British Comedy Gold

You've probably heard of Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, and the more informed of you, Edgar Wright. I have been a fan of theirs for a while but only recently did I truly realize how skillful they are. This summer I finally saw Spaced, and then finally owned a copy of my own (thank you birthday). I'd seen Shaun of the Dead, and Hot fuzz, and liked them both very much. But Spaced made me a real fan.

            Spaced, the 2 season, 14 episode, British sitcom from the turn of the millennium that wasn't available in the US till 8 years after its first airing. It’s hard to describe why this is so good or why I like it so much. It's one of those things you just have to see. The stories are real enough to make the show relatable but illusive enough to make it genuinely funny.  But I think the one undeniable thing that any "Spaced" fan would reiterate is that you really care about the characters. To be honest I just want to hang out with them, they are super awesome people, which would make a stellar groups of friends. Similarly, the cast is cool too. A co-worker of mine was asked if he could hang out with and personally know any celebrity, who would it be? Everyone else was saying Clint Eastwood (bad ass), Chuck Norris (perfect, if you want to learn the proper way to punch a hole in someone) etc. But he answered Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, and Edgar Wright. I totally agree. Watch any special feature on their DVDs and you’ll understand.

            One of the more amazing things about this show is that it sprouted a now well recognized acting career, that of Nick Frost. And started the launch of Simon Pegg, Edgar Wright, and Nick into stardom. Nick who was a long time friend of Simon had never acted before this show. Simon based "Mike" off a character Nick used to do to make him laugh, and he wanted Nick to be cast, that’s it.

            And these three were not the only people to gain popularity from Spaced. A good chunk of the show’s success and brilliance comes from Simon's Co-Writer and Co-Star, Jessica Hynes (Stevenson), who plays Daisy. She is one of the funniest women I've ever seen in TV/Movies. The amazing writing of the show is half due to her, she seems to get left out of the equation by most people these days even though she is an equal key to the shows genius, and she definitely deserves the credit.

            After the show's second season Simon and Edgar wrote Shaun of the Dead, which might have the most perfect opening scene music choice ever. One thing I learned about Edgar Wright is that he has an awesome taste in music. He also has a sixth sense that enables him to make perfect music choices for his projects, and allows me to discover great British bands. Anyway, Shaun was funny the first time I saw it, but amazing after seeing Spaced, I think Spaced enhanced my understanding of these guys. The same goes for Hot Fuzz. After loving Spaced, I can find so much more to laugh about and enjoy in their later stuff.

            The bottom line is these guys (and Jessica) have created some incredible modern comedy, and I'm not the only one who thinks so. Check out wikipedia articles about this stuff, they've got a huge and very involved fan base. They also constantly get mentioned on different critic’s and fans lists of “the best/top (insert descriptive film/director/genre criteria) list.” There’s a ton I've left out about the awesomeness of these movies/show, but I could write a 10 page essay about how much I like them and why. I’m sure you could have guessed by now that this post was not for fans of Spaced, you already know how fantastic it is, and don’t need me to tell you. The only thing I have to say is, see it. If you haven't seen Spaced yet and you like these guys it will make their stuff so much better. And if you haven't seen any of it, you better netflix or redbox some shiz right away. However... the great part is, Spaced is on Hulu for free… so there is no reason not to enjoy it.

I can't wait for the last installment of their movie trilogy.

- By Wes