‘Peep Show: Series Nine’ Review

It seems strange for me to write a review of Peep Show Series Nine when I don’t particularly like the show. I’ve dipped into the series enough to know the characters, but never been hooked. Could this final collection of episodes finally manages it?

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If I ever had a problem with Peep Show, it is that the characters aren’t particularly nice people. They like to think they are, particularly Mark (David Mitchell) with his snobbish selfish view on life and Jeremy (Robert Webb) …who is just Jeremy. In the end for me it’s the people like Super Hans (Matt King) who end up being more likable because he knows who he is, and just doesn’t give a damn.

Peep Show is a show that is built of uncomfortable humour based on the actions of a group of idiots, with the fact that the camera angles come from the actor’s viewpoints making it a little different than usual comedy shows. We get to hear their inner thoughts and get more of an insight into their actions. Whether you like the characters or not, this does make for interesting television.

In series nine most of the story revolves around Jeremy and his love triangle between a man and a woman, and Mark’s attempt to break up a marriage so that he can steal the heart of a woman he’s been infatuated with for years. If there is any redemption in these scenarios, it is with Jeremy who finally realises he is getting old. Mark, is just typically him. I’m not sure if he learns anything from this endeavour other than that karma has a talent for biting you in the butt when you least need it to.

Whether we like these characters or not, the uncomfortable cringe worthy humour is actually something that works. By the time we’ve got to series nine, even those who have casually watched the show know what to expect from Mark and Jeremy and know they will never change. It is the fact that they are dependable in their ineptitude that actually makes the show work and makes this final series feel like a success.

When you know that a series is coming to an end, one thing you often look for is a conclusion to the overall story of the show. Peep Show Series Nine may be the last, but in truth I don’t think the audience particularly would expect an ending. Yes, we may have seen a glimpse at the future of Mark and Jeremy and maybe seen them finally grow up and act like adults, but is that what you expect from Peep Show?

While it may be a weird place to start watching Peep Show, Series Nine is still easy to watch without needing too much of a history lesson into the characters. If a character such as Dobby (Isy Suttie) or Sophie (Olivia Coleman) are reintroduced, we are given enough of an introduction to them to understand who they are. So if this is your first taste of Peep Show, you won’t feel out of your depth.

Peep Show Series Nine proves that the show is still as funny as ever. As somebody who has not been that much of a fan, it does make me want to go back to the beginning and watch the show in its entirety. Is it a suitable goodbye to a much celebrated television series? I’m not sure it is, but I also say that fully aware that this is the ending you somehow expect from Mark and Jeremy. Fans will love it, while newcomers won’t feel alienated by it, Peep Show Series Nine is well worth a watch.

Peep Show Series Nine is available on DVD in the UK now.

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