Peep Show (2003-?)
Peep Show is a British series centered around the misadventures, disappointments, and fiascoes of two London flatmates.
Jeremy "Jez" Usborne (Robert Webb) and Mark Corrigan (David Mitchell) have known each other since university, and when Peep Show begins Jeremy has recently moved in with Mark after his girlfriend, Big Suze (so named because of her height, not girth) has kicked him out. In this way (and a few others) Peep Show is sort of like an updated version of The Odd Couple. Jeremy is the Oscar Madison-ish one. He's a laid back slacker, a wannabe musician who has no musical talent or drive, and he sponges off of Mark most of the time. Mark is the Felix Unger-ish one - incredibly neurotic and up-tight, Mark is uncomfortable in almost every situation he's put into.
Mark and Jeremy have a semi-sweet/semi-pathetic co-dependency which grows with the seasons. In the beginning they have an almost hostile relationship - but as the series goes on they are much more supportive of each other even as they annoy the hell out of each other. It's a believable, flawed friendship.
Peep Show gets its name from a conceit in which the audience can hear the thoughts of the two main characters and almost every shot is filmed as if it's from one character's point of view. We're supposed to be peeping into Mark and Jeremy's minds. This works sometimes (especially with the voice overs which can be really funny) but a lot of the time it feels superfluous. At the very least, it does create a distinctive look for the show.
The best thing about Peep Show is that the stakes are raised with each season. Peep Show can be cruel, sick, and immature - but usually it's based on a very real premise of disappointment. Jeremy is perpetually discovering that the dream world in his head doesn't quite match reality, while Mark (the more tragic and believable character) compromises so much of himself and what he wants and then he can't even make the compromises work. Mark works for JLB Credit as a boring office drone, pines after women he can't have, and gets stuck with women he doesn't love.
The second best thing about the series is how the best episodes are structured so beautifully that slightly absurd things build into REALLY absurd things until they boil over hilariously. It's hard to pick just one scene from Peep Show to show how funny it is, because every episode is like one long joke and the last few minutes are the punchline. But here's a good clip where Jeremy wants to have a magic mushroom party in the flat but Mark has the flu:
Click to viewIn the first few seasons the plots are mostly just about two bumbling men in their late 20s as they try to land girls, gigs, or promotions - but as the events pile up and Mark and Jeremy slowly reach their mid-30s (they're about to film the 7th season this year) with failed marriages, relationships, and careers behind them things begin to take on urgency. Will they ever be happy?
Although Mark and Jeremy often do rather despicable things - they are more or less decent deep down and you can't help really liking them and wishing that these two idiots would find happiness somehow. Peep Show may be deeply odd and sometimes disturbing - but mostly it's a skewed take on what life is like for the losers (i.e. most of us).