Peep Show - Series 6 Page 35

I am liking series 6 more than 5 or 4 so far. If there is a difference from older Peep Shows it is probably because everyone (stars, characters, writers, viewers) is more familiar with each other and we are all a little bit older. For that reason I think it will be hard to beat the first three series but this one is very good so far - no coincidence I think that it has focused pretty sharply on the central relationships.

BTW I'm not a fan of the dog episode either (not on grounds of taste - I just think it made the characters do things I couldn't swallow).

I think that episode had to crank-up Mark and Jeremy to the limits of what they were potentially capable of, due to the wedding finale of episode six. In their respective ways they had both reached a kind of insane rock-bottom of self doubt, fear and loathing, which made their bonding during the abortive wedding day more of a satisfying conclusion to the series. (This may be just over-reaching for an defence, but I think to some extent episode five was planned to stretch the bounds of possibility with Mark and Jez. Objectively it was also very funny.)

Quote: Tim Walker @ October 6 2009, 1:26 AM BST

This may be just over-reaching for an explanation

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Yes.

Then again, it may be perfectly valid and exactly what the writers had in mind.

Quote: Tim Walker @ October 6 2009, 1:31 AM BST

Then again, it may be perfectly valid and exactly what the writers had in mind.

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Which still doesn't rule out you over-reaching.

My gripe with series 4 (such as I have a gripe - I still like it) is that everything is geared to pressing the reset button at the end so Mark and Jez can be flatmates again. They'd left themselves little wriggle room at the end of series 3, admittedly.

But, in a sense, isn't that "reset button" consistent with the true classical nature of sitcom? People don't want the characters they love to change too much (nor their surroundings and circumstances).

Yes, you can mix up the pieces of the jigsaw as much as you want during an episode/series, but sitcom works by them all being fitted neatly back together to make the same picture by the end. (Tortured analogy I know, but it's late here...)

Quote: Tim Walker @ October 6 2009, 2:08 AM BST

But, in a sense, isn't that "reset button" consistent with the true classical nature of sitcom? People don't want the characters they love to change too much (nor their surroundings and circumstances).

Yes, you can mix up the pieces of the jigsaw as much as you want during an episode/series, but sitcom works by them all being fitted neatly back together to make the same picture by the end. (Tortured analogy I know, but it's late here...)

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Doesn't the classic structure reset each episode? This went an entire series. I don't know without looking back, but is it possible to enjoy isolated epsiodes of later series of Peep Show as much as one-offs of the early series?

Quote: Badge @ October 6 2009, 2:11 AM BST

Doesn't the classic structure reset each episode? This went an entire series. I don't know without looking back, but is it possible to enjoy isolated epsiodes of later series of Peep Show as much as one-offs of the early series?

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Fair point, but I think that can be levelled at a lot of sitcoms. Even in series 1 & 2 the over-riding arc of Mark's story was pursuing Sophie (with a grim determination at times), for example. I think as a fan it is easy to pop back into any old episode and enjoy it in isolation. It's hard to say how a casual viewer randomly viewing any episode would take to it. The writers do the job of a "proper" sitcom and tell you a self-contained story in each show. Yes, it may be part of a developing storyline (especially in the later series), but they do have a definite beginning and end, I think.

I don't see what was so bad about the dog episode, I thought it was great.

Quote: Matthew Stott @ October 6 2009, 9:06 AM BST

I don't see what was so bad about the dog episode, I thought it was great.

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It seems that some viewers like a more conservative sitcom than we do.

Quote: Badge @ October 6 2009, 1:19 AM BST

I'm not a fan of the dog episode either (not on grounds of taste - I just think it made the characters do things I couldn't swallow).

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>_<

I thought the dog episode was ok. Seemed a bit 'Peep Show by numbers' though.

Peep Show Pilot Script

http://www.sotcaa.net/editnews/peepshow_pilotscript01.html

Quote: Martin H @ October 6 2009, 8:01 PM BST

Peep Show Pilot Script

http://www.sotcaa.net/editnews/peepshow_pilotscript01.html

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Wow, this is interesting. Cheers Martin! What a weird format though!

Quote: Martin H @ October 6 2009, 8:01 PM BST

Peep Show Pilot Script

http://www.sotcaa.net/editnews/peepshow_pilotscript01.html

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Well I never. Cheers.