Digital Spy has a little interview about Peep Show coming back in a week’s time so here it is:
David Mitchell, Robert Webb (‘Peep Show’)
Friday, September 11 2009, 11:15 BST
By Dan French, TV Reporter
With a pair of CVs covering the likes of Peep Show, Magicians and That Mitchell And Webb Look, David Mitchell and Robert Webb have officially cemented themselves as comedy connoisseurs. But with Peep Show series six now upon us – and with a seventh already on the way – are they getting tired of Mark and Jez? And how much longer can the show go on? We caught up with the chaps themselves to find out.
What can we expect from the new series?
David: “It’s difficult because there are one or two key plot points on which various episodes hang, which are secret because they’d spoil it if you know about them in advance. So it’s harder to talk about than usual! Mark and Jeremy are in emotional pain – as ever – and they have various schemes of escape. They hold a party together which is a success in a social gathering, but a failure in their aims. There’s a point where Mark is contemplating his own business, Jeremy has his own love interest, and Mark tries to learn to drive.”
Robert: “It’s the usual catalogue of disasters! Jeremy has a new girlfriend called Elena who he goes absolutely crazy about, like he’s never been in love before. And that doesn’t go at all smoothly. And we find out who the father of Sophie’s baby is…”
Does the story pick up from where series five left off?
David: “It does, yes. The big question of the paternity of Sophie’s baby is hanging over them as we start the series. The story will be resolved.”
What sort of fathers would Mark and Jez make?
David: “I think in different ways, utterly incompetent ones! Mark would be beautiful in a judgemental, oppressive, controlling and disappointing way as his father was to him. I think Jeremy would be easy and free and open and an absentee.”
Who would be the best man for the job?
David: “I’ll go with Mark, but that’s out of loyalty to my character.”
Robert: “Jeremy would be fundamentally worse because he would forget that he has a baby, or he would put it on a radiator. And if it’s Mark, he’s gonna spend his whole life worrying. It’s funny – in the early episodes, Jeremy keeps referring to it as ‘our baby’. He spots Sophie drinking what he thinks is a glass of wine and he says to Mark, ‘That can’t be good for our baby!’ There’s lot of fun to be had.”
Does Johnson play a part in this series?
David: “Johnson is back, yes. I can’t say, but I’ll tell you what – he’s got a beard. By that, I mean he’s got an actual growth on his face, not some sort of wife to hide his homosexuality.”
Have you thought about storylines for series seven yet?
David: “That’s largely Sam and Jesse’s [Bain and Armstrong, creators] job. They get us in to have a chat and airily throw ideas around and then don’t have to cope with the plot consequences! I think they have some thoughts in mind for series seven. I think we were quite pleased to be able to write series six knowing that it was carrying on.”
Do you expect an eighth series to go ahead?
David: “I don’t know. There’s been some talk of it. I think it’s in the hands of Sam, Jesse and Channel 4. I think Rob and I will carry on doing the show as long as we can but Sam and Jesse have got other writing things and Peep Show takes most of their year up when it happens. I don’t know – there may well be more, but I don’t think there’ll be an eighth series hot on the heels of the seventh. I think there’ll be a hiatus. Or at least a sabbatical.”
Robert: “Potentially, if we were all happy, it could go on indefinitely. It gets worse for them as they get older. They get more and more desperate and unhappy. It’s not good for them, but it’s good for comedy.”
After so many series, is there a risk that the show may become stale?
David: “I really feel that the sixth series is as good as any. Obviously we’re terrified of it becoming stale but I think so far that terror has been averted.”
Robert: “Sam and Jesse work incredibly hard to make sure the show is in order. I think it just gets better every time. We’re all delighted.”
Can we expect a new series of That Mitchell And Webb Look?
David: “Yes, we’ll be shooting a new series of that in the new year. So it’ll be out any time from next spring.”
David, you received huge recognition at the Baftas this year. Why do you think Rob wasn’t put forward?
David: “I don’t know. I don’t think it was fair. But I won’t pretend that I’m not glad it was that way around. I won’t say I wasn’t pleased to get a gong.”
Peep Show returns Friday, September 18 at 10pm on Channel 4.
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