Spaced

'Spaced' is, for my money, one of the best comedy series produced in the English language in the last ten years; genuinely, laugh-out-loud funny, scrupulously well-written, brilliantly acted and with a kicking soundtrack that has introduced me, at least (and I'm guessing a few others) to some fantastic little-known bands (Using LemonJelly long before they were famous, for example) - this must rank alongside 'Black Books' in its cult-but-inclusive appeal. The true genius is in the fact that you could probably watch this with your vicar and - apart from a low swearing incidence - they would find little to criticise (unlike, say, equally funny but edgier shows; Chris morris' work for example) but it still makes perfect post-pub viewing. When one sees the dross that usually passes for sitcom in the UK, once-great Shakespearean actors mugging at the camera and silently cursing their agent as the canned laughter robotically shrieks, you wonder why they don't just hand over the entire comedy drama section of UK TV to Pegg, Stevenson, Bailey, Moran and Serafinowicz. Please make more. Please.

The whole two series was as close to perfect as I can imagine. Funny, beautifully shot, well-produced, the only downside was that there wasn't more of it. Perhaps the reason that it wasn't as successful as it should have been was that it didn't get a large enough audience. It was aired in a time when "The Royle Family" undeservedly won all the awards and praise, whereas Spaced was considered to be aimed at immature adolescents, film parodies and comic book references only worthy of an audience that doesn't know quality when they see it. And this is a tragedy, because, if television series' can be considered art form by any stretch of the imagination, then this is a masterpiece, something to be admired by others, a definite benchmark for all other programmes.

There simply isn't a better TV comedy around at the moment than Spaced. Simon Pegg and Jessica Stevenson's scriptwriting is so sharp and full of references it can sometimes be hard to keep up through the onslaught of hilarious jokes. With such well rounded characters it is just too good for words, it is the recognition humour and references that make this a wonderful comedy.

Having just watched this series again, I am prepared to say that "Spaced" is definitely one of the greatest comedy shows EVER!

Funny, striking, imaginative, clever, compassionate, sarcastic, inventive, etc, etc, etc. You get the impression that co-stars and co-writers, Simon Pegg and Jessica Stevenson, just cannot write a boring line of dialogue or envisage a predictable scene. Using its "nothing new" premise (mismatched couple pretend to be romantically entangled to find a place to live), this show twists and turns its way off into many brilliant and original directions, while never failing to provide the required belly laughs along the way.

It uses movie in-jokes and references in a way that would make Tarantino envious, and the hipness of its execution makes it both a show that, paradoxically, is of the moment but is also certain to be talked about in ten or twenty years from now.

The cast are all first-rate: Pegg and Stevenson manage to be both madcap and touching, and are backed up by a sterling supporting cast of fresh and exciting talent. Julia Deakin as Marsha, the flirtatious middle-aged landlady and Mark Heap as the pretentious but vulnerable artist from hell, Brian, make a hilarious double act; Nick Frost is a real find as military mad Mike; and Katy Carmichael as the initially snobby Twist manages to be dotty without turning up the annoyance factor.

Even the guest appearances are great. My two personal favourites are Michael Smiley as the chemically enhanced Tyres O'Flaherty, a non-stop raver who even dances to the ringing of a telephone; and the excellent Charles Dale (II), who is usually cast as the heavy, but gives a marvellous comic performance here as the "yes man" security guard who helps our bumbling heroes rescue their beloved pooch, Colin, from an evil freelance vivisectionist!

Credit must also be given to director Edgar Wright who has created a unique and vivid look to the show, enhancing the script's wired look at the banalities of everyday life with his brilliant use of camera movement, lighting, cross-cutting, flashbacks, etc. Even if it wasn't funny (which it most emphatically is), "Spaced" would get top marks for being the best looking show on the box.

I could go on, but "Spaced" is a comedy that needs to be seen to be believed, and then seen again...and again...and again...

If there is one show you had to take with you to a deserted island, Spaced would be it. It sums up exactly how the minds of 20-somethings work. The fantasy world we would love to be in, but will never have. The only show to stand up to George Lucas and say that the phantom Menace was crap but at the same time cherish the magic of the first three.

Watch this show, try to count all the films and TV shows it mimics, and all the shows it references. 2001, Empire Strikes Back, The Matrix, One Flew Over The Cuckoo's nest, Scooby Doo, Robot Wars, Close Encounters and so many others.

The cast is top notch, and the writing is perfect. All I can say is "Roll on series 3"!!!