The scheduling of the first two series of Sam Bain's and Jesse Armstrong's student comedy mimicked the university year by starting in early October, so it's a later-than-usual, but still hugely welcome, return for Vod, Oregon, Howard, JP, Kingsley and Josie - except that Josie has transferred to university in Southampton, her inclusion here a stroke of comic genius.

Renaming the house "Pussy Haven", JP (Jack Whitehall) starts a dry-slope skiing society with a strict admittance policy described as "eugenics run by FHM". Vod (Zawe Ashton) has meanwhile returned from her travels with an amorous South American she soon bores of, and Howard manages to land a proper date. The outcome is genuinely heartbreaking.

Peep Show was originally a live-action clip show

Channel 4 sitcom Peep Show started life as a clip-based offering inspired by animated series Beavis and Butthead, say its creators Sam Bain and Jesse Armstrong.

Writers' Guild Awards 2013 shortlists

Nominations for Jo Brand, Vicki Pepperdine, Joanna Scanlan, Jesse Armstrong, Sam Bain, Stefan Golaszewski, Susan Calman, Sanjeev Kohli, Donald McLeary, David Sedaris, Alice Lowe and Steve Oram.

Sam Bain on how to write a screenplay

From TV sitcoms to feature films, Sam Bain has learned the hard way how to write a good screenplay. The co-creator of Peep Show, Fresh Meat and Four Lions offers his top tips.

TV commissioning: the debate rages on

The IT Crowd writer Graham Linehan, Peep Show's Sam Bain and actor James Corden among those to defend executives' role.

Having Jez fall in love with Dobby has been the genius idea of the latest series of Sam Bain and Jesse Armstrong's never-disappointing sitcom, which climaxes tonight in some pretty unsavoury places - not least Super Hans's flat. Dobby (the splendid Isy Suttie) is offered a job in New York, but should she stay or should she go?

Video: Bain & Armstrong comedy writing masterclass

Sam Bain and Jesse Armstrong - the minds behind Peep Show and Fresh Meat - pick apart their creative process and give their top tips on writing successful comedy.

When Peep Show is on this kind of form it's like a perfect toy you want to play with forever. Tonight, writers Sam Bain and Jesse Armstrong work in so many great lines - mainly for the twisted inner thoughts of Mark and Jez - that you may need to pause the TV to allow for laughing time.

Mark's worries about someone stealing girlfriend Dobby have switched from Gerard (RIP) to her ex, Simon. The latter organises a paintballing day for his birthday, and keeps Dobby suspiciously close. ("Holding hands?!" Mark notes, furiously. "That's not military! I'm pretty sure Rommel never held hands!")

Then Mark gets stranded in a bunker with drug-addled team-mate Superhans and a dog-eared biography of Napoleon. The latter proves more help.