Spaced

Spaced is a British television situation comedy written by and starring Simon Pegg and Jessica Stevenson, directed by Edgar Wright, and broadcast on Channel 4. It is notable for its almost constant dropping of pop-culture references. Two series of seven episodes have been broadcast (in autumn 1999 and spring 2001). The first series was a nominee for Best TV Sitcom in the 1999 British Comedy Awards.

Episode guide

Series 1

• Beginnings - Strangers Tim (recently broken up from his girlfriend) and Daisy (squatting) find themselves sharing a table and newspapers in a London café day after day, in a fruitless search for somewhere to live. Stumbling upon a two-bedroomed flat for a "professional couple only" they hatch a plan to make it their new home, putting on a show for their prospective landlady Marsha.
• Gatherings - Freshly unpacked Daisy plans a housewarming party - something to make their home the new hub of north London. All of Tim's friends are busy skateboarding or attending sci-fi convention except war freak Mike who provides much needed security. Daisy's media contacts extend only as far as the paperboy and her friend Twist who works "in fashion". Marsha's daughter Amber puts on a party of her own upstairs, one with kicking beats and not the Time Warp.
• Art - Tim plays zombie-fest Resident Evil 2 on the PlayStation all night after taking cheap speed with Mike, who falls asleep on The Tube and ends up in Sheffield. The mail offers Daisy an interview at women's magazine Flaps and neighbour Brian receives an invitation to a new show by his non-gender-specific ex art partner Vulva (David Walliams). At the party, things go awry when Tim suffers his Twiglet allergy combined with the earlier drug and game abuse, resulting in a hallucination of a zombie invasion that culminates in him punching Vulva in the face. Faced with rejection at Flaps, where not even "Girl Power!" could save her, Daisy dramatises a show of her own. This episode served as the inspiration to Shaun of the Dead.
• Battles - Daisy decides to get a dog to cheer herself up while Tim and Mike go paintballing and encounter upon Tim's nemesis Duane Benzy (Peter Serafinowicz), the very man who stole Tim's girlfriend from behind his back.
• Chaos - Tim takes Daisy's new dog for a walk and it suddenly goes missing while Tim is challenging aliens to abduct him. After an extensive poster campaign Tim gets an anonymous tip-off detailing Colin's location and the gang plans a daring rescue attempt in true Star Wars fashion.
• Epiphanies - Tim's bicycle courier friend Tyres pops round for a cup of tea and decides to takes the gang clubbing.
• Ends - Tim's ex-girlfriend Sarah decides she wants him back and arranges a meeting with Tim. Daisy finally knocks out a few articles and Mike has an interview at the Territorial Army to see if he's ready to rejoin their ranks after his previous tank invasion of Euro Disney and subsequent arrest on Space Mountain.

Series 2

• Back - Daisy returns from Asia, but finds herself pursued by mysterious agents in pursuit of "sensitive material" which has found its way into her bag.
• Change - Tim loses his job after a dispute over Jar Jar Binks and so heads off with Daisy to the job centre hoping to find employment or, better yet, cash - they are, after all, reasonable people.
• Mettle - Tim and Mike are through to the quarter finals of Robot Wars, but conflict with previously beaten opponents threatens their attendance.
• Help - Dark Star Comics want to see Tim's portfolio, but an unflattering drawing of owner Damien Knox has been sent along with it and both Tim and Mike must enlist Tyres in a daring attempt to recover the item before it is uncovered.
• Gone - Tim and Daisy spend a night out in Camden but find themselves in trouble with local youths and Tim's nemesis Duane. Meanwhile, Mike loses Colin. This episode includes, debatably, the funniest scene in both series called in the scene selection menu "Male Psyche" which appeared on "Tonight With Jonathan Ross".
• Dissolution - Tim and Sophie's relationship is noticed by Marsha, and events come to a head at Daisy's birthday party.
• Leaves - The group, now broken up, try and persuade Marsha not to sell the house and to come home. Meanwhile Daisy accepts a job at a small newspaper in Colwyn Bay and prepares to leave London.