Peep Show Vs Arrested Development

Ouijaboard · 05-11-2009 06:30PM #1

Just watched all of peep show on C4 OD and I'm going to have to buy the lot now, what a cracking comedy, fantastic script and character development is amazing.

I was then told if I like peep show i'd really enjoy arrested development, so I did a bit of checking out and it gets very high ratings on imdb and high acclaim here as well as elsewhere on the net.

So I 'acquired' it on the net and having watched the first 9 eps I find it very weak in comparison to a comedy of peep shows calibre. The clichéd characters, most are very weak, one or two good unique characters such as the brother the magician, perhaps the father. not very funny puns etc, weak plot. So I said this on a few forums and received the usual you don't get it/unable to understand it ****e. I dont really think so.
Curb your enthusiasm is a much better comedy from the US.

So my question is who here likes both peep show and is also enamoured with arrested development as well, and why! I'm just beginning to think that the AD fan base is a smaller frenzied pool of fanatics who are seeing jokes that aren't even there. I tried to like it and gave it 9 eps to get into it but its not happening. Its not even nearly as good as Frazier ffs.

As a bit of background I grew up with classic comedy such as blackadder, only fools, fawlty towers and loved later stuff such as the fast show, father ted, blackbooks etc.
Where are people getting their high opinion of AD from and is it worth sticking with? Cant see it myself!

tony1kenobi · 05-11-2009 07:42PM

Both are great shows. I think if you had watched them the other way round you might enjoy Arrested Development more. If I was going to compare Peep Show to anything though I'd say it's more like It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia.

You won't see anyone eating a dog on American network television.

You won't see Super Hans on there either.

AARRRGH · 05-11-2009 07:44PM

Arrested Development
Peep Show
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Trailer Park Boys
Curb Your Enthusiasm

Can't go wrong with those!

Ouijaboard · 05-11-2009 07:56PM

Yeah, perhaps AD was built up a bit too much for me, I didnt dislike it completely, just found it didnt live up to expectations. I definitely did not find it the laugh a minute show it was described to be. And whats with all the quotes from the fans as if they are the funniest thing that ever been uttered.

Peep show took a few eps to get into it aswell, but its completely addictive after you do get into it, as a comedy its probably as risky as your likely to get, maybe you're right and AD just seems almost banal after that

Ouijaboard · 05-11-2009 08:00PM

Must check out always sunny in Phili, will prob continue watching AD aswell for a bit to see if I can get it

Now that I'm unemployed I have time to catch up on all the TV that i've missed in the past 10 years. Also watching Boston Legal from the start, what a superb show, only saw a few eps years ago.

Kiith · 05-11-2009 08:07PM

Arrested Development Vs 'Insert Comedy Here'

Arrested Development will win regardless of what is put above.

cougar1 wrote: »

So I 'acquired' it on the net and having watched the first 9 eps I find it very weak in comparison to a comedy of peep shows calibre. The clichéd characters, most are very weak, one or two good unique characters such as the brother the magician, perhaps the father. not very funny puns etc, weak plot. So I said this on a few forums and received the usual you don't get it/unable to understand it ****e. I dont really think so.

I realise its your opinion, and you are entitles to one, but i dont think its possible for me to disagree with you more. It has some of the best writing of any comedy i have ever seen, with some fantastic characters. Would recommend this to anyone who was looking for a well written, smart comedy.

amacachi · 05-11-2009 08:10PM

Kiith wrote: »

Arrested Development Vs 'Insert Comedy Here'

Arrested Development will win regardless of what is put above.

Pretty much agree with that.

And sorry OP, but I don't mean on an "intelligence" level, but you obviously don't "get" Arrested Development. I don't think I've ever seen such brilliant delivery of lines as in it. Reading the lines it's not funny, it's just how the actors all deliver them.

ixoy · 05-11-2009 08:13PM

cougar1 wrote: »

Where are people getting their high opinion of AD from and is it worth sticking with? Cant see it myself!

People are getting their high opinions from having watched it. They've then seen how funny it was, with layered jokes and its failure to resort to clichés as well as its rich characters. You can think AD isn't good but you'd be wrong.

tony1kenobi · 05-11-2009 08:13PM

cougar1 wrote: »

Must check out always sunny in Phili, will prob continue watching AD aswell for a bit to see if I can get it

Stick with Arrested Development.It gets better and better.If you watch it to the end you'll go back and watch them again at least once more.......and by then the movie will be out!!

amacachi · 05-11-2009 08:16PM

tony1kenobi wrote: »

Stick with Arrested Development.It gets better and better.If you watch it to the end you'll go back and watch them again at least once more.......and by then the movie will be out!!

Think the second and third times I watched it were the best. :pac:

bluefinger · 05-11-2009 08:27PM

peep show ftw!

Never liked arrested development, maybe it's a cultural thing of something, although i do think the us office is good.

4zn76tysfajdxp · 05-11-2009 09:43PM

Peep Show. I thought AD was very, very funny. But Peep Show is better, imo.

Sorry · 05-11-2009 10:17PM

Peep Show.

Utopia Parkway · 05-11-2009 10:39PM

cougar1 wrote: »

So I 'acquired' it on the net and having watched the first 9 eps I find it very weak in comparison to a comedy of peep shows calibre. The clichéd characters, most are very weak, one or two good unique characters such as the brother the magician, perhaps the father. not very funny puns etc, weak plot. So I said this on a few forums and received the usual you don't get it/unable to understand it ****e. I dont really think so.

You obviously don't get it but people aren't meant to like everything so why worry if some people like it and you don't? I love Peep Show as well (although I think it's beginning to show its age a little now) but AD was close to genius in parts IMO with little references to something that seemed trivial at the time often appearing again in much later episodes. It's hard to explain but the humour in AD is probably closer to something you usually find in Wes Anderson films except funnier and more surreal. Some people love Wes Anderson movies while others are just left cold by them. Such is life.

Ouijaboard · 06-11-2009 12:06AM

Utopia Parkway wrote: »

You obviously don't get it but people aren't meant to like everything so why worry if some people like it and you don't? I love Peep Show as well (although I think it's beginning to show its age a little now) but AD was close to genius in parts IMO with little references to something that seemed trivial at the time often appearing again in much later episodes. It's hard to explain but the humour in AD is probably closer to something you usually find in Wes Anderson films except funnier and more surreal. Some people love Wes Anderson movies while others are just left cold by them. Such is life.

I’m certainly not worried that I don’t like it or that I don’t get it, I’m not trying to like it just for the sake of it, or to impress anybody; more just willing to give it a chance rather than dismiss it after a few episodes.

Funny you mention Wes Anderson because I have seen a few of his movies (not the more recent stuff) and loved Tenenbaums and Rushmore, and funnily enough the very few people I have read who dismissed AD have called it a poor man’s Tenenbaums. TBH I found Tenenbaums had much more surreal and off the wall humour in comparison to AD. Ah well, horses for courses I suppose.

I’ll stick with it for a while and see if it improves. It’s not like I’m pulling my hair out with boredom while watching it, I’m quite willing to finish out the first season and see where we go from there. Even Portia De Rossi is worth watching for her sex appeal alone.

As for some of the other characters Michael Bluth, I realise hes trying to be the voice of reason and the rock of the family but hes so dull and monotonous its mindblowing.
Also Michael Cera his son, yeah we get it, awkward with girls, low self esteem, has difficultly in making conversation, etc, he played exactly the same character in superbad. Buster, is just a childish misfit who doesn’t really deliver any lines of real humour.
The one interesting character is GOB, without him the whole show would fall flat on its face.

Peep show, yeah I'm wondering where its going to go from here, you would think that the status quo would have to change sometime, then again I'm surprised they managed to get 6 seasons out of it but they did it and with season 7 coming out I think they'll manage to give us a few laughs yet.

AnonoBoy · 06-11-2009 08:30AM

Two shows I wouldn't compare at all really.

Both hilarious I think but in different ways.

Arrested Development took me a while to get into but it really rewards repeated viewing. So many great running gags and lines in it and every one of the actors is perfet for their part.

Peep Show is well..... Peep Show. It's nasty and misanthropic and hilarious.

pickarooney · 06-11-2009 09:10AM

I don't see that there's much of an overlap between the shows and I know people who love one and hate the other and even soulless beings who don't like either. I love both, but Peep Show is the better comedy in my eyes.

For what it's worth, it took me a while to get into AD but it hadn't been hyped up so much. That tends to ruin things a bit. Arrested Development is comedy's The Wire in a way.

Penn · 06-11-2009 12:55PM

I love both shows, but Arrested Development wins for me. Both shows are fantastically written, brilliantly acted and have some great characters. But AD is just a fraction better in each category.

To be honest though, they're very hard to compare, as both are very different in styles. I'd say Peep Show is more comparable to Curb Your Enthusiasm

L31mr0d · 06-11-2009 01:36PM

I love both, but it's apples and oranges tbh.

Peep show is a quick hit of instant humour with each episode. You could watch it, having never seen a previous episode, and still find it hilarious.

In AD, the humour is self referentially layered throughout the seasons, meaning that as the show progresses each episode gets funnier and better. For me some of the best episodes where in the final season. It was also for this reason that the show was cancelled, new viewers could not easily pick up the show and find it funny if they hadn't been watching it right from the start.

Arrested Development wins out for me. The true genius of the writing really started to become apparent in the final series when they had 2 previous seasons of plot lines to draw from, which is why there has been so much uproar about it being prematurely cancelled.

Hrududu · 06-11-2009 05:02PM

Arrested Development, for me has been the best comedy on television in years. I don't really get the comparison with Peep Show, they are nothing alike.

the whole year inn · 06-11-2009 05:15PM

Ad ftw.it is truely brillant seen each season so many times now its disturbing.

Id go

Arestted development
Seinfield
Fater Ted

I love Peep Show and it is very good and have every episode but hard to compare to those three.

Peep Show Vs Arrested Development

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