TVSquad

Sometimes television shows come along that completely change the industry. Spaced is one of those shows. Broadcast on Britain's Channel 4 from 1999 to 2001, it used geeky pop culture references, non sequitur scene injections, flashbacks and other common television practices nowadays way back when it wasn't cool to do so. In that respect, it's a combination of The Big Bang Theory and Arrested Development long before either existed.

When co-creators and co-stars Simon Pegg and Jessica Stevenson (now Jessica Hynes) created the main characters Tim and Daisy, they created characters that every nerdy person could relate to.

The show does cater to a very specific audience and it's the sort of audience that tends to be the most loyal, even obsessively so. Nobody is particularly super-handsome and the characters are very niche. Also, the show doesn't really talk down to the audience and makes the viewer feel like part of the conversation. This is unlike, say, Arrested Development which tends to be a bit pretentious (sorry to all you Arrested Development fans).

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.

To promote the American DVD release of the BBC series Spaced on July 22nd, the creators and director will be doing a U.S. tour. Simon Pegg, Jessica Hynes (formerly Jessica Stevenson) and Edgar Wright will be stopping by the L.A. Film Festival to promote the event and future stops may include the San Diego Comic Con, Austin and New York.

The Region 1 DVD will include a brand new all-star commentary track that will include the creators and director as well as various guest stars including Kevin Smith, Matt Stone (co-creator of South Park) and Diablo Cody (writer of Juno).

There was an attempt by McG and Fox to create an American version of Spaced that didn't involved the original creators. Fortunately, that has been put to rest.

In short, if you're a Spaced fan and you live in the vicinity of Los Angeles, Austin or New York then you are a lucky, lucky person.

If the rumors are to be believed, then the inevitable has occurred. Fox has passed on the Americanized version of Spaced (nicknamed "McSpaced") and its fans are breathing a collective sigh of relief.

Producer McG made a huge mistake when he decided to not include the creators of the original, British version in his remake yet he included their as if they were still involved. Simon Pegg, Jessica Hynes-Stevenson and Edgar Wright have been very vocal in their displeasure regarding the remake.

Known for its cinematic style and pop culture references, the original Spaced launched the careers of everyone involved. Pegg and Wright have gone on to bigger and better things (such as Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz) and Stevenson has starred in several British productions afterwards.

It's never a good sign when one is trying to remake a show and pisses off the original creators. NBC was smart enough to have the creators of The Office rewrite their original pilot and give them creator credits. Why couldn't Spaced?

[via Aint It Cool]

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.