Peep Show – Series 5
Reviewer: Tom Leins
Issue 105 July 2008
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The Lowdown: Series Four of Peep Show ended with Mark’s disastrous marriage ceremony to Sophie. The horror continues for Mark as he finally has to confront Sophie back at work. Jeremy is in for an equally torrid time as his sexual past finally catches up with him…
Review: After the romantic upheaval of the Series 4 finale, Peep Show has plenty of glorious material to exploit with its new six-part series. Series 5 opens with Mark gulping down bubbly from a commemorative bottle of wedding day champagne, decorated with a rather fetching picture of him and Sophie. As helpful as ever, Jez plunges Mark back into the dating game on an ill-suited double-date that is destined to end in acute embarrassment for everyone involved. What’s worse, after years of uninhibited sexual thrills and spills Jez’s promiscuity catches up with him, resulting in a decidedly uncomfortable visit to the clap clinic.
Aside from Mark and Jeremy’s inimitable chemistry, some of the funniest moments involve Jez and Super Hans and their ridiculous musical efforts. When Sophie’s teenage cousin approaches Jez with a view to joining his band, Super Hans and Jez’s approach to mindless rock ‘n’ roll debauchery leaves rather a lot to be desired… with hilarious (not to mention slightly disturbing) consequences!
Meanwhile Mark’s attempts at post-Sophie romance are as awkward as you might expect, and one amorous encounter sees him coming in his pants in the stationary cupboard! But, as one door closes another opens and a dreadful evening of speed-dating leads Mark to try it on with a boisterous Australian who he thinks might be ‘the one’. Again.
As with previous editions of Peep Show, there are a smattering of exclusive bonus features to appease fans of the show. A behind-the-scenes featurette sees writers Sam Bain and Jesse Armstrong guide us through the creative process - explaining where their ideas come from right through to rehearsal, shooting and the finished article. A highlight is the ‘Peep Show Relationship Tree’ a guide to who has slept with who, throughout series one to five. With clips and graphics on hand to explain Mark and Jeremy’s respective love lives, the complicated romantic mine-field proves surprisingly navigable. Another interesting addition is the ‘Sophie’s P.O.V.’ feature which sees a batch of existing scenes from Episode 6 re-written from Sophie’s point-of-view. Last of all, the package is fleshed out with some deleted scenes.
When Peep Show sneaked into the schedules back in 2003 few fans would have credited a peculiar sitcom about two misfits in Croydon with such an enduring appeal. Nevertheless, five series’ in, the show is as riotously funny as ever. After five years of skew-whiff shenanigans Mitchell and Webb are well and truly part of the British comedy furniture. All in all, this is a must-have for Peep Show devotees. Anyone who has yet to take the plunge should also consider the appealing Peep Show 1-5 box set, which retails for a cool fifty pounds…
FILM: 8 EXTRAS: 5
DVD Info:
Certificate: 15
Starring: David Mitchell, Robert Webb, Olivia Colman, Matt King
Directed By: Becky Martin, 2008
Distributor: 4DVD
Audio: Dolby Digital 2.0
Visuals: 16:9 Anamorphic Widescreen
Running Time: 150mins
Price: £19.99
Special Features:
Episode Selection
‘Behind The Scenes’ Featurette
‘Peep Show Relationship Tree’ Feature
‘Sophie’s P.O.V’ Featurette
Deleted Scenes
