Spaced

Spaced is a British sitcom directed by Edgar Wright and starring Simon Pegg as Tim, and Jessica Stevenson as Daisy. The show was short-lived, as it only ran for two seasons - one in 1999 and then again in 2001. Spaced revolves around Tim and Daisy, two somewhat comically depressing protagonists, both of whom are looking for an apartment after getting kicked out of their respective homes. Initially strangers, Tim and Daisy meet coincidentally while both looking at the same apartment ad. While the apartment seems to be the perfect match for both of them, the landlady requires tenants be a ‘professional couple.’ So of course, Tim and Daisy pose as a couple to get the apartment. 

Spaced has a couple big appeals to me, the first of which is the supporting characters and their interactions with each other. Supporting characters are comprised of Tim’s friends, Daisy’s friends, and other people in the apartment building. Very few characters in the show had ever known or met each other beforehand, and they all represent vastly different character tropes. These characters are all comically exaggerated, such as Tim’s best friend Mike Watt (played by Nick Frost) - a member of the Army Reserves, a job which he takes very seriously much to his avail. The fact that most characters in the show are strangers with one another along with the extreme clashing of character types leads to many hilariously awkward and absurd situations. Here is one such situation in which Tim has a 'heart-to-heart conversation' with his neighbor Brian, an eccentric tortured artist:

Secondly, the main appeal which drew me into the show was the director and actors. I found Spaced quite some time after it originally aired, after watching and loving Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz. These movies are the first two of the “Cornetto Triology”, all of which were made by the trio of Edgar Wright (director/writer), Simon Pegg (writer/actor), and Nick Frost (actor). Spaced allowed me to watch a creation from that same trio, that was made before the “Cornetto” films. That made it all the more interesting for me, as watching through you can basically see how the films evolved from the show. The comedic style and timing used are very similar, and even little things like transitions used and little quips from Simon Pegg carry over to the movies.

Spaced is somewhat unpolished and doesn’t really hold up from a production standpoint today, so it might not be the easiest show to get in to. But if you’re a fan of the “Cornetto Trilogy” and somehow haven’t seen Spaced, I’d recommend it. In the end, it’s only 14 episodes over two seasons, and a fun watch.