Peep Show

Peep Show and the curse of a series too far

With a misfiring seventh series threatening to put a blotch on a near-perfect 4oD archive, is it time for Mark and Jez to call it a day?

Now in its seventh series, Peep Show is officially Channel 4's longest-running sitcom. It's also one of its best, although a brisk scan of my brain archive reveals that it doesn't have much competition. If you discount US imports such as Cheers, in 2 years Channel 4 has broadcast few outstanding sitcoms: Father Ted, Spaced and, at a push, Phoenix Nights and Black Books are the only ones that spring to mind. Still, that's five more than BBC3 will ever produce in twice that time.

In any case, this comedy about two dysfunctional, co-dependent losers is assured of its place in the pantheon. And if the last couple of series haven't felt quite as consistent as before, that's only because the standard set by writers Jesse Armstrong and Sam Bain was so high in its earlier years. But a variable Peep Show is still funnier than most other British sitcoms of recent times.

The latest series began with Mark (David Mitchell) and Jez (Robert Webb) anxiously awaiting the birth of Mark's first child. Correction: Jez wasn't remotely anxious, as is befitting of a feckless, immature, amoral idiot whose only concerns are for himself.

As the hopelessly neurotic Mark fretted over his role in the birthing process, Jez occupied himself with chatting up an attractive woman whose partner lay in a coma: a typically black subplot, just as it was when Seinfeld used it first in 1992. Let's charitably assume that it was unconscious theft on the writers' part.

Though still enjoyable as always, this wasn't the funniest Peep Show episode by any means. Some of Mark's inner monologues felt laboured to the point of self-parody, although his out-of-body fleeing from the hospital was an undoubted highlight.

I was also surprised and warmed by the poignant final moments, where Mark and Jez shared a rare moment of mutual happiness over the birth. It was all the more effective for being so atypical of the series.

In terms of performance, Mitchell and Webb continue to excel in roles they must know intimately by now. Webb in particular gets laughs with his innately amusing facial expressions alone. For all its deserved reputation as a sharply dialogue-orientated comedy, Peep Show remains an ideal vehicle for his clownish physicality.

Peep Show was back, with poor Mark (David Mitchell) down the labour ward discovering how unreasonable women can be when they're having your baby.

"We can always give her a cervical sweep," said the doctor.

Jeremy (Robert Webb) nodded uncertainly. "Chim-chim cheree?" he offered.

David Mitchell: you ask the questions

Anything you've always wanted to ask the actor and comedian but never had the opportunity to ask? Here's your chance.

When I interviewed Peep Show's Jesse Armstrong a couple of years ago, I asked him whether he and co-writer Sam Bain had thought about quitting while they were ahead. "It takes self-awareness to know when you're past your peak ... we'll probably lack that like everyone else and crank them out until [audiences] are bored of them," he joked. But though the ever-increasing profile of its stars David Mitchell and Robert Webb would suggest there's no danger of audiences getting bored with this caustic flatshare sitcom anytime soon, I do wonder whether the new run would do well to be the last.

The problem, to this carping critic at least, is that where its original brilliance derived from the stasis of its lead duo, thirtysomething suburban odd couple Mark and Jez, they have increasingly fallen prey to such conventional dramatic demands as plot and character development. In Friday's hospital-set series opener, indeed, we saw Mark become a dad, a game changer which resulted in an ending of disorientating sentimentality. That's not to say that Peep Show isn't still a lot funnier than most of the competition; only that these are two self-destructive Peter Pans who should never be allowed to grow up.

Peep Show - review

Remember Sophie driving herself to hospital with the boys in the back because Mark can't drive and Jez was drunk at the end of last series? Well, now (can it really be series seven?) we're at the hospital, and Soph is dilating nicely, while the boys muck around and are utterly useless.

'Peep Show' returns to gloomy ratings

Channel 4's Peep Show returned for its seventh series with under 1m on Friday night, according to the latest audience data.

Peep Show 7.1 review

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.

We join Mark and Jeremy just after the end of the last series, on the maternity ward awaiting the arrival of Sophie's baby. You couldn't wish for a better set-up and not an ounce of comic potential is wasted. Each laughter egg hatches into a fully squawking, honking mirth bird; the cervical sweep gag in particular is a corker. Mark is Sophie's reluctant birth partner while Jez chats up a coma patient's girlfriend in the waiting room. And for all the foot-stamping, seal-clapping hilarity, you'll have actual tears at the end. It has no right to still be this good entering its seventh series.

Peep Show: why it's still the UK's best sitcom

As David Mitchell and Robert Webb return for a seventh series of Peep Show, Catherine Gee looks at how, after all these years, it's still getting laughs.