The creators and stars of Channel 4 sitcom Peep Show say that they have no plans to end the cult comedy.

The sitcom, which stars David Mitchell and Robert Webb as two dysfunctional flatmates, is returning for its fifth series next Friday. Webb said: "We would like to keep going for as long as we possibly can because it's rare to find something that works like this. There's lots of ideas for sitcoms but not many of them work. We've always wanted to keep going."

Mitchell has gone on to say: "I think it's a lot harder to come up with an idea for a sitcom that works than keep one going. Also look at people's careers. No-one has done eight great sitcoms. The great people have two or three, most people have done none. When you've got something that works, use it, or you'll regret."

One of the shows writers, Jesse Armstrong, added: "sitcoms are naturally designed to run for ever, the characters never change, so it seems odd that there's a thing where you stop after a couple of series."

It is fairly common for successful sitcoms to be brought to an end after only a few series, for fear of later series cheapening the ones before. Examples of successful short sitcoms include Fawlty Towers, which had 12 episodes; and The Office which had 14.

However, there are several sitcoms which have been running for some considerable time. Such sitcoms tend to be more mainstream than Peep Show, such as Last of the Summer Wine which has had 267 episodes over the course of 28 series. My Family is another example of a successful long-running sitcom, this current 8th series will bring its total up to 89 episodes, and a confirmed 9th season which is to follow later in the year will extend this further. Meanwhile Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps has just been re-commissioned for an 8th series.

The British Sitcom Guide's new guide to Peep Show will be online this weekend.