Combine an innovative, detached approach to portraying life, our inner thoughts about others, and our angsts, along with facing the challenges to the ego presented by love, lust, ambition, neuroses and office politics ... when 'The Peep Show' first appeared on our screens a couple of years ago it was something of a slow-burner, taking a while to get people to understand the simple fact that it was fundamentally very funny and also very different to anything else we had seen before with regards to comedy on TV.
The British are rightly very proud of their ability to produce excellent comedy - from the surreal legacy left to us by 'Monty Python' - which spwaned a host of imitators, some more successful than others - to the more conservative and pragmatic yet still highly amusing genres typified by 'The Office' - this in partular has translated incredibly successfully to the American audience.
What? I am saying 'The Office' is nothing more than pragmatic? Well, yes - I must admit to being somewhat puzzled why Ricky Gervais has been so lauded. It's good, solid comedy, for sure - but nowhere as near as innovative as, for example, 'The Peep Show'.
OK, 'The Peep Show' may be somwhat more uncomfortable viewing for more genteel audiences; in its darker moments it's more akin to 'The League of Gentlemen' whilst 'The Office' has always struck me as being more inspired by 'Are you Being Served?' ... that's not a criticism, just an observation - Benny Hill meets Basil Fawlty?
Anyway, have a look for yourself at 'The Peep Show'- you can watch past episodes via C4s excellent online 40D TV service on your PC, but as indicated earlier, please note that some of the content is a little risque; a bit like 'Are you Being Served?' ...
Peep Show
The British are rightly very proud of their ability to produce excellent comedy - from the surreal legacy left to us by 'Monty Python' - which spwaned a host of imitators, some more successful than others - to the more conservative and pragmatic yet still highly amusing genres typified by 'The Office' - this in partular has translated incredibly successfully to the American audience.
What? I am saying 'The Office' is nothing more than pragmatic? Well, yes - I must admit to being somewhat puzzled why Ricky Gervais has been so lauded. It's good, solid comedy, for sure - but nowhere as near as innovative as, for example, 'The Peep Show'.
OK, 'The Peep Show' may be somwhat more uncomfortable viewing for more genteel audiences; in its darker moments it's more akin to 'The League of Gentlemen' whilst 'The Office' has always struck me as being more inspired by 'Are you Being Served?' ... that's not a criticism, just an observation - Benny Hill meets Basil Fawlty?
Anyway, have a look for yourself at 'The Peep Show'- you can watch past episodes via C4s excellent online 40D TV service on your PC, but as indicated earlier, please note that some of the content is a little risque; a bit like 'Are you Being Served?' ...
Peep Show
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