in perhaps more reflective moods and not chasing women/money/drugs/fame at every opportunity. If that means the shows seem a little more superficially tame, then so be it. With writing and performances this strong I'm more than satisfied. 
It's not the writing I have a problem with, it's the new format - previous series seemed to have an entirely different timing with events unfolding at a tortuous pace. Whereas the newer episodes seem to be 'problem - resolution' all happening within a few moments of each other.
I keep thinking back to the episode where Mark had to give a speech to the rest of JLB about a marketing merger and the anxiety and terror was almost tangible. (And of course, when he took Jeremy's advice and jumped out of the window and then got caught was sheer bloomin' genius.)
That same kind of atmosphere hasn't been captured by the newer episodes as of yet.
Again, I'm probably just imagining things, so I'll shut the hell up.
Quote: Renegade Carpark @ October 2 2009, 11:49 PM BSTAgain, I'm probably just imagining things, so I'll shut the hell up.
I don't think you're totally imagining it. The show does feel a bit different.
Quote: Renegade Carpark @ October 2 2009, 11:49 PM BSTThat same kind of atmosphere hasn't been captured by the newer episodes as of yet.
You're right in that respect. There hasn't been a moment of arse-clenching anxiety or shame yet in this series, nor a moment where one of them (Mark, it's usually Mark, let's face it) has truly had his chips pissed on.
This series seems to have a slightly different feel to the others.
I'm still enjoying it, but I'm a little worried that it's heading down the characature route, maybe not yet, but soon.