Although it struggled in the ratings throughout its nine seasons, Peep Show is one of the greatest sitcoms in recent memory. With 54 episodes, the show had a much longer lifespan than the average British comedy series. Carried by the unparalleled on-screen chemistry shared by David Mitchell and Robert Webb and the fascinating point-of-view shooting style, Peep Show never had a bad episode.
But while every episode is at least good, a few of them stand head and shoulders above the others as truly great. So, here are 10 episodes of Peep Show that, no matter how many times you watch them, will never get old.
Sectioning (Season 3, Episode 2)
When Mark and Jez reconnect with Merry, their Canadian friend from college, Jez is elated to discover she’s willing to give him a pub for free, while Mark is concerned that she’s showing signs of a worsening mental condition.
While Mark gets Merry sectioned, Jez attempts to get Super Hans sectioned to settle a dispute over the pub name, leading to this hilarious quote from an orderly: “Look, guys, you’ve had your fun with the sectioning.”
Sophie’s Parents (Season 4, Episode 1)
In the season 4 premiere, Mark is still reeling from accidentally proposing to Sophie and then going along with the engagement to avoid embarrassment. He and Sophie travel up to the countryside to meet her parents, and Mark brings Jez along to keep Sophie’s overenthusiastic aspiring musician younger brother company.
While they’re there, Sophie’s dad burns down his neighbor’s barn, Mark accidentally rips the head off of a pheasant, and Jez sleeps with Sophie’s mother after sucking jam off her finger.
Burgling (Season 5, Episode 1)
After controversially jilting Sophie at the altar, Mark begins season 5 in a pretty depressed state. Jez gets him back in the dating pool after inviting him on a double date, then ends up ditching the date halfway through a boring play.
Mark and Jez’s flat is ransacked, and when the burglar comes back to finish the job, Mark catches him in the act and pins him to the floor. Then, the imprisoned burglar calls his friends down and the evening escalates pretty quickly.
Jeremy Makes It (Season 2, Episode 2)
When Jez bumps into an old friend from school who’s editing a short film for Honda, he snags a gig writing the soundtrack. However, as Hans has been getting into smoking crack, the track doesn’t turn out so well.
Meanwhile, Mark finally makes a friend at work, but is dismayed to discover that his new pal is a white supremacist. “Jeremy Makes It” is one of Peep Show’s best examples of dovetailing the A-plot and the B-plot.
Nether Zone (Season 7, Episode 4)
On the way to Mark’s son’s christening, Mark and Jez get trapped inside Zahra’s apartment building. They can’t get back into her flat, and the front door won’t open without a key.
The way that each character reacts to the emergency is hilarious, while the situation sets the stage perfectly for some revelations about Jez and Zahra’s relationship.
Mugging (Season 3, Episode 1)
In the season 3 premiere “Mugging,” Mark has finally arranged a date with Sophie, but faces an identity crisis when he’s mugged on the way home from work.
Meanwhile, Jez tries desperately — and futilely — to get out of a miserable relationship. In both cases, they end up in the worst possible situations.
Conference (Season 4, Episode 2)
Tasked with merging JLB’s marketing and sales departments in what Johnson has called Project Zeus, “Conference” finds Mark helplessly flustered as his entire workforce abandons him and he discovers that the merger is unworkable right before he’s expected to present his proposal to the board.
Meanwhile, Big Suze dumps Jez for Johnson after the former considered the latter’s “indecent proposal.” Peep Show’s dynamic works best when Mark and Jez are at rock bottom, and in “Conference,” that’s exactly what happens.
Shrooming (Season 3, Episode 3)
When Mark is due to go on a business trip to Germany, Jez sees the perfect opportunity to invite Super Hans and Big Suze over for a magic mushroom party in the flat.
However, there are complications when Mark comes home with a terrible illness and objects to the party. Jez ends up locking him in his bedroom. This episode also has some of Hans’ greatest moments.
The Wedding (Season 4, Episode 6)
The season 4 finale “The Wedding” is excruciating to watch — in the best way. Everything that could possibly go wrong on Mark’s wedding day goes wrong. Jez even accidentally pees all over the guests when he’s hiding with Mark and can’t hold it in anymore.
Mark has known since he accidentally proposed that he doesn’t want to marry Sophie, but it’s not until the wedding day that he has to actually do something about it.
Holiday (Season 4, Episode 5)
In season 4’s penultimate installment, “Holiday,” Jez takes Mark on the bachelor party of his dreams: a trip down the Shropshire Union Canal complete with chess, pub lunches, and yards of ale.
Along the way, Jez runs over a dog, tries to burn its corpse, and then takes a bite out of it in front of its owners while trying to throw them off the scent. It’s Peep Show’s cringiest, finest hour.