Quote: Aaron @ May 20 2008, 12:17 AM BST

Whheeyy, look, 100 posts in 6 hours and 21 minutes!

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I'm not far away from you but I was keeping quiet in case people thought I was very, very sad

Hey all! Finally found a place on the net to discuss this brilliant show. I've seen all the episodes and it ranks among my favourite brit comedies (that of course inherently must mean all comedies)

So on to series 5! I think it's been going great. The comments of them rehashing past scenarios are probably true, but it's a comedy not a drama and my criteria is that if it makes me laugh I don't overanalyze it. The cockup with the tv thing is definitely an error of continuity, because as someone pointed out, mark meets dobby in episode 2 and knows her already in episode 3, plus he isn't back at work in episode one, so it can't be out of order.

Memorable moments of this series so far include Big Suze sweetly suggesting they tie up the burglar and burn him with cigarettes, mark and dobby in the cupboard, and mark pointing out what big feet he has compared to the girl. (I'm not gloating it's just true!) Also mark lamenting that "Can't we leave the mugs out it?" (Cup of piggin tea then back to my piggin campaign strategy)

I thought they could have gone a bit further with Jez's desperate criminality. I was expecting him to be hanging out at coffee shops nicking muffins from people's plates when they went to the washroom, but I guess that would be a bit too much like hard work for him.

Anyone else notice how one of the burglar's mates told him to "f**k off clean-shirt"... clean-shirt was the insult a band of kids who were harassing him in the very first episode of the show called him!

I suppose he does kept a very well laundered wardrobe..

I'm in the same boat, Sal. Joined yesterday. Finally found somewhere to discuss comedy.

I loved that line when Mark is sitting on the burglar and he tells the girl to go get a bottle or a spanner from the kitchen. He looks back down at the burglar and the burglar says...

"If she spanners me, I'll kick off..."

Quote: Sal Paradise @ May 20 2008, 12:55 AM BST

among my favourite brit comedies (that of course inherently must mean all comedies)

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We like you already!

Welcome!

I don't think every time something similar happens it's rehashing old material. Like Mark having problems with kids is part of his character, like how Ross in Friends kept getting divorced.

I did wonder about the TV though. Last week I thought with the TV being back that's comedy. Bad stuff happens but everything is back to normal the next week, maybe Mark bought a new TV between episode 1 and 2 but then in episode 3 when they had the small one I was surprised. Did those kids come back and take the new one between episode 2 and 3 so he bought a small one to stop them taking it?

I didn't notice the TV coming back and going again - obviously wasn't paying enough attention!

Only noticed the tiny one in episode 3.

I think Peep Show gets in trouble because there is some progression, people expect the characters to grow more.

It's like no one questioned why Terry and June never had kids, or Blakey constructively dismissed Butler, or Cliff didn't go berzerk and shoot every one for calling him stupid in Cheers.

Sitcoms live in a bubble, I picture Mark being called clean shirt, and being sexually inadequate into his 70s.

That's true, I think the calls for progression/character development come from a demographic that has become increasingly used to it over the years. Friends certainly saw characters evolve over the years.

Personally, I think that narrative comedy is pretty much unstoppable for the moment - but these things are cyclical of course.

It's kinda a stealth sitcom, in that it feels like it's moving, but the characters don't really move at all.

There's the thing - from my point of view, I can really tell that the character's aren't moving. I'd rather they drop that pretence and commit to a Seinfeld 'no learning' mantra. But, they will have been 'advised' to include a narrative progression (fake or otherwise) so it ain't going to happen like that.

I don't mind the characterts not progressing and "learning things" - that's fine and it's the essence of good sitcom - but I do expect writers to come up with fresh, new set-ups and stories. Ones that don't retread old ground. In past series of Peep Show there was no character progression but there was no shortage of comic invention either. This series has been sadly lacking that. But, like Curb Your Enthusiasm, it's still delivering laughs.

One of the beauties of Peep Show is the fact that, not only are Mark and Jeremy doomed to make the same mistake over and over again, but they know they are.

But good comedy writing should think of fresh and original ways to highlight a characters failings.

I'm actually not going out tonight so I can watch this... I am sad.

Quote: EllieJP @ May 23 2008, 1:31 PM BST

I'm actually not going out tonight so I can watch this... I am sad.

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Not at all! I actually get excited for Peep Show every week.