Spaced

Spaced was the breakout hit for its creators, who went on to make popular movies like Shaun of the Dead and are now recognizable successes. It's a short and brilliant little series about a couple of new friends who pretend to be a couple to get an apartment. The focus of the show thankfully isn't their wacky hijinks as they try to keep up the ruse though, it's just a funny look at life through the eyes of its interesting cast of characters. A huge part of it is pop culture references, as Simon Pegg's character spends his time playing video games and trying to break into the comic book industry. There's a lot of references to Star Wars in particular, and an episode in the second season heavily satirizes The Matrix, the events of which the characters call "slightly unbelievable".

For the most part, the show is just pure fun to watch. Even when I wasn't laughing out loud, I usually at least had a smile on my face. There's only 14 episodes across two seasons, but each one is good and packed with references and inside jokes, making the show a little too esoteric for some members of the general populace but a big treat for anyone who gets it. Even when it's not trying to be funny it succeeds. It says some genuine things about friendship, and the relationship development between co-writers Pegg and Jessica Stevenson is extremely well done. It doesn't last very long, but Spaced is pretty close to the perfect sitcom.

Garth Marenghi's Darkplace

Darkplace is a brilliant, offbeat British comedy that couldn't make it past the initial run of six episodes due to low ratings, but since then gained a cult following and eventually made its way to Adult Swim's growing stable of live-action content. It's a show within a show, the premise being that fake schlock horror writer Marenghi and his publisher Dean Learner decided to make a show in the 80's on a shoestring budget. The action takes place in a hospital where many supernatural things happen, and all the mistakes and shortcuts are played up to great comedic effect. The special effects are obviously cheesy, the main character is always making typical hackneyed proclamations, and Learner is a horribly awkward supporting character.

Marenghi's a little full of himself, calling himself a visionary and a dreamweaver in the show's intro. They add little interview segments with the "actors" throughout the program, which add another dimension and plenty of opportunities for more jokes. A lot of the show is just laughing at intentional screw-ups, which can be a little obvious and cheap, but there's way more to it than that. There is plenty of genuinely good wordplay and subtle dialogue that show how smart the makers really are. I have a soft spot for English accents in comedy, and it can be a simple joy just to hear some Brits say funny things for a half hour. If you catch it on late at night, give it a watch.