Peep Show should be watched, studied and enjoyed many times through out for anyone who loves to laugh, love and get a hint as to how to write a well scripted comedy. The characters, the writing and the format is all so original and hilarious. I watch this show probably every day. There is always something new to discover watching and I just fall more in love with the characters each time. Although I am a single female living in America in her late 20's, I had no idea I could have so much in common with a couple of male Brits. The inner monologue is dead on and the emotions are raw but total human. Brilliant. Brilliant.Brilliant.
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dmateris82-426-76843428 July 2012
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shilohfan1 June 2016The ending of this was pretty depressing to say the least, but I think it worked with the overall theme of the show. In the end Mark and Jez's story was never going to be the cliché happy ending everyone wanted. I think the story of two thirty something men running into endless mishaps and comedic well timed catastrophes was what gave the show it's true to life feel. It wouldn't make sense if it all worked out in the end, and that's why I was satisfied with the ending, but I do see why some would be disappointed. All in all, a very funny show - Matt King is also very funny in this, delivers some great one liners. I doubt there will ever be another comedy to take it's place.
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My number 1 series of all time.
If you like to laugh or need cheering up..... Just shaded Curb your enthusiasm... -
Danny_G1315 November 2004Peep Show is a highly original effort in the world of British Comedy, and the trick it uses aids it as one of the funniest comedies of the last 10 years. You do need to be slightly thick-skinned to appreciate it though...
Mark and Jeremy are 2 loser flat-mates. One's got a turgid office job and is in love with a colleague, and the other, Jeremy, is the leech without a job and failing miserably to do anything worthwhile with his life.
On the face of it sounds not unlike Men Behaving Badly, and there are the 2 women both guys respectively pine for; one being the aforementioned colleague of Mark, and the other being the next door neighbour who Jeremy is desperate to 'have'.
However, Peep Show does 2 things which make it quite unique and laugh-out-loud funny. Firstly it adopts a first person perspective so we see the action not as a 3rd party, but from the very points of view of the characters. Not only this, but we hear their thoughts as well, which means we know what they're really thinking as opposed to only hearing what they actually say. This is a terrific twist and provides genuine hilarity throughout.
The second aspect it adopts is adult humour, and by this I don't mean Viz. It uses sexual situations, drugs, booze, and political incorrectness as incredibly risqué and dark humour, and goes beyond anything I've ever seen before, certainly in sitcom land. It's plainly obvious why it gets an 18 certificate (UK).
Furthermore, the acting itself is absolutely great, and is incredibly conducive to to the script. Because of the strength of the script and the supreme acting, there are many genuinely toe-curling embarrassing moments (But never fail to make you laugh, as opposed to just making you cringe), along with some awkward silences where, for a moment, you actually sympathise with the characters because you 'are' them. But normal hilarity resumes soon after...
This is a terrific series, and genuinely funny. It will not be to everyone's taste, but if you can laugh at yourself you can laugh at this.
Highly recommended. -
garydiamond11 June 2007...and also consider how strange your own life can be, how unusual your own thoughts and reasoning seem when viewed through the eyes of another. The idea is much more than a gimmick; it forms the backbone and provides a lot of the most hilarious and often shocking moments of the show.
Like all good concepts that are given a successful platform to work from, you wonder why the idea wasn't more popular beforehand. Webb and Mitchell have a dark, dry sense of humour that will appeal only to certain individuals not so bound by convention, somewhat bohemian if you will. People not afraid to admit that their own thoughts and actions can seem completely bizarre when given a different perspective.
To really appreciate the show you definitely have to put yourself in the shoes of the two leads. You have to share in their shame, humiliations and triumphs - literally getting out what you put in. This is no soap opera that you tune into so that you can tune out, this is one that demands your full attention.
Webb and Mitchell have a lot of calibre as actors as this show is obviously very difficult to film, being as it is almost entirely filmed through the eyes of the duo. A lot of tricky close camera situations and complex edits are used and work seamlessly.
It certainly won't appeal to everyone - if it did it wouldn't be a very good show would it? - but those ready for challenging, dynamic television should buy the first two seasons on DVD and enjoy. -
Ruskington18 May 2020Along with Ricky Gervais' The Office, Peep Show is my favourite TV show and arguably one of the best sitcoms ever made. The unique inner monologue and POV filming style works to perfection thanks to David Mitchell's dry cynicism and Robert Webb's sneering apathy.
The show takes some getting used to and I would implore everyone to watch at least the first two seasons before giving up on it. It hits it's peak between the 2nd and 4th seasons yet maintains a very high standard right to the end. On top of two great lead performances from Mitchell and Webb, the supporting cast of Olivia Colman, Matt King and Paterson Joseph (amongst many others) are incredible. The show cycles quickly through different characters and storylines and as a result it stays fresh and creative from start to finish.
Not only should you watch Peep Show, you should probably rewatch it 3 or 4 times as well. From there you can join the various online groups dedicated to Peep Show memes and quotes and let it slowly dominate your entire life. This is the gift that keeps on giving, not much comes close. -
I have never written a review of anything before, and god knows the other reviews i have read are far more conclusive and informative. But peepshow is so good and MORE PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT IT to the point that i felt compelled to create an account and give it 10/10 and write a review. I was reading some of the reviews and someone summed it up perfectly, and I paraphrase- a cult classic that has the bonus of leaving those of us who do watch it a little smug. This could not be more accurate, peepshow is one of those programs you keep under your hat, but when it becomes apparent that someone else u know has seen it too you will be trading quotes and laughing about for ages, excluding everyone else from the conversation like a huge inside joke. Far far from a boring sitcom with episodic mundane episodes, peepshow takes the mundane and makes it absurd, awkward and hilarious all whist remaining somewhat believable. This is helped by the fact that Jezz and mark are incredibly easy to relate to, with most people i know who like the show believing that they are themselves, a sort of amalgamation of the two. The real surprise with peepshow however is the dialog especially the internal dialog. Whilst the awkward humour comparable in a way to the office, is what brings people to the show initially, the fantastically witty script is what elevates peep show to new heights. Its down to earth humour usually relating to social anxiety is just so funny, with almost every line being quotable, jezz-"just tell her you love her" mark-"I dunno being the first to say i love you, is a bit like shooting first in a duel... if you miss your f**cked". In short peepshow is bloody fantastic, if you watch two episodes and its not your thing fair enough... however if you skip past it without trying you are only doing yourself a huge disservice.
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broken-104 September 2006By chance I caught this show on BBC America while channel surfing thru the million channels on my cable service. Needless to say this show is funny as hell, the camera angles are used to great effect as well.
The two loser roommates and their insane exploits are bizarre, yet situations that I'm sure many people can relate to. The 2 protagonists are often left dealing with paranioa, anxiety, latenet homo-sexual thought, among other things. The one roommate works in a borish office, while the second roommate is lost in a world of fantasy, with his band that's not really a band since he does not actually write music or play gigs.
This show rocks! -
burpingaway25 January 2011I joined just to post this message. Brilliant comedy that gets better the more you watch it. I've watched all 7 series 5 times and I've only been a fan for the past 2 years. I don't normally ever re-watch anything.
Its available on 4OD and SeeSaw, you can watch all 7 series, and all of them are great. It might take you a little while to get into, but once you are, you will be hooked.
As I write I think series 8 has been commissioned, which will put Peepshow as one of the longest running sitcoms in Channel 4 History. I think the only one that ran longer was Desmonds.
If you like good quality, smart comedy, then you must watch this! -
One of the best compliments that I can give a show or a film is that I'd certainly watch it whilst eating a meal.
Sounds odd, but it's true. If I can't get into something when I'm eating, I'm not going to enjoy it at all. I must have watched every episode of Peep Show over a meal, whether it was lunch or dinner.
The constant mayhem, awkwardness and exaggeration is present from episode one, right through to episode 54. The awkward, messy lives that both Mark and 'Jez' lead, alongside drug-addicted pal Super Hans means that there is always an opportunity for disaster around every single corner.
I can't quite remember one bad episode of this show. Each one is funny for one reason or another.
I would certainly recommend this show to anybody who is looking for something to watch (Whether over a meal or not), perfect for long journeys, evenings in, or a winter day filler. -
aadil9412 February 2008This has to be the most funniest British comedy I have ever watched! The characters are so hilarious, and very likable! Each episode will always have it's really funny bits, along with a hilarious situation! The deep inner thoughts of Mark and Jeremy(the main duo of Peep Show)are dark and witty.
It's just how "in-convenient" the duo's lives are, that make you want to laugh. Every moment is funny, whether it's Mark chasing his crush/obsession Sophie, or Jeremy lounging about the flat doing F*** all.
If you haven't seen this in-genius comedy, then WATCH it right away! Or you won't know what your missing.
-- Peep Show : No better comedy! -- -
DavidYZ20 April 2017A very well-written and well-acted sitcom, set in Croydon, South London. The two leads are very good as chalk-and-cheese flatmates. There are many other characters who are also very good.
I've marked it down one because: a) it's not credible that hardworking Mark would allow lazy, directionless Jeremy to live off him as a parasite for over a decade; b) we never find out how they met and why they moved into the flat together. -
ygwerin127 December 2019These two characters have several things in common, they are both, single, anally retentive losers, and chock full of BS.
Mark is also so straight laced and conservative with a small c, and something of a soft touch and all round push over.
Jeremy is also a childish, selfish, parasitic user of an individual.
David Mitchell and Robert Webb make a good team as frankly a pair of wallys, limping through their inane and pathetic existences. -
dominick-mcsween14 July 2014I know this is a pretty unpopular opinion, but I hate Peep Show.
I remember watching it months ago because I loved watching That Mitchell and Webb Look back when they were making new episodes and wanted to see what else they've been doing on TV, needless to say I was pretty disappointed.
I was coming into it expecting the clever, witty humour that so many people were hyping it up for and found it to be the opposite: the script was very much lacking in subtlety and wit and it felt like the writers didn't have a wide enough vocabulary to put emphasis in the dialogue without resorting to using the word "F!@#", it was so bad that I think I heard it being said in every other line of dialogue being spoken.
Another thing that I hated about the show (that is related to the previous point) was the overuse of shock humour (which can actually be good if used the right way), I'll be darned if they had shown a scene in that entire episode that wasn't about sex or drugs (or both) and didn't have the characters swearing like drunken pirates in some lame attempt to be "edgy".
In conclusion: Crass, over-hyped and barely relatable in any way to my life. To paraphrase Public Enemy: "Don't Believe the Hype" -
prancinpie_113 January 2005It is true that this show did not attract a lot of viewers. I watched it on its first airing but, to be honest, this was pure luck, there was nothing else on to watch so i decided to watch it. After the first episode i was hooked. It was wonderfully written and just brilliant overall. Nearly everything is funny from the things each person says to the looks on their faces in certain situations. (See Jeremy's face when he refers to "the bad thing")
After seeing it i had to tell my friends. People can get very proud when they say that they switched a particular group of people onto a film or T.V show and i am no different. It is a comedy i am proud i stumbled upon and a show i'm sure you'll love once you've seen.
After series 1 i was disappointed, i knew that they wouldn't be making anymore, it was on the late night T.V slot and never talked about, i was horrified to know that there would be no more Peep show.
Then BANG, Series 2 came on. And no, it didn't get worse. In fact i find it improved upon the first and seemed more confident. I am A big fan of the office but i find peep show somehow, well, i find it a lot funnier, don't know about you. 5/5 -
truehammer28 March 2010'Peep Show' is a British sitcom written by Jesse Armstrong and Sam Bain, starring comedy duo David Mitchell and Robert Webb, who work alongside each other in different projects in a similar fashion to other British comedy duos such as Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, and Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. The show follows two men who share a flat together, Mark Corrigan (Mitchell) and Jeremy Osbourne (Webb).
The shows comedy is very dark and cringeworthy and contains themes regarding sex and drugs so it's definitely not for kids but its a very guilty pleasure for everybody else. What sets this apart from similar awkward situation comedies is that the show is constantly shot from the characters' point of view, whether it be the two main characters or supporting characters and we can hear Mark and Jez' thoughts. This is a truly brilliant innovation and lifts this high above most other sitcoms, especially as the two leads are highly insecure and conniving, a lot of the time they say things only for you to hear their conflicting true thoughts and its absolutely hilarious, they often talk themselves into bizarre and embarrassing situations.
Mark and Jez seem very different but they fit together well. Mark is a semi-successful, middle-class loan manager who owns the flat he lives in with Jeremy, while he seems sensible and cautious on the outside he is actually quite impulsive and occasionally talks himself into erratic behaviour he later regrets. He is highly neurotic and worries about anything, even socialising with other humans which doesn't come easily to him, he researches subjects he has no interest in just to fit in with the crowd and endures activities others enjoy. Strangely though you can identify with him and feel sorry for him, he is essentially a good person but often makes stupid mistakes in an effort to make himself look 'normal'.
Jez on the other hand is far more out-going and sexually promiscuous, unemployed throughout most of the series he claims to be 'in the music industry' although his band is going nowhere and he appears to be deluded into thinking fame and fortune is waiting to come to him without him making any effort. He is Mark's only real friend but is often spiteful and malicious and seems to be constantly holding Mark back, the reason for this however seems to be Jez' fear of losing Mark rather than him actually disliking him, when things are at their lowest he always sticks by Mark and the selfishness disappears showing he isn't a completely nasty character. Jez is also a recreational drug user and is often seen hungover or on a 'downer', there are indications to Jez having bisexual tendencies as well although he often represses those feelings.
The first series starts with Mark and Jez both single with Jez having just ended a longterm relationship with his girlfriend Big Suze to move in with his old pal Mark. While Mark pursues work colleague Sophie Chapman (Olivia Colman) somewhat obsessively, Jez begins seeing an attractive American with a hippy attitude, Nancy (Rachel Blanchard).
The supporting cast in Peep Show are as strong as the leads, in particular Jez' friend and bandmate Super Hans (Matt King), a walking chemistry set who never met a pill he didn't pop or a pipe he didn't toke, every sentence that leaves Super Hans' mouth is an instant classic quote, a lesser show would miss such a great character but this doesn't due to its high quality and leaves him on the sidelines to great effect. Paterson Joseph plays Mark's boss Alan Johnson, supremely confident he comes across as the black James Bond, cool, calm and collected at all times. Finally Neil Fitzmaurice plays Jeff Heaney, Mark's nemesis and love rival to Sophie, he is a bully who torments Mark with sarcastic comments to put him down in front of others. Other minor characters come and go but these three really add a lot to the show.
Over the course of the six series, nothing really gets any better for Mark and Jez and they are destined to spend the rest of their life together wallowing in mediocrity, stumbling from one excruciating situation to the next. Quite how this truly great masterpiece of a sitcom hasn't caught on is beyond me, perhaps due to its much darker theme than shows like The Office and the fact its been shifted to a late slot on Channel 4 it's been overlooked and while that's criminal it just means those of us who do know about it can enjoy it all the more, because it's our little secret. For me its the best sitcom of the last decade and that's saying something. -
antslater3 May 2021This is one of those programs you can watch time and time again.
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emmarosepollard23 April 2019I first saw Peep Show about 7 years ago and haven't stopped watching it since. It's a perfect example of British comedy at its finest (like Blsckadder) - it's easy watching and I can binge on episodes so easily! The characters and storyline are well thought out. The earlier series are quite nostalgic for me and when going through all the series to the later series, you really develop a bond with the characters. It has so many amazing actors and actresses; Olivia Coleman, Robert Webb, David Mitchell etc. Just amazing.
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Peep Show is the holy grail of comedy and uniqueness. Seriously I really don't know of a better comedy show. It has made me laugh out loud so many times. I have watched it over and over, I never get bored or sick of it. Of all shows, I excitedly and proudly recommend it to others. I really want everyone to give it a go. So grateful for the whole production, the unique and hilarious script, amazing actors, and so many seasons. I love, love Peep Show! I'm actually going to go watch it now ^_^ Do yourself a favour, and watch it too!
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Only show I've ever enjoyed this much besides in betweeners and red dwarf who are both also british tele. Mark and jez are just about the funniest combo I've ever seen. the audacity of their every day situations is absolutely hysterical. The situation with the baby around season 6 made me laugh until I cried as personally I've been through that exact situation and the baby turned out to be mine lol. Hes 17 months old and the best thing that's ever happened to me. I love this show 🤣
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bevo-1367830 March 2020One of my favourite shows to binge watch. I've lost count of how many times
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StinkyGreenBud29 August 2020This has got to be one of the most uncomfortable, cringe, vile, and unpleasant shows I have ever watched. I absolutely love it.
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The brilliance of this show can only be truly measured and appreciated by someone who's shared in the best friend/roommate experience. Friendships, especially those of the codependent variety, are ripe with laughter, anger, ambivalence, envy, thankfulness, and a multitude of other incalculable descriptors. The distinguishing factor that makes this show work so well is the perspective. Viewers are entreated with multidimensional orientations via the internal, personal dialogues of the main characters. From these positions, spectators can fully appreciate the hilarious dynamics of a dysfunctional friendship.
Mark Corrigan (David Mitchell) and Jeremy Usborne (Robert Webb) met while they were roommates at the fictitious Dartmouth University. It is at that moment that "The El Dude Brothers" were born.
Mark is a slightly below average-looking man with an above average IQ. He values structure, conformity, and regularity. He has a normal job and a degree in Business Studies, but his true passion can be found in History. His appreciation for historical facts and occurrences only helps to solidify his status as the resident dork. Aside from his love of History, Mark has romanticized the ideal of meeting and marrying the perfect woman. Here, we can see a readied dichotomy when compared to his longtime friend and roommate, Jeremy.
Jeremy is an above average-looking guy with a not so stellar IQ. He is the epitome of a consummate playboy. Blissfully meandering from one beautiful woman to the next, one can only wonder how Jeremy does it without cerebration or money. Generally jobless, Jeremy is disorganized, morally resistant, and sporadic; he is the antithesis of all things Mark.
More often than not, Jeremy seems to come out on top of things without ever trying. Mark, on the other hand, works hard, does the right thing and commonly ends up flat on his face. Not always, though. Sometimes Mark is rewarded for his sacrifices and diligence. Herein lies the comedy. When one friend begins to succeed (work, relationships, etc.), the other is there, by all outwardly appearances, to show their support. At the same time, their internal thoughts are often flush with feelings of jealousy and thoughts of sabotage.
Mark and Jeremy are best friends and love each other dearly. Their symbiotic, perhaps slightly unhealthy, relationship is hilarious to watch on the big screen. Perhaps it is because most of us can relate. -
gmoujik4 December 2011At first the show attracts by similar to "I'm Alan Partridge" humouristic moves, although you see misses here and there. After a while you start to think that the show isn't inspired by Partridge, but rather plainly steals from it. Just like South Park steals from Beavis and Butt-head, Simsons. But for people who have just seen Peep Show, the show appears very original. The weakest point is that many conflicts, which create the comedy, are not resolved but just dropped, going on to the next "situation". The characters also lack any kind of dynamism. It's still watchable, but it could have been so much better. One of the writers did go to work for/with Ianucci after Peep Show in the amazing "Thick of it"/"In da loop".
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nedthetank16 September 2019Awful show. I asked my friend to give me one good reason as to why the show is funny and he couldn't.