Spaced is one of my favoutite TV comedies. Shaun of the Dead is one of my favourite film comedies. What links these two outstanding achievments? Simon Pegg, writer, actor, legend.

I have written elsewhere about my love of...
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Spaced is one of my favoutite TV comedies. Shaun of the Dead is one of my favourite film comedies. What links these two outstanding achievments? Simon Pegg, writer, actor, legend.

I have written elsewhere about my love of Spaced, a groundbreaking sitcom in it\'s content and conception. On the outside it keeps to a familair formula ... the main characters, an \'odd couple\' share a flat and they have wacky neighbours and friends to add comedy. However, Spaced is different. Simon Pegg co-writes with the outstanding Jessica Stevenson, and the two are both self-confessed film and TV geeks (much like yours truely, although I would not use the term \'geek\' when \'enthusiast\' fits the mould). The result of their love of pop culture is Spaced, with is full of parodies, pastiche and loving mockery of such diverse subject matter as Dawn of the Dead, The Matrix, One Flew Over The Cuckoo\'s nest and Robot Wars. Pegg provides the powerhouse performance, starring as a struggling artist who works in a comic book store (owned by Bilbo, played by the extraordinary Bill Bailey). His character is a directionless twenty-somthing, still very in touch with his inner child, who is coming out of a long term relationship. As the characters are so real, it is odd to have them put in situations which border on the improbable and impossible, whilst they are also working through mundane, everyday situations, such as signing on or working a 9 to 5. However, Pegg\'s superb writing draws the viewer into a willing suspension of disbelief, whilst still allowing them to notice the film and TV references which are present in abundance. I urge you to go and buy the DVD, watch, watch again and plead with channel 4 to allow another series.

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