Not Even A Full Season In America

BBC America is showing Spaced, a fourteen-episode sitcom with a bit of an underground rep in the U.S.

The rather unimaginative premise has two British twenty-somethings, Tim (Simon Pegg in the role that got him a lot of attention) and Daisy, pretending to be a professional couple so they can rent a flat together. The show seems to know this isn't much of an idea, since most of the episodes barely refer to the deception. It's really an excuse to get the two leads, who meet in the pilot, together.

Tim wants to be a comic book artist and Daisy a writer, and the show is really about the various adventures they and their friends have, seeking employment or just seeking fun. What makes the show is it's steeped in pop culture references, often played out in fantasy sequences.

I wouldn't call it a classic--it's not Fawlty Towers or The Young Ones or even Absolutely Fabulous--but in an era where sitcoms seem to be dying, it's nice to have another decent one around.