Peep Show's stars stole from set to mark last-ever series

Downton Abbey isn't the only show to come to an end this year because this week sees the start of the ninth and final series of C4's Peep Show.

And as Robert Webb and David Mitchell, who reprised their roles as Jeremy Usborne and Mark Corrigan respectively, knew it was the last-ever series, they couldn’t resist taking a few souvenirs from the show’s set.

Robert Webb and David Mitchell in Peep Show

Robert Webb as Jeremy and David Mitchell as Mark in Peep Show (Angus Young/Channel 4)

Robert said: “I got Jeremy’s poetry exercise book, with Up Yours, Bush written on the cover.”

David added: “I had a picture from Mark’s bedroom, of a Bentley. I don’t know if it’s ever been in shot, but it’s definitely been there from the start.

“Quite often, you’d notice from one series to the next that something had been replaced by something similar. There’s always a picture on the wall about bowling, but it’s not remained the same picture.”

It has been more than three years since viewers last visited the Croydon flatmates, and the new series takes place six months after Jez declared his love to Mark’s girlfriend Dobby in a field in the series eight finale.

David said it’s the right time for the sitcom, created by Sam Bain and Jesse Armstrong and debuted in 2003, to come to an end.

“It’s much harder coming up with a new situation world that people want to come back to and watch than it is to keep it going,” he explained.

Robert Webb and David Mitchell in Peep Show

David Mitchell and Robert Webb in Peep Show (Ian West/PA)

“When you’ve got characters and a situation that people like, you’re on to a good thing as a performer and a comedian, and you’re a fool to yourself if you don’t give people more of what they want. So that’s what we’ve been more than happy to do.

“The fundamental reason for now stopping is that it’s a show about young men, post-university, and as we have inevitably hit middle age, it’s a different idea now. Two middle-aged men sharing a flat like that, that’s too sad.”

The 41-year-old actor added: “It’s got to stop, because we’ve got older. We should have made it an animation, then we’d never have had to stop. Homer Simpson is under 40! It’s ridiculous.”

The pair tease their characters will continue to be unhappy with life when the show draws to a close.

Robert said: “They can’t be happy. It’s not giving anything away to say they will not win the lottery.

“And even if they did, they’d find a way about being miserable about that, eventually. It wouldn’t be Peep Show if they were suddenly content.”

The final series of Peep Show begins on Channel 4 on Wednesday 11 November at 10.00pm.

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