Why Are the “Peep Show” Dudes So Popular in the UK?

The Peep Show boys, David Mitchell and Robert Webb, have a profile in today’s Telegraph. The piece begins curiously, Andrew Pettie openly questioning their quite booming careers:

They haven’t coined a contagious catchphrase or created outlandishly memorable caricatures, as Little Britain did. They haven’t produced a single work of unalloyed genius like The Office. Nor are they dazzling, off-the-cuff innovators like Eddie Izzard or Sacha Baron Cohen.

The Telegraph later attempts to explain their cultish appeal: “Off-camera, they are amiable, witty, down-to-earth thirtysomethings with no burning desire to be rich and famous just for the sake of it. Rather like their audience, in fact.” And in regards to Little Britain, do Mitchell and Webb consider that other British comedy duo, Matt Lucas and David Walliams, rivals? Mitchell waves off any comparisons or competition, saying, “I’m quite glad we haven’t exploded the way Little Britain has.”

I think we’re all just mesmerized by David Mitchell’s freaky, manga cartoon eyes, which are used to great effect in the UK version of those ubiquitous Apple commercials.

The fourth season of Peep Show premieres in the UK this week.

In other news:

Liz Hurley‘s father-in-law has disowned her and husband Arun Nayar in a scathing interview with The Daily Mail.

Is Top Gear coming to America?(BBC)

Lily Allen added guest vocals to Common‘s new album. According to Pitchfork, “Allen turns up on a tune called “Driving Me Wild”, which features the lyric ‘Driving herself crazy like the astronaut lady/ Love is not a mystery, it’s everything.’”

Pitchfork has posted photos from Patrick Wolf’s gig in Brooklyn.

John Peel still gets sent demos from aspiring bands – even though the legendary Radio 1 DJ has been dead for 2 1/2 years.(Gigwise)