TVSquad

The American DVD collection for Spaced is finally coming out, and Simon Pegg, Jessica Hynes and Edgar Wright will be promoting it through their US invasion. Well, by "US invasion," I mean they're going on a four-city tour, screening episodes and answering questions in NYC, LA, San Diego's Comic-Con, and Austin. That's sort of an invasion, yeah?

Anyway, I was just sitting here and feeling sorry for myself, like I do, doubly so this time because I won't be able to attend any of those inevitably textbook events. Then, I stumbled across this recent blog entry from Simon Pegg.

Let's start with the good news, because I like ending on a downer. American fans of the British comedy Spaced, starring Simon Pegg, Jessica Hynes (nee Stevenson), and Nick Frost, are in for a treat because the Spaced Region 1 DVD finally has a release date! Expect the good stuff to come out July 23 of this year. I'm tempted to buy it just because it's something new, shiny, and Spaced-related, but I already splurged on the 3-Disc Collectors' Set and a region-free player that I got just so that I could watch the series. Why, yes, I am a sad little person.

It seems like all the geekiest blogs buzz with excitement whenever there's news about the new Star Trek movie. Yes, that includes us. The film sounds cool and all, but I think the biggest reaction I have had is when I silently nodded with approval upon hearing that Heroes' Zachary Quinto would be playing Spock. That is, until now.

Variety is reporting that Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz star Simon Pegg is going to play Scotty in the upcoming feature. Simon Pegg! Insert obligatory "beam him up" joke here.

I don't know how long these promos have been running on Comedy Central, but during South Park, I just saw a bug promoting the television premiere of Shaun of the Dead (Saturday at 9 PM EST!). I was so giddy, I choked on air. Although I've seen it a million an one times, I am very excited that it's coming to American cable. Shaun is one of those films that I constantly try to get people to see, so it's nice that some fresh meat will watch it without me having to strap them to a chair and do various Clockwork Orange-y things to them.

Also, I am quite interested in seeing how much they edit from the film. After all, it is a rather gory movie... and the language is quite coarse (heh, Ed's not going to have any lines in the television version, is he?).

BBC America will start airing one of my all-time favorite shows, Spaced, starting June 23. Spaced is an absolutely hilarious show, loaded with clever references to various aspects of stoner/pop/geek culture, from Tekken 2 to zombie flicks to Star Wars. It's from the makers of Shaun of the Dead, so expect that sort of material (but with less gore and a lot more mimed gun fights). Plus, the show features a rather cool-looking Mark Heap (Dr. Alan Statham from Green Wing) as a miserable, young painter. The now-defunct Trio channel aired the show to coincide with the American release of Shaun of the Dead back in 2004, but I haven't seen Spaced on TV since then. Now that it's on BBCA, maybe my American friends will know what I'm quoting all the time.

BBC America also has Peepshow coming June 30 (I've heard a lot of good things). Apparently, Peepshow and Spaced will be a part of BBC America's late-night adult comedy line-up, "The Underground". Well, I would hardly consider Spaced a candidate for this, but... okay.