TV: How good was Peep Show?
Peep Show is a British television sitcom starring David Mitchell and Robert Webb.
A brief bit of history
It was broadcast on Channel 4 from 2003 until 2015.
In 2010, it became the longest-running comedy in Channel 4 history in terms of years on the air. It also became one of the most popular programmes in the history of the channel. Let's explore some of our favourite episodes. This list is in no particular order. Before the list, there was the iconic theme tune.
Wedding
The episode revolves around Mark making a huge mistake by marrying Sophie ("You only get one life, and I've ruined mine") but not before breaking Jeremy's will. The key message in this episode is the bond between the 'El Dude brothers. They both still have each other. This is as close as Peep Show ever gets to being sentimental.
Quantocking
This episode contains some truly sensational lines. "You love rationing, don't you? You have been waiting for an opportunity to do rationing on me since the day we met." It also provides the start of a good story arc. Mark gets engaged to Sophies but he realises that he doesn't really love her.
'University Challenge
Another memorable episode of jokes and great one-liners. "This is OK. This is just a moment that will haunt me forever."
One YouTuber commented with a line that many people would agree with: "This episode is arguably the most tragic of them all because it shows how happy Mark could have been."
It is regarded by many as the ultimate Peep Show episode. One reviewer described it as a tragic-comic masterpiece that sees Mark pose as a mature student in order to stalk a pretty shop girl back to Dartmouth Uni. It's an episode that has a little bit of everything.
Are We Going To Be Alright?
After 12 years, 54 episodes and a couple of pint glasses full of piss, Peep Show came to an end. The last episode was a fitting end to the show as Mark, Jeremy and Super Hans all suffered heartbreak. The video below shows the last ever scene. One YouTuber commented on the video and said: "I think it's fitting the last shot of the show wasn't from either of their point-of-view, rather a shot of both of them sitting together, from the audience point-of-view, as if we are no longer 'inside' them, so to speak.
It will be interesting to see if we ever get to witness the adventures of the gang again. How will the gang cope with being in their 50s? Does Jeremy have a pension set up yet?
Could an American version of Peep Show work?
In 2005, Fox proposed an American version of Peep Show. The pilot starred Josh Meyers (Randy from That 70's Show) as Jeremy and Johnny Galecki (Leonard from The Big Bang Theory) as Mark. One Reddit user said: "Please, I hope this never happens. American comedy is just very different to what we see in the UK and the awkwardness of Jeremy and Mark wouldn't translate well into American TV."