last week's Peep Show episode

[nkkingston]

Anyone else catch it? It's on 4OD (which presumably isn't accessible outside the UK, but who knows?) if you didn't.

Mark gets snared by a vanity publisher, and it so perfectly highlights the way vanity pubs prey on authors that I'd swear one of the writers has been through it his/herself. You know, "everyone pays to be published now", "it's the recession", "no one gets a tour unless they're already famous", "you get higher royalties when you sell over a certain number of books which I just know you will" etc. It made for interesting watching for me because I've known several people who, despite warnings, have fallen for the exact same patter. I'm kinda hoping if they see it they'll recognise their publishers for what they really are, and realise that it's not an insult to their intelligence to fall for it, either.

(if you haven't seen Peep Show before, it's entirely shot in PoV with a lot of internal dialogue. Mark, neurotic history buff, used to work in insurance, but got made redundant and has had a string of high street jobs since. Jez thinks of himself as a musician, though he's mainly supported by his parents and Mark. It's been running for 8 years and is one of the UK's most successful sitcoms.)

[dangerousbill]

Correct. Not available outside UK.

[Manuel Royal]

The first 7 seasons are available on Hulu; don't know about current episodes. I've watched a little, but couldn't get into it. (Though I really liked That Mitchell and Webb Look.)

[Torgo]

For those Brits wanting to occasionally watch Hulu, or Americans wanting our iPlayer/4od stuff, try Tunnelbear.

[hester]

You can also catch repeats on Youtube (it's a great show btw).

[idontknowwhatimdoing]

Oh man, Peep Show is one of my top three shows EVER. I can't wait til I can watch season 8 over here. Poor Mark.

[Manuel Royal]

Okay -- gave it another try on Hulu. Getting into it. So much British humor is based on quiet desperation and terminal awkwardness.

[Manuel Royal]

I've been watching the whole series; now on Season 8. (Sorry; I mean Series 8. Confusing.)

So I've just watched the episode in question (Series 8, Episode 2). Wow. If you've watched the show much, you've seen Mark humiliated many times, but this was especially painful. Not only was he taken in by a vanity press, but Jeremy (and even Super Hans, for God's sake) knew better.

Originally Posted by Jeremy's internal monologue

I could write a book. Piece of piss! "Chapter One: The End." There you go: book.

[JournoWriter]

What is "a string of high street jobs"?

[Manuel Royal]

Originally Posted by JournoWriter

What is "a string of high street jobs"?

Not sure. Since his old employer abruptly went out of business (in the U.K., anyway), Mark has tried out as a historical tour guide, been partners in a possibly nonexistent business with his man-crush Johnson, worked in a Mexican restaurant, and been an unsuccessful bathroom-fixtures salesman.

ETA: Damn it! Just watched the last episode. There's a ninth series in the offing, but that might not be 'til Fall. I've gotten spoiled on a little Peep Show every day.

[zahra]

Originally Posted by JournoWriter

What is "a string of high street jobs"?

Jobs businesses you'd find along any high street, ie, one-to-one selling in shops, estate agents' etc, rather than the high-end white-collar jobs he so craves. Poor Mark.