Season 3, Episode 1: "Mugging"

Mark tries unsuccessfully to get his phone back

- It occurs that I haven’t made any remarks on the new theme song (Harvey Danger’s “Flagpole Sitta”), which debuted at the start of the second season. In short, while I don’t particularly like the tune (though it’s not awful), the lyrics fit nicely with the show. If they had to go with a popular song, they could have done worse. I certainly have no alternative in mind.

Quite obviously, the little bleeps and bloops from the first season aren’t exactly going to draw much of an audience. “Oh, it’s that weird show with the weird song,” is rightfully what the average TV-watcher might feel upon tuning into Peep Show’s earlier episodes. So fair enough.

But don’t take my word for it! Here’s Sean Nelson of Harvey Danger in an interview with a blog called Globecat, on the legacy of the band’s most notable song:

“The best thing about "Flagpole Sitta" so far is that it is the theme song to a really smart and funny British sitcom called Peep Show. It's the only pop culture item the song has been associated with that feels like a kindred spirit to the original attitude of the lyric anyway.”

(http://globecat.blogspot.com/2008/06/interview-harvey-danger.html)

One peril I see in using a song for the title theme is that it has to fit with the characters. In this case, I don’t think that either Mark or Jeremy would particularly like it. But, again, it has its place and the band’s frontman seems to get the show, so it works in its own way.

Anyway…

Jez enters the exciting world of threesomes, while Mark finally makes it with Soph.

- Michelle – one of the girls with whom Jez has his threesome – was originally supposed to have been Toni. Sadly, while they couldn’t get the real thing for whatever reason, the actress does a good job of acting in a Toni-like way. Plus, they look very similar. She’ll do as a consolation prize.

- Similarly, Big Suze was supposed to have been Nancy. This is why, for instance, the character is dating a monk (recall, if you will, that Nancy is openly-Christian). At any rate, this is Suze’s first appearance, and, luckily, she has remained a mainstay on the show.

Big Suze was mentioned in passing way back in the first episode. Jeremy says that he still has her dildo. The Big Suze we eventually come to know doesn’t seem the type to own a dildo, but I’m willing to give them a pass on that.

- The muggers who steal Mark’s phone are perfectly cast. Once again, Peep Show proves that it’s the best when it comes to casting that type of bit actor. Or, maybe, the country is full of those types and they’re not particularly hard to come by. One or the other.

- This is the first episode to be shot in the apartment set, rather than an actual apartment, as in the first two seasons. The DVD commentary tells us that the set is in a carpet warehouse, and much more convenient for David Mitchell and Robert Webb to get to.

- This is the start of David Mitchell’s (Mark) fat phase. I only bring this up because, today, he’s rather slimmer.

- Big Suze is so posh. I’m not entirely sure what that word means, but I think she epitomizes it.

- Big Suze moves in with Michelle in this episode (one wonders if the original intent hadn’t been to have Nancy move in with Toni?), in what I think is the same house that Johnson shares with her later. So consistent, this show – although that does make me wonder what becomes of Michelle, who we never see again.

- It’s been 3 years since Suze last saw Jeremy. From this, if we care to, we can establish a bit of a timeline in the Peep Show world. 3 years prior to the episode (which, if we assume takes place roughly around its airdate, would put it in late-2005) brings us back to late-2002.

Assuming that Jez went right from living with Big Suze to living with his old university mate, Mark, we could guess that Jez and Mark started living together roughly a year before the first season. Maybe; all conjecture, of course.

- Jez takes a woman’s laughing over the phone to indicate her interest in him. So true.

- Mark mentions “Mr. Patel and his illegal supply of knives.”

- “Captain Corrigan” is mentioned once again.

- Mark puts Jez’ Sex Mix CD on to get Sophie going. This CD shows up in a later episode, I believe.

- Is this the first appearance of the “End of Part 1” interstitials before (what I assume are) the ad breaks? They maintain the beeps and bloops of the original theme.

- The DVD has a number of special scenes filmed especially for the DVD, mostly of Mark and Jez phoning the muggers on his phone, trying to get it back. It's really quite funny.

Quotes:

- Mark: “Why can’t people button up like in the 40s? People saw terrible things in the War, but they didn’t go on about it; they had a cup of tea and invented the NHS.”

- Jez: “Drinking alone – what’s the big deal? If you drink a bottle of vodka with a bloke sitting beside you, somehow that’s alright?”

- Jez, on Suze: “She’s probably getting wet just looking at me.” Rather a shocking quote, I must say. I guess they really can do any fucking thing they want on TV over there.

UK Stuff:

- Newsnight and Paxman are mentioned. Jeremy Paxman is, evidently, an aggressive interviewer on the telly.

- The NHS: The National Health Service is the public healthcare system in the UK.

War References:

I do believe this is the first episode to feature no mention of or allusion to the Second World War, minus Mark’s little quote.