'Peep Show's' style stops it being more successful

Andrew O'Connor, chief executive of Objective Productions, which makes the sitcom Peep Show, said today how he felt the show's 'point of view' shooting style had impacted its success.

Speaking at a 'Peep Show Masterclass' at this weekend's MGEITF, O'Connor said: "It stopped it being a breakout hit....but actually, what made it come back [for another series] was the original style."

Also on the panel, the writers of Peep Show Sam Bain and Jesse Armstrong spoke of how the programme started out as a 'real life' Beavis and Butthead idea of O'Connor's, but the 'point of view' style of the documentary Being Caprice and the film Being John Malcovich had influenced the way Peep Show was eventually made.

"But it's the most bizarre and annoying way of filming," noted Armstrong.

The panel also revealed how some of the scenes are influenced by real events, suggesting that a story about the show's script editor Ian Morris had inspired the storyline of someone defecating in a bag.

"Sometimes you want to be careful about your sources, but usually you have nuggets of stories that you can use," Bain said.

The pair said that Robert Webb and David Mitchell - who introduced the session via a video clip - are an integral part of the creative process, writing additional material as the plots are developed - a period which takes them six months.

"If there's good drama in a scene, there's probably going to be comedy in it. That's why we spend so much time on the plotting," Bain said.