Sitting pretty at the ninth position it's the highest placed Brit-com, Spaced.

Spaced (1999 - 2001)

"Skip to the end."

Even with only two seasons, this British sitcom is nothing but quality programming from one episode to the next. Written by (and starring) Simon Pegg and Jessica Stevenson the show follows the traditional sitcom format of 20 to 30 somethings lost in modern life. A pair of people who meet up, move in together and their experiences with their friends and the people who live in the same building as them.

But the presentation of this, the scripting, the dialog, everything in fact is just not typical. Pegg and Stevenson manage to spin perfectly normal experiences into something just a little fantastical. The situations experienced are almost all mundane at their core, going paintballing, going out clubbing, lose a dog, losing your job etc. But the way the characters experience these situations, the way they act in them is what turns it all around and makes it a remarkable viewing experience. A short segment in this show spawned Shaun of the Dead, another segment echos the future experience of Hot Fuzz. This show is directly responsable for so much in modern pop culture. Which in some ways is ironic because the show is also a homage to pop culture itself.

The cast is phenomenal, in addition to Jessica and Simon there is also Nick Frost (Shaun, Fuzz, Hyperdrive), Mark Heap (Green Wing), Michael Smiley in a memorable guest starring role as Tyres (Bleak House) and Peter Serafinowicz (Shaun, Run Fat Boy Run). Spaced is like Seinfeld, in that it is in essence a show about nothing.

Spaced is a geeky celebration of television and modern life at it's best. It's passionate about film, television, comics, games and all those little things that make up the chemistry of modern geek-life. It takes honest and fresh looks at subjects like relationships, modern theatre, war movies, escape movies, zombies and more. Even now; nearly ten years after it was first released, the show remains a classic. As fresh now as it ever was.

I am a little concerned about the American remake of this show. If it turns out like Seinfeld or The Office then it'll be an instant classic, but it could just end up sucking hard. Also it seems it has been put out without any consent or input from Pegg or Stevenson. Not a good sign...

Still, let's not end on a downer shall we? Spaced is an absolute classic, a show that should be watched by all who love comedy. While it's a shame it's so short, this is also an advantage in that it can be watched with ease. It's the best that British Comedy has produced to date.

imdb: 9.5
tv.com: 9.1