| Spaced: The Complete Series | 
 enlarge | Actor: Spaced
Studio: BBC Warner
Category: DVD
List Price: $59.98
Buy New: $29.89
You Save: $30.09 (50%)
New (18) Used (9) Collectible (1) from $28.50
Avg. Customer Rating:  42 reviews
Format: Box Set, Color, Dvd-video, Subtitled, Widescreen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Subtitled), English (Original Language)
Running Time: 350 minutes
Number Of Items: 3
Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.5 x 1
UPC: 883929019748
EAN: 0883929019748
Theatrical Release Date: 2008
Release Date: July 22, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
It only takes one episode to become very protective of this 1999 British Comedy Award-winning series that put comedy soul mates Simon Pegg and Jessica Stevenson (now Hynes), as well as Nick Frost, and director Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz) on the map. One can only hope a threatened American version is never produced. This is one of those brilliant, off-center, lightning-in-a-bottle creations that gets you so jazzed, you want to turn all your friends on to it. Spaced (actually, Friends might have been a better title; too bad it was taken) stars Pegg and Stevenson as strangers Tim and Daisy, "amiable 20-somethings" who pose as a "professional couple" to rent an apartment. He is a recently-dumped aspiring comic book artist. She is an easily distracted writer. As the series unfolds, their apartment becomes an "island of calm in the ocean of life" as Tim and Daisy form a kind of 21st century family with their similarly misfit friends, including soused landlord Marsha (Julia Deakin), who lives with her teenager daughter (aka "the devil in a A cup," who is heard, but never quite seen), Brian (Mark Heap), an artist who deals in anger, fear, and aggression, Simon's best friend Mark (Frost), a militaristic gun nut, and Daisy's best friend, Twist (Katy Carmichael), a fashion poseur (in the series' penultimate episode, look for a pre-Office Ricky Gervais). Spaced is not so much interested in Tim and Daisy's charade as it is in cramming each episode with pop culture references and obscure in-jokes, and brilliantly realized film and TV homages, ranging from Woody Allen's Manhattan to Pulp Fiction and The Empire Strikes Back (Star Wars, especially, looms large in Tim's slacker universe). As with Arrested Development, Spaced benefits from repeat viewings to catch missed bits of business and gags that fly by at a Simpsons-esque rate. This Complete Series set is everything Spaced's fervent following would demand. Each episode is complemented by the original commentaries as well as newly-recorded gabfests that also feature American friends of the show, including Kevin Smith, Patton Oswalt, Quentin Taratinto, Matt Stone, Diablo Cody, and Bill Hader. There are deleted scenes and outtakes, and, best of all, an hour-long 2007 Q&A with Wright and the cast, in which Pegg allows that, had there been a third series (and we can still dream), it would have provided viewers hoping that Tim and Daisy would ultimately get together with "a moment to make every hair of your body stand on end." You will see such a moment if you "skip to the end" of the essential near two-hour series retrospective. --Donald Liebenson
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| Customer Reviews: Read 37 more reviews...
Clever Boys..and girl August 28, 2008
Finally, here is Spaced in the USA. This genius show eluded the US shores due to various copyright issues. Here is the full unblemished UK Britcom in its entirety. The show screams genuis with it's multi dimensional characters, pop culture references, self referential humor, and very carefully placed sight gags. It rises above its contemporary Brit coms by shedding the formula with a filmic quality and lack of canned laughter. Like "The Office," this is UK comedy done differently. This is where Simon Pegg, Edgar Wright, and Nick Frost started before Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz. Fans of those films NEED to watch Spaced.
The success of the show has much to do with the characters carved out by Simon Pegg and Jessica Stevenson. Breaking a trend from many sitcoms, the lead chracters Tim and Daisy are not well to do successful twenty somethings living it up in New York or a similar locaiton. They are somewhat slacker twenty somethings barely getting by, referencing pop culture, playing video games, and totally giving in to geek/fanboy culture. In many ways Spaced is not about the exciting happenings in the lives of Tim, an artist, and Daisy an aspiring (sort of) writer, but rather about the funny things in the everyday going ons of their lives and the lives of their unusual friends. For all the odd references and quick film quality shots, Spaced has that extra feeling of reality as these are easy characters to relate to.
But it's oh so much fun. Every shot is filled with gags and references, be it "The Shining," "Dawn of the Dead," or hilarious scenes such as a depressed Tim intentionally drowning Lara Croft in Tomb Raider. It's an unbelievably well crafted comedy that is rarely a miss. The supporting characters are great too like the military minded Mike, played by Nick Frost or the curious "artist" Brian. There's something for everyone.
As the DVD goes, this is the Spaced DVD to end all Spaced DVDs. For owners of the UK DVDs, this release surpasses them as each episode has an additional commentary by film makers like Kevin Smith and Quentin Tarantino. They're often way off topic, but highly entertaining as these are film makers watching the shows as fans (and in many cases now friends of the creators).
These shows are endlessly watchable. If there's any flaw it may be that sometimes the references get too smart or too obscure. The homage o meter subtitle will help for that. Overall, a hugely enjoyable show. I doubt anyone will find reason to "skip to the end."
Always leave them wanting more. August 27, 2008
This is a prime example of raw talent waiting to be discovered. 5 years before the amazing 'Shaun of the Dead' Simon Pegg, Edgar Wright, & Nick Frost made the most intelligent, referential, and hilarious British television show since 'Monty Python'. Unfortunately it only ran for 14 episodes. After making the first 2 series on a shoestring budget and working themselves to exhaustion Simon, Edgar, Nick, & Jessica Stevenson (Cowriter & star) had to move on to bigger and better things. I love 'Shaun of the Dead' and their follow up 'Hot Fuzz' but I would have also liked to have seen 'Spaced' run for 2, 3, even 10 more series. But that as they say is the key to show business: Always leave them wanting more.
With a fantastic supporting cast, a simple yet engaging story, and enough pop culture in jokes to make VH1 explode this is one of the all- time best. Buy this now, thank me later.
The Single Most Awesome Thing Ever August 27, 2008
Spaced takes the anarchy of the Young Ones, the creepiness of David Lynch and an understanding of geek culture that could only come from first hand experience. The premise, a couple of friends pretending to be a couple to rent a flat together, could easily have been turned into a Three's Company clone. But by focusing on the characters themselves rather than the premise, Pegg, Stevenson and Wright have created something truly unique.
 Great for fans of British Comedies August 27, 2008
If you appreciate Simon Pegg's other works (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, etc.) you'll love this. Well written and acted with appearances from other famous Brits like David Walliams from Little Britain. Make sure to watch the extras (and there are a lot of them) including out-takes and 23 Meteor Lane revisited.
Is Jabba the princess? August 27, 2008
This is was worth the price at $50. Do yourself a favor and pick up this amazing collection finally available legally in the US!
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