SPACED

So today I want to talk about my favourite sit-com, well favourite short lived sit-com ‘Spaced’.

Spaced is mainly centred on two strangers Tim (Simon Pegg) and Daisy (Jessica Hynes) who lie about being a professional couple in order to obtain a middle floor flat based in a large London house. I can sort of relate to the scenario myself when I also pretended to be a couple with a girl so a group of our mates could get a flat (That tale I will save for another time tho)

Anyways, Tim is an aspiring comic artist and sci-fi nut who also loves skateboarding and video games. Tim’s girlfriend of 5 years has given him the flick and has kicked him out of the house. Daisy on the other hand is an aspiring writer and currently out of work. Daisy’s living situation isn’t a bed of roses either which is when out of chance she and Tim end up bumping into each other at a local café. This is where the friendship and antics start. They both need somewhere new to live, and advertised in the local paper a charming place in 23 Meteor Street up for grabs. The only snag “ Professional Couple Only”.

Spaced also features other key characters such as: depressed artist Brian (who rents the basement downstairs), flirtatious, drunk landlady Marsha, Army fanatic Mike, and ditzy self-centred fashion snob Twist. Oh, and not forgetting Colin the Dog.

What really makes Spaced special is the surrealism, the homage factor and the incredibly slick editing. In fact Spaced is made up of much more and has to be seen to be believed. The comedy does also go beyond the flat too where some of the storylines involve: clubbing, breaking into the Darkstar Comics building, rescuing Colin from a testing lab, fighting Agent Smith a-likes at the local pub, and stealing a tank.

I found it a shame that this sit-com only lasted for two 7 episode seasons, but looking back this is a real display of quality over quantity. I only discovered this show after watching the films Shaun of the Dead & Hot Fuzz and then immediately looked for other works by Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg and co. I certainly felt like a missing void from 1999-2001 and had been filled in 2007 when I borrowed the disc set from my friend Virginia and didn’t give it back to her for months. A week ago from this blog I end up getting my own and I can’t stop watching it to death.

Spaced is definitely the best 20-30 something comedy around. If you haven’t seen it yet, do look it up. The DVD set is now only ten quid in most places and is being released stateside on July 23rd.