I thought it was losing it a bit this series. That said, still very funny, just not as good as previous Peep Shows.
That was until episode 5 (that Tom Basden wrote) with Mark as the chairman of the committee and the commuting travelling rep. I laughed out loud much more at that than I have at anything else in the last year or so. It was absolutely superb.
Dan
This series basically continues a trend that started in season 4. Early Peep Show was so good because it was so believable and natural. The comedy came from the ridiculous lines and internal thoughts that had nothing to do with the plot.
Now it tries to make the main comedy from the plot.
Obviously it is still a good show and has some great lines, but some of it is becoming a bit sitcommy and over the top: e.g Johnson's speech at Gerard's funeral? He would never say that!
Speaking of Johnson, I wish they'd done something about him relapsing into alcoholism as he seemed to be in the last ep of season 7. That would have been great. Maybe the actor wasn't available for much time. JLB or something similar should return if only for more Johnson
And since when was Dobby such a hipster with cool friends? The writers seem to have forgotten the character a bit. In the 5th season she was basically just weird, and almost as much of a loser as Mark
Quote: Nil Putters @ January 5 2013, 4:52 PM GMTWas listening to Heresy, from 2008, the other day and noticed Victoria Coren mention her perfect way to meet partners by advertising certain things on eBay. I wonder if she had input into Super Hans dating techniques.
I wonder what she wrote to end up with Mitchell...
Peep Show is the greatest comedy to come out of Blighty. Excellently written, and full of killer lines. Episode seven was quality, comedy writing at the highest standard.
Quote: jl89 @ January 7 2013, 11:49 PM GMTThis series basically continues a trend that started in season 4. Early Peep Show was so good because it was so believable and natural. The comedy came from the ridiculous lines and internal thoughts that had nothing to do with the plot.
Now it tries to make the main comedy from the plot.Obviously it is still a good show and has some great lines, but some of it is becoming a bit sitcommy and over the top: e.g Johnson's speech at Gerard's funeral? He would never say that!
Speaking of Johnson, I wish they'd done something about him relapsing into alcoholism as he seemed to be in the last ep of season 7. That would have been great. Maybe the actor wasn't available for much time. JLB or something similar should return if only for more Johnson
And since when was Dobby such a hipster with cool friends? The writers seem to have forgotten the character a bit. In the 5th season she was basically just weird, and almost as much of a loser as Mark
Precisely. You and I both joined it seems to this forum purely to register our displeasure at modern day Peep Show. Big shame, but must be a mammouth task to keep a show going. Like I said, Seinfeld couldn't do it. Imagine if The Office had tried to go on? It would be a nightmare.
Quote: SimonWing @ January 8 2013, 2:26 AM GMTI wonder what she wrote to end up with Mitchell...
What David wrote to end up with Vic might be more to the point...
I completely agree that the "mummy" episode was the moment peep show jumped the shark. I think that peep show has run out of ideas and direction. I thought maybe that I was just getting bored with the show but I watched seasons 1 and 2 again recently and they are still as funny ad ever.
I thought the season before last wasn't too bad - they tried to at least move the characters along. What happened to this in the last series? Mark confronting his dad and coming to terms with fathethood were great moments. In the last season it's as if the characters have learned nothing and are just as dumb or neurotic as they have always been and it's wearing thin. Mark's relationship with Dobbie is just ad dysfunctional as his relationship with Sophie. Jez becoming a life coach is recyled. It's not funny, just depressing.
I can't actually remember too much from Series 8. Says it all really.
The thing is I think the show now flatters to deceive. It still has some very clever moments but this only serves to disguise the dearth of any new ideas. I thought the characters of Mark and Jez were great in the early series. But they're basically just retreading old ground now. Mark f'ing up another relationship. Jez making a half assed attempt at going in a new direction and failing. At the start the characters reflected something true but now they just seem like pathetic losers. Why else would they have barely progressed in ten years? I once sympathised and empathised with Mark and his struggle with 21st century living but now he just gets on my nerves.
Well after eight series, the choice is to either change the situation, and probably lose what made the show funny, or they keep the situation and lose some realism. I think they made the right choice.
Or stop making the series.
Well yeah. I think it's still entertaining though. If they were going to stop before it went downhill, they should have done it at the end of Series 4 as that's when it peaked really.
I'm interested in this debate. I simply don't watch sit coms for things like character development, realism or story arc. I watch them for well-drawn characters reacting with each other, with a good dollop of funny lines and good performances. This series of PS wasn't quite as good as a fair few others, but had more than enough of those three ingredients to leave me content.
Obviously a comedy doesn't require character development in the same way as a drama. It still needs to take the characters somewhere in order to stay fresh. Unless you're going to explore the characters and situations from a different angle why even bother? To me the newer episodes aren't that bad they're just pointless as they are basically just weaker versions of the older episodes. They're not saying anything about life that the series hasn't already explored.
There have been missed opportunities too. Mark's take on fatherhood could have been an excellent source of new material but they all but abandoned this story arc last series.
Quote: Magi83 @ March 3 2013, 4:25 AM GMTThere have been missed opportunities too. Mark's take on fatherhood could have been an excellent source of new material but they all but abandoned this story arc last series.
This is where it needs to go really. And 'Uncle Jez''s advice would be a good source of comedy too. Stories where something happens to Mark where he reluctantly has to leave Ian with Jez and Superhans could be a good way to go. But I agree with Dobby going a 'normal' again, with Mark displaying his commitment-phobia; a brilliantly-executed premise the first time around with Sophie (especially after his infatuation with her earlier on) but it does feel like we're retreading old ground, even if it is still very funny.
On character development: I think you need some if you show starts to get into the fourth/fifth series, especially if it's based in 'reality'. People get married and have kids/get divorced. Only Fools and Horses and Friends were no worse for it. (In fact, Friends was kind of manufactured to be like that deliberately.)
Dan
