Comedy

What with all the acres of coverage devoted to ‘Gavin And Stacey’s’ double Bafta win last week, the success of a far greater comedy barely got a mention. Having spent five years notching up a reputation as one of the finest British TV shows of the decade, ‘Peep Show’ finally scooped the Best Sitcom award. It was the longest-overdue victory since Martin Scorsese picked up an Oscar.

The contrast between ‘Gavin And Stacey’ and ‘Peep Show’ couldn’t be more marked: if the former is small-town sentiment, the latter is suburban despair. Where one has a couple of doe-eyed lovers at its centre, the other has two emotional inadequates. And if ‘G & S’ is supposed to warm the heart, ‘Peep Show’ has always been the TV equivalent of open heart surgery without anaesthetic.

‘Other people’s pain is a great source of comedy,’ claims co-creator Jesse Armstrong. ‘Sam [Bain] and I know that the worst thing that could happen to Mark [David Mitchell’s anal loan manager] and Jeremy [Robert Webb’s wastrel musician] is a good shorthand for what’s the funniest thing.’ Feature continues

Despite the critical adulation heaped upon the show, it has continually struggled in the ratings. There were rumours of cancellation after the third series, though it found a fanbase on DVD to ensure its survival. Even so, the much-publicised last series was still only drawing one million viewers. ‘I think the camerawork means if someone’s flicking through channels, it’s quite daunting,’ suggests Armstrong.

It’s testament to ‘Peep Show’s’ quality and to C4 that it has survived to its fifth season. Nevertheless, there was a feeling among some fans (us included) that the last series wasn’t up to the usual standards, straying from its sitcom premise and becoming cluttered with supporting characters, secondary locations and a generic wedding plotline. Armstrong promises this series will go back to basics: ‘There won’t be such a big narrative arc… We wanted to do some more stand-alone episodes, and more flat-based stuff.’

Tonight’s opener, in which newly single Mark returns to the dating game, suggests the situation element is back in order, shifting the focus back to the bilious friendship. Comedically, however, it’s less assured. As ever, Mark and Jeremy’s internal monologues throw up fabulous one-liners, but the storyline – Mark fails to stand up to some teenage tearaways – feels rehashed from an episode in season three. Still, it seems churlish to complain when you consider tonight’s alternatives: ‘Benidorm’, anyone?

As for how long the show will run, Armstrong says he and Bain aren’t entertaining any thoughts of taking the Ricky Gervais/John Cleese route and quitting while they’re ahead.

‘It takes self-awareness to know when you’re past your peak. We’ll probably lack that like everyone else,’ he chuckles. ‘And crank them out until [audiences] are bored of them.’