STUDIO: BBC Home Video
RELEASE DATE: July 22, 2008
STARRING: Simon Pegg, Jessica Hynes, Nick Frost, Katy Carmichael, Julia Deakin, and Mark Heap
DIRECTED BY: Edgar Wright
FEATURES: Commentary with Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg, Jessica Hynes, Julia Deakin, Mark Heap, Nick Frost, producer Nira Park PLUS bonus commentary with guests Kevin Smith, Diablo Cody, Matt Stone, Quentin Tarantino, Patton Oswalt, and Bill Hader
Outtakes, Homage-O-Meter, Original Cast and Crew Biographies, Trailers, and Photo Gallery
"Skip to the End" feature length documentary
Exclusive footage of Spaced On Stage 2007 reunion Q&A with Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright
"Spaced Jam" music video by Osymyso, Deleted Scenes, Raw Footage, New Cast and Crew Biographies, and More Outtakes

Before the genius of Shaun of the Dead and the perfection of Hot Fuzz, there was Spaced, the now-legendary BBC sitcom from 1999 and 2001 that became a major cult item in the many years since its been on the air. Starring the great Simon Pegg and Jessica Stevenson (who later became Jessica Hynes), directed by Edgar Wright, and featuring supporting work by Pegg's future partner in Shaun and Fuzz, Nick Frost, Spaced was spoken about in hushed tones for the last decade, its genius barely even understandable to mere mortals. I can't tell you how many times, after expressing my adoration for Pegg, Frost, and Wright, I was told how much I HAD to see Spaced. The problem was that the show was only available on DVD in the European region and not stateside (most U.S. fans of the show had region-free players). Of course, with the massive popularity of Shaun, Hot Fuzz, and even Wright's bit in Grindhouse, we knew it was only a matter of time before a Region 1 version was released, but could it love up to the hype? Is it as good as Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz? Now that a gorgeous, complete series DVD set has finally been released stateside, I can confirm that the answers are unquestionably yes and yes.

Spaced stars Simon Pegg and Jessica Hynes as Tim and Daisy, a pair of London-ites both looking for a place to live after break-ups with a girlfriend and flat-mate, respectively. They share classifieds at a local coffee house and stumble across an ad for a perfect flat that requires a professional couple to move in. In a classic comedy set-up, Tim and Daisy fake being a couple and eventually become one. In their new residence, they meet Brian (Mark Heap), the overwrought artist who lives downstairs, and Marsha (Julia Deakin), the creepy landlady. Tim's best friend is Mike (Nick Frost), a military nut who brings a land mine to a housewarming party, and Daisy's is Twist (Katy Carmichael), a chick who thinks that working at a dry cleaners makes her a part of the fashion industry. Daisy is a writer and Tim's a comic book artist. It sounds like the set-up for a dozen awful television comedies, but Spaced is something very different, a consistently clever show that isn't as laugh-out-loud hilarious as the movies that Pegg, Frost, and Wright would go on to make, but is a shockingly constant smile-producer; a show that gets under your skin. It's amazing to see how much talent Pegg and Wright had at such a young age. Anyone who saw Spaced when it aired probably knew they would go on to bigger and better things. So filled to the brim with pop culture references that the DVD actually comes with an "Homage-O-Meter", it's easy to see why Spaced became a cult hit. It's the kind of show you can watch repeatedly and enjoy every time.

Some folks who have watched Spaced repeatedly are pretty famous themselves and a few of them actually show up on the complete series set to offer their thoughts on the show. The unusual collection of commentary participants include fans as diverse as Kevin Smith, Quentin Tarantino, and Matt Stone. The most talkative of the guests (in particular, Kevin Smith) almost serve as moderators for Pegg, Wright, and Hynes, opening them up about the history of the show. Smith is just a fan, sitting in a room with the creators of one of his favorite shows and asking questions while they watch it. In fact, Smith is so talkative that he's on the first three episodes. You can also listen to the original tracks without the superstar fans. And audio commentaries are just the tip of the iceberg with this set. Outtakes, biographies, trailers, and a third disc that includes a feature-length documentary about the history of the show with even more extra footage like a 2007 Q & A. You'll spend days with the Spaced: Complete Series set. Even if the show wasn't brilliant (which it is), this would be one of the most impressive TV-on-DVD releases of the year. The fact that it's a show that you will soon add to your list of modern favorites makes it one of the most impressive ever. I assumed that I would be telling fans of the Pegg, Frost, and Wright films to pick up Spaced. I'm pleasantly surprised to say that everyone should.