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British sitcom Peep Show ran on Channel 4 from 2003 to 2015. It followed the exploits of flatmates Mark Corrigan (David Mitchell) and Jeremy Usborne (Robert Webb), two thirtysomething friends one buttoned-down and neurotic, the other anarchic and possibly psychopathic who found themselves leaving university and entering the supposedly responsible phase of their lives still helplessly adrift on the sea of life without anchor or moral compass. Influenced by Being John Malkovich and Annie Hall, it gave viewers the chance to get inside its characters heads. While theres never been a comedy quite like it before or since, its influences and legacy are legion. Though it predates The Inbetweeners, Peep Show feels very much like a spiritual sequel, or at least a cultural companion piece. Its the Ghost of listless yet to come, giving the Es are good generation a chance to see what happens when the hormone-gilded, amoral follies of youth are allowed to harden like cement into a state of perpetual adolescence. There are also glimmers of BBC2s Bottom, but with less violence. And comparisons with Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia are inevitable, given the occasionally terrifying, horrifyingly adorable, personality-disordered misfits that populate both shows. Across nine series and 54 hilarious episodes, creators Jesse Armstrong and Sam Bain used Mark and Jeremy to shine a light on both the horrors, hopes and absurdities of life in modern Britain, and the dark recesses of the human psyche. Here are 15 of their greatest outings, counting down to the (subjective!) best.15. On the Pull (Series 1, Episode 3)MARK Everythings decaying, so, the way I see it has there ever been a better time to save up for a very comfortable sofa?Mark and Jeremy blow off a party to go bowling with a pair of potential paramours, who represent one of their first, but by no means their last, sexually unethical choices. In Marks case attempting to buck against the middle-class, middle-of-the-road milieu that makes up his soul he hooks up with Valerie, a nave yet nihilistic teenage goth, while Jeremy drags along his sardonic, non-monogamous neighbour, Toni. As Mark continues to shore up his false self with alcohol, Jeremy leans into his authentic self with gluttony, giving Toni a front-row seat.JEZ What? Its eat as much as you can, you know?TONI No, its eat as much as you like. Theres no competitive element implied.JEZ At 3.99, I think I know whos winning.This early entry deftly and hilariously establishes the essential ingredients for the quintessential episode of Peep Show: a firm base of sexual desperation, a healthy serving of embarrassment, a garnish of farce, and a thick crust of shame and regret.14. Burgling (Series 5, Episode 1)JEZ Im his one.Its not often that Mark Corrigan and macho appear together in the same sentence, unless that sentence happens to be some variation of: Mark Corrigan is definitely not a macho man. In Burgling, however, Mark manages to rack up a substantial amount of man-points by bravely sitting on a young burglar he catches in the commission of his crime, then later imprisoning him on the balcony.Alas, its not enough to seal the deal with his beleaguered date, Heather, and its all rather undercut by Jeremy releasing said burglar from captivity and allowing a squad of angry young burglars into their flat to steal yet more of their possessions. But at least Mark is able to use his new-found control and restraint techniques against Jeremy, who hilariously narrates this unexpected development, movement by movement, in real-time, all the way down to the floor.13. The Test (Series 6, Episode 2)JEZ Just because Im dealing a little bit of drugs does not make me a drug dealer.If The Testepisode of Friends it might be called The One Where Jez Pretends to be the Father of Sophies Baby to Impress a New Neighbour He Wants to Sleep With, Thereby Launching Mark Into Heaven Then Straight Into the Jaws of a Mini Existential Crisis.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!Mark really shouldve known better than to let a sentiment like Theres no knot in my stomach. For the first time in 25 years, Im free of a sense of creeping dread percolate in his thoughts for more than a second. It was inevitable that his relief and joy were going to be snatched from him by force; and exactly as inevitable as Jeremy being somehow behind it all.12. Jeremy in Love (Series 6, Episode 3)MARKIts remarkable, isnt it, that out of the three billion adult women in the world, your one true soulmate happens conveniently to live in the same block of flats as you, rather than, say, in a village in Mozambique?This episode is as close as Jeremy gets to an I am Spartacus moment. Its heartening that Jeremys skewed personality and misaligned inner-world can occasionally be harnessed as noble forces for good, even if it does manifest itself in deeply inappropriate ways.Jeremy falsely confesses to a pornography and masturbation addiction not once, but twice, the first time to save his girlfriends job, the second time because he (falsely) believes it will allow Mark to follow his dreams as a historical tour guide. Its hard not to view Jeremys new-found propensity for taking a wank bullet for the people he loves as oddly sweet, and possibly even heroic even if it did lose Mark his job.11. Jeremys Mummy (Series 5, Episode 4)JEZ Oh come on, she was my mums aunt. I only met her about twice. Its not like she was Ian Curtis. She was never going to make a seminal album. She couldnt even make very good Christmas cake.In the wake of a death in Jeremys family we meet his mother, Jackie, and suddenly the root of his mummy issues stand revealed: its the sort of toxic dynamic from which shower-peeping motel owners are sprung. Jeremys mother both infantilises him and neglects his emotional inner-life, while Jeremy in turn rails against her with the unrestrained anger and shallow vindictiveness of a toddler.In the end, though, its money that proves the most toxic influence, on Mark and Jeremy both. Jez has designs on a share of his dead aunts inheritance, which his mother is reluctant to give him. Mark has designs on a ghost-writing opportunity promised to him by Jackies paramour, Martin, an ex-military man with memoirs on his mind. Unfortunately, though, Natalie, Martins rather bolshy and aggressive daughter, has designs on Mark, and no isnt a word that appears in her lexicon.In any other show, perhaps other than Baby Reindeer, the sexual assault to which Natalie subjects Mark would be beyond the pale. In Peep Show, however, its just another day, and another highly dubious seam of comedy to be mined. The hellish absurdity lies in just how far Mark is willing to go to preserve his dreams of being a military historian. Maybe that was actually good sex. Loosen up, Corrigan. This is what happens in the bedroom now. No old-fashioned fumbling and kissing. A lesbian rapes you while you dream about your mother. Its edgy.Predictably, the dreams and schemes of both men come crashing down around them thanks to a decommissioned service revolver, and Jeremys habit of blurting out the truth for all the wrong reasons.10. Quantocking (Series 3, Episode 6)MARK Why wont that stupid bitch let me propose to her?Peep Show spent a considerable chunk of its life on the cancellation bubble, the exquisite writing and immaculate comedy performances rarely translating into solid viewing figures. While fans and comedy aficionados alike would breathe a collective sigh of relief with each successive renewal, Quantocking wouldnt have been the worst episode on which to bow out.Its vintage Peep Show. From Super Hans being trussed up in a posh country hotel like something out of Stephen Kings Misery Im being fucked by King Kong! to Marks increasingly hostile attempts to propose to Sophie, to Mark and Jeremys wanderings in the wilderness, Quantocking represents a perfect melding of quietly impactful character moments with hilarious set-pieces.In a final cruel twist, Marks Road to Damascus moment his realisation regarding the unviability of his relationship with Sophie is cruelly undercut by her unexpected and enthusiastic discovery of the engagement ring in his luggage, condemning them both to the very real prospect of unholy matrimony.9. Sophies Parents (Series 4, Episode 1)JEZ What about your doubts? Your crippling doubts?Sometimes, like Larry David in Curb Your Enthusiasm, the positions that Mark and Jeremy adopt, while undoubtedly dripping with cynicism, can appear so reasonable as to be almost inarguable; like when Mark sums up modern fashion thusly: Thats the way things are these days. Lets just put a zip here, a swastika there, why not? Who knows what these things were once used for. Who the hell even cares?But a weekend away to visit Sophies family quickly reminds us that Mark and Jeremy are far more often wrong than right. Jez very quickly ends up sleeping with Sophies mum Im a motherfucker. Thats literally what I am and both Mark and Jez go on to be complicit in Sophies dads firebombing of a love rivals barn. This is not the behaviour of sane or honourable men, though such men wouldnt be half as entertaining to watch.Mark rounds off his moral damnation by reassuring himself that although he doesnt love Sophie, at least hell be getting his hands on her grandmothers cottage. And has ever a more noble or romantic sentiment been expressed than this: So what if I dont really love her? Charles didnt really love Diana, and they were alright. Sort of.8. Wedding (Series 4, Episode 6)JEZ Yes Im doing it already. Im so pathetic that as soon as you ordered me to piss myself, I started the procedure. This is what youve done. Youve ground down my sense of self-worth over the years. I hope you are proud.If you didnt already know that Jesse Armstrong (and to a lesser extent Sam Bain) once wrote for The Thick of It, some of the dialogue in this episode might clue you in. At one point a suddenly semi-suicidal Mark decides to expose himself to the risk of a terrible traffic accident to avoid confronting his wedding doubts, and promptly steps in front of a strangers car. Perfectly able to stop in time, the stranger angrily berates Mark and receives in return a barrage of bizarre epithets that wouldnt have felt out of place being hurled through Malcolm Tuckers mouth. Jizz cock! Piss kidney! Later in the episode Jeremy reveals that he and Sophie kissed, thereby handing a grateful Mark what he believes are legitimate grounds for cancelling the wedding. He exclaims wildly: You shitty, faithless, back-stabbing beauty!Very few weddings in real life match the perfect fantasy each party has constructed in their heads. Its probably fair to say that very few weddings in real life end with the best mans urine dripping onto the congregation from the gallery above, or the bride and groom saying their I dos through a convulsive veil of tears. But then absolutely zero weddings in real life are as grimacingly, gut-wrenchingly funny as Marks and Sophies.7. Jurying (Series 3, Episode 5)MARK Frosties are just Cornflakes for people who cant face reality.Whilst on jury duty for a case of credit card fraud, Jez continues to explore moral hinterlands most humans wouldnt be able to find on a map. He begins a sexual relationship with the defendant and allows his penis to start swaying his peers in the direction of a not guilty verdict. However, on an evening out on the town with Mark and a coterie of Sophies drug-addled friends he discovers that while the defendant may be innocent of the crime in question, shes indisputably a reckless career criminal, and not one with whom hes keen to spend any more time. With his own self-interest dictating his actions (as per usual), Jez proceeds to do the sort-of-morally-right yet still murkily grey and almost definitely illegal thing by pushing for a guilty verdict, cloaking his speech to his fellow members of the jury in so many layers of impassioned righteousness that he almost comes off looking like a hero for the ages.This episode deserves inclusion on this list for Jezs speech alone, but Marks takedown of drug culture is similarly wonderful. After pretending to take ecstasy so he can look cool and vibe with Sophie and her new friends he finally tires of the charade and cuts them all down to size in his inimitably caustic fashion.Now pull your socks up and get your shoes on. Come on, all of you. Listen, while were at it, there are systems for a reason in this world. Economic stability, interest rates, growth. Its not all a conspiracy to keep you in little boxes, all right? Its only the miracle of consumer capitalism that means youre not lying in your own shit, dying at 43 with rotten teeth. And a little pill with a chicken on it is not going to change that. Now, come on. Fuck off.6. Dance Class (Series 2, Episode 1)MARK I love dancing cause it makes me look like a coma victim whos been stood up and zapped with a cattle prod.To thine own self be true is a Shakespearian maxim whose essence has rarely troubled Mark or Jeremy. Theyd much rather rely on fantasy, subterfuge and delusion to achieve their ends. And achieve is probably stretching it.Mark gains secret access to Sophies email account and uses it to Cyrano de Bergerac himself into her good graces, monitoring her thoughts in real time and tailoring his every move to be more appealing to her. This includes a trip to Sophies dance class, Rainbow Rhythms with Jeremy in tow where he tries to convince her that hes not the buttoned-down, stuffed-shirt she thinks he is. Which, of course, he absolutely is. Is this it? he thinks to himself as he surveys all the gyrations and positive affirmations erupting around him. Is this what my grandad died for? The freedom to do this?The action culminates in a trip to a lake-house in the country where skinny dipping, spin-the-bottle, cuckoldry, and Mark and Jez playing tonsil hockey with each other are very much the order of the day. Remarkably, Mark makes romantic inroads with Sophie. Inevitably, they go up in smoke once she discovers his privacy-based perfidy. 5. Seasons Beatings (Series 7, Episode 5)HANS Mind out, boys. Father Spliffmas coming through.Theres much to enjoy in this seasonal offering, but perhaps the surprise highlight is learning of the child-like glee with which Jeremy greets Christmas. Not only does he leap into it with innocence and wonder, but he proves himself incredibly thoughtful and generous into the bargain. Your heart breaks for him when you see the gifts hes gotten Mark versus the ironic handful he gets in return. Mark, however, refuses to feel guilty about it. Thats not fair. Thats just aggressive generosity designed to make me feel bad.Your heart aches again when Jeremy learns that Marks family routinely use his name as an adjective to describe acts of stupidity and incompetence. When their laughter is interrupted by the ringing of the doorbell Jez storms off to answer it with a parting shot of: Ill go see who that is. Lets hope I dont Jezz it, or do a big Mark in my pants.But the jewel in this episodes crown is the twisted dynamics of Marks family, from his spoiled, hyper-sexualised sister, keen to rekindle things with Jeremy, to his equally but more covertly hyper-sexualised mum (My mother is giving me socks depicting a sexual position I have never even attempted. How little she knows me.), to his bitter, jeering father, who gets his comeuppance in the end when Mark finally stands up for Dobby, and proceeds to feed his Christmas dinner through the lousy second-hand shredder his father gave him as a present.4. St Hospitals (Series 7, Episode 1)HANS But if youre tripping and youre having a baby, its like Fuck!, you know? You see a little guy come out of there, whats gonna happen next? Frogs out of her arsehole? Milk out of her ears? Anythings possible.Miracles happen in hospital. Mark discovers this when he wanders into a room only to find Jeremy reading a magazine out loud to a coma victim with seemingly no motivation except kindness. Mark is both awed and alarmed, as though hed just walked in on a dog performing brain surgery on a human patient. When a beautiful woman enters the room behind him and starts thanking Jeremy in familiar tones the realisation hits Mark like a solid beam of sunshine. Im actually quite relieved its a filthy, duplicitous ploy, he smiles, as the universe rights itself again. As Jeremy frames it to himself: Right now Im supporting man in a weepy, when I want to be leading man in a porno.Marks impending fatherhood is the reason both men are at the hospital. As Sophie prepares to endure a hard labour, Mark tries to greet his new role with an air of maturity and decorum, putting his old ways of running from responsibility behind him. And, of course, he fails miserably. At the first opportunity he flees the hospital, orders himself a delicious takeaway, and takes a long trip to the arcade to play video games. Fortunately, hes back in just enough time to welcome the next generation of Corrigan to the world. A changed man. Finally free of his petty obsessions and neuroses.Well. Sort of.3. Shrooming (Series 3, Episode 3)MARK How did we manage to get the one carpenter in Britain with a therapist?Jeremy sets a very low bar for himself as a human being, but even still, its revolting and fascinating in equal measure to watch him continually and steadily lower that bar. In this episode he sets it so low that a bacterium would struggle to limbo under it.A bout of gastric illness delays Marks departure for a work conference, and brings him back home for the night, which threatens Jeremys plans for a hedonistic shroom party. As he himself laments: This is my big chance with big Suze. Im going to try to get her really high and then put my hand up her jumper. It isnt long before Jeremys amoral nature comes to the fore, and Mark finds himself at the mercy of a series of psychopathic set-pieces.Shrooming has it all: an emotionally unstable carpenter, a broken bathroom door, drugs, diarrhoea, poisoning, imprisonment, a daring rescue, and a hilariously disgusting denouement.The episode ends with a bravura bit of gaslighting from Jeremy as he stands at the doorless bathroom sneering at a humiliated Mark: So, this is my big evening, is it? Me, tripping my nuts off, watching you do endless pooing. If I were you, Id think about what youve done. Just have a long, hard think about what youve done.2. University Challenge (Series 2, Episode 4)JEZ I was here in the glory years. Mid-90s. Britpop was kicking off. Four Weddings had just come out. It was mental.Mark and Jez go back to their old alma mater of Dartmouth University, and encounter a post-The Thick of It, pre-Who Peter Capaldi in full professorial snark. University Challenge is very much Peep Show does 21 Jump Street, but without either Mark or Jeremy having the excuse of being undercover cops trying to bust a drug syndicate.When Mark learns that Jeremy and Super Hans are touring with a band and playing at the university he jumps on their literal bandwagon. Not because hes invested in Jezs musical prospects or has a particular penchant for drinking from the heady well of nostalgia, but because he fancies a student who served him in the local shoe shop, and Dartmouth is where she goes to university.Although this storys focus is an older man essentially stalking a teenager across the country and masquerading as a mature student to her, its surprisingly sweet, earnest and brimming with pathos. Mark and Jez quickly learn, both separately and together, that you can never go back, and that back wasnt all it was cracked up to be in the first place.This is okay, Mark offers by way of a coda, as he loses the girl. This is just a moment that will haunt me forever. (The object of Marks affections returns in series nines Threeing, and while that episode didnt make this list it was a very close call.)1. Holiday (Series 4, Episode 5)MARK Jeremy, there are many things I would do to help you, but digging a hole in the wintry earth with my bare hands so that you can bury the corpse of a dog you killed is not one of them.Its not really a surprise, is it? Whats not to love here? Holiday is a near-perfect, ever-escalating farce, boasting Frasier-like levels of pomposity, pretentiousness, horror, and hubris, but through the looking glass very darkly, in a universe where even nay, especially Eddie the dog would be trembling in terror.The twin themes of Marks barge-based stag-do are very much self-delusion and deceit. How far will Mark go to escape his wedding obligations to Sophie? How far will Jeremy go to hide the fact that hes killed and burned a womans dog, and how low will he stoop to make sure that he still has a chance of sleeping with her despite it all? The answer is very far and very low indeed: unforgettably, outrageously, hilariously far and low. Peep Show is available to stream on Netflix and Channel4.com in the UK, and on Prime Video and Hulu in the US.
