There’s always the hope that Simon Pegg and company would produce a third season of Spaced, but since the moniker “the complete series” is on this set that day may not come. However, this fine set will please the fans.
Tim Bisley (Simon Pegg) and Daisy Steiner (Jessica Hynes) meet while flat (that means apartment in American) hunting in jolly old England. They happen upon a cheap flat at 23 Meteor St. from landlady Marsha Klein (Julia Deakin).
However, the ad says that only couples need apply so Tim and Daisy pose as such to get the flat. Conceptual artist Brian Topp (Mark Heap) also lives in the building with constant fixture Watt (Nick Frost), Tim’s best friend, and Twist (Katy Carmichael), Daisy’s best friend.
This three-disc set collects all two seasons of the fantastic British series that lay on the pop culture references galore. Sadly only two seasons, totaling fourteen episodes, made it out of the gate before the show stopped. The show is simply hilarious and it would lead to the unholy filmmaking trio of Pegg, Frost, and Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz).
Our cast of characters go through some rather real life situations, but albeit with fantasy elements. Each series is given its own disc with the third disc containing a generous amount of extras. The box art is also fantastic and feels like a true homage to the great series.
Spaced is presented in anamorphic widescreen (1.85:1) and enhanced for 16x9 televisions. Each episode of the show has an homage-a-meter option which points out all the references the show makes. Special features on disc one (series one) include commentaries from the original UK releases from Pegg, Hynes, Wright and others on all the episodes.
There are also U.S. commentaries with special guests Kevin Smith (ep.1-3), Diablo Cody (ep.4-5), Matt Stone (ep.6), and Patton Oswalt (ep.7). Next are some cast, character, and crew biographies, 7 trailers (translated into American it means commercials), and 9 minutes of outtakes. Disc two (series two) has the UK commentaries and US commentaries with guests Quentin Tarantino (ep.1, 3), Patton Oswalt (ep.2, 4), Matt Stone (ep.5), and Bill Hader (ep.6-7).
Other features include 7 series two trailers, 13 minutes of outtakes, bios, a photo gallery, and 1 minute of footage of Daisy singing Elvis. Disc three is the real treasure of the set and is divided into series one extras, series two extras, and additional extras. Series one has 7 minutes of raw footage, a collection of deleted scenes (with optional commentary), and 5 more minutes of outtakes.
Series two has deleted scenes (with optional commentary) and 6 minutes of raw footage. Additional extras is where the real gold is with the 80 minute “Skip to the End” documentary on the making of the show.
Next is the 3-minute “Spaced Jam” collection of clips set to music by Osymyso. Last but definitely not least is the 58-minute “Spaced on stage” a question and answer session taped at the National Film Theatre on November 10, 2007.
They say that the candle that burns the brightest also burns out quicker. Spaced was a very bright candle and the DVD set is fantastic and well worth the cost. Highly recommended.
Spaced: The Complete Series is now available at Amazon and AmazonUK . Visit the DVD database for more information.
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