Series 7 Episode 11 - The Best UK Sitcom of the last 30 Years - Final

Peep Show v I'm Alan Partridge 



Which British sitcom reigns supreme? Tune in as we open the voting for the absolute best sitcom of the past 30 years in the exhilarating UK Sitcom World Cup finale! Special guest Les Dennis joins us as our pitch-side reporter, bringing his unique humor and insights to the showdown between Peep Show and I'm Alan Partridge. With nearly 50,000 fans casting their votes, we'll share highlights from each sitcom's journey, including Peep Show's victories over fan favourites like The Thick of It and Phoenix Knights, and I'm Alan Partridge's commanding group stage performance against The IT Crowd, Black Books, and Spaced. Andrew and Liam, can't wait to break down this epic battle of wits and laughs!

What surprising twist saw The Office finish in fourth place? We'll dive into this shock result and hear the hilarious and candid reactions from Peep Show's Mark Corrigan, Jeremy Osborne, and Super Hans as they gear up for the final. Alan Partridge also joins us with his trademark wit, sharing his strategy and reflections on the competition. The stage is perfectly set for a clash of comedic titans, promising an engaging and entertaining finale that every sitcom aficionado won't want to miss!

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Living with Maydaly. Living with Maydaly. Living with Maydaly, maydaly, living with Maydaly. The END CHOIR SINGS I will win, I will win, I will win.

Speaker 2: 1:40

Hello and welcome to the final of the UK Sitcom World Cup, where we've tried to find the best sitcom of the last 30 years. I'm Andrew and I'm joined by Liam. Are you excited? I?

Speaker 3: 1:53

am, I'm suited, I'm booted and I'm ready for the big finale. Yeah, we've made it. We've gone all the way through all the voting. I think you've been looking at.

Speaker 2: 2:01

Almost 50,000 people have voted up to this point. Really, you know you've made it possible and the two we've got in the final.

Speaker 3: 2:10

I think that's enough votes that this has credibility.

Speaker 2: 2:13

Credibility. Yeah, and we've got Peep Show versus I'm Alan Partridge. The final two, Liam, how are you feeling?

Speaker 3: 2:22

Yeah, I think they're worthy finalists. They're not necessarily the two that I would have picked, but certainly I'm not at all shocked to see them in there. I think we've got two top teams out for the final. It's not going to be a huge episode, is it? Because we've talked about these a lot? This is like will this be the fourth or fifth time we've mentioned each show? We've got slightly different formats, hopefully a bit more interesting.

Speaker 2: 2:47

So yeah, we've got some studio guests. Actually haven't we?

Speaker 3: 2:51

Yeah, we thought we'd it's just been a lot of me and you talking, so let's get the experts in. So yeah, we we've. We've got a interviews lined up and, yeah, should be a should be a whole lot of fun.

Speaker 4: 3:06

Yeah.

Speaker 2: 3:06

And we've got we've actually got a special pitch side reporter today, haven't we as well? Liam?

Speaker 3: 3:12

Yeah, we. I mean it's a bit of a big, kind of big scoop for us this way. We thought who could we get to do this justice? And yeah, pitch side we. And yeah, pitch side. We've gone for the great Les Dennis. I tell you what let's go now. He's down there. Things are getting going. He's down at pitch side, les. What's your thoughts? How are you feeling?

Speaker 5: 3:29

When the laughter stops, when the audience departs, when the makeup has been removed, what is left of the cloud?

Speaker 2: 3:40

Nothing but an empty costume man. You know it's early days. I'm sure he'll cheer up, won't, I don't know? And stuff here, liam, let's see what you think. So Pete Shaw started the competition, drawing in a group with Phoenix Knights, vicar of Dibley and Two Pints of Lager, and he won the group with 60% of the vote.

Speaker 3: 4:10

Yeah, which is quite fitting really, when you come to later on that they met again, didn't they? I'm not sure if Did we do something wrong there, or is that possible Now?

Speaker 2: 4:19

that's how it happens.

Speaker 3: 4:30

You're meeting the semis and stuff. If you keep meeting each other in the group stages in a sort of this size, yeah, no, I think. I mean I'm a big fan of vicar, of dibbley, I think probably peep show and phoenix knights probably are the top two, though in that particular group. I mean I actually really like two pipes longer. I know it's kind of a bit it's not as rated as the others, but yeah, I think that was a decent group and I think the right thing yeah, the two that we thought were going to go through went through and Peep Show did top the group.

Speaker 2: 4:46

Peep Show then beat Max and Paddy by 85% to 15% in the second round. So an absolute trance in there for Peep Show.

Speaker 3: 4:56

Yeah, comfortable that one, wasn't it? I think we probably saw that coming.

Speaker 2: 5:05

It was always going to be a big ask for Max and Paddy to overturn that, I think. And then we've got in the quarterfinal. Peepshaw beat Thick of it 66% to 34%, which again is comfortable. Yeah, it's comfortable.

Speaker 3: 5:08

I didn't expect that. If I'm honest, Thick of it, I've only really started getting into since doing this, so I didn't quite know what to make of it, but I expected that to be closer, I think.

Speaker 2: 5:18

Yeah, and then the semi-final. I was surprised by this. I thought Phoenix Knights would go through but, as we said, it's top of the group. Semi-final Peep Show beat Phoenix Knights by 60% to 40%, which is not a whitewash or anything but fairly comfortable in the end.

Speaker 3: 5:34

Yeah, I mean, I think that one was. I think Phoenix Knights were actually in front in that match. And then obviously, the Major, who listens, Major Charles, he put the votes out to his regiment and I think that swung it back towards Peepshaw. But I think, yeah, that's the game, isn't it?

Speaker 2: 5:50

So it's quite an odd run. It's been Phoenix Knights twice beat Vicar of Dib Max O'Paddy. You'd expected it and it's beat the thick of it, so Peepshaw's had a pretty tough run to get to that point really.

Speaker 3: 6:02

Yeah, definitely I think. And yeah, would I have put it through to the final if I was doing my own sort of choices? Maybe not, but I think, yeah, it's absolutely there. On merit, I think it's. Yeah, it's earned its place, definitely, and.

Speaker 2: 6:17

Alan Partridge was drawn in a group with the IT crowd, black Bucks and Spaced and he topped it with 63% of the votes. That's a tougher group than it seems. I think IT Crowd, black Bucks and Spaced because they're all quite cult, aren't they? And Partridge got more than the rest put together.

Speaker 3: 6:30

Yeah that surprised me actually, because obviously Partridge was one of the older ones on the list. I know, actually, probably, to be fair, black Bucks and Spaced might be similar, but yeah, personally I would have picked Partridge in that group. But exactly what you said, I think, because of some of the cultish fanbase of Black Books and Spaced well, and IT Crad actually, yeah, I kind of would expect that to be more. Even so, 63%, yeah, well done.

Speaker 2: 6:53

And then the second round. This is where I knew Partridge was going to be a serious contender. The in-betweeners by 61% to 39%. I was shocked by that. I thought in between us would go through that yeah, yeah.

Speaker 3: 7:05

Well, we actually got a message, didn't we? From, uh, from ange friend of the show, who said was kind of fairly sure in between us would actually win the whole tournament. And yeah, it fell at the second hurdle. So second hurdle to alan partridge. Yeah, I expected it to be more even, but no, and then?

Speaker 2: 7:24

Alan Partridge beat Gavin and Stacey 75% to 25% whitewash really.

Speaker 3: 7:29

Yeah, yeah, I think it's one of them, isn't it, where we've sort of been pleasantly surprised by Gavin and Stacey? I think we misremembered it as badly. But actually, when you're getting into the deciders, the knockouts yeah, I couldn't have it beating Partridge, not for me I don't think.

Speaker 2: 7:46

And then in the semis it beat the Office 61% to 38%. This was really. This could have gone either way, but Partridge, pretty much from the start, were winning and he never let his lead go.

Speaker 3: 8:01

Yeah, yeah, and I think that to me me is the shock of the tournament. Not necessarily that it won, I just thought that would be close. I actually think I thought the office would win it, but I thought it would be really close that one. I'm surprised that's a bigger shock as we got throughout the tournament.

Speaker 2: 8:19

For me, the book is based on the run, the fact that Alan Partridge is knocked in between and out and the office. He's a clear favourite today, I think, isn't he? According to the bookies We've been talking to, what's his name? John Merrick? Is it John Merrick? No, that's the Elephant man, isn't it? What's his name?

Speaker 3: 8:33

Yeah, I know what you mean. It sounds like John Merrick, doesn't it.

Speaker 2: 8:37

What is his name? Horse Racing man we. I think he's dead, but we managed to get in touch with him and yeah, he said he's fancying Partridge anyway, and that's where the big money's going.

Speaker 3: 8:50

Yeah, I think the smart money probably is. I mean, again, we're trying not to kind of be too influential on the vote. Not anyone in particular would value our opinions, I don't think. But no, I don't know. Yeah, I think if I had to predict it would go Partridge, but you know Peep Show's beating everything in front of it. It's certainly going to be close, so the voting's going to go out open when the episode goes live.

Speaker 2: 9:16

Yeah, well, as you're hearing this, it'll be out, yeah.

Speaker 3: 9:18

Yeah, we're going to give you a week to vote. I think obviously some people clearly Mind you. You, we didn't do bad in the last round, but I think you're right. I think some people think I've voted for this before because they were stepping down. Each round I've had people just sick to death for us talking about it, which could also be the case as well we've got nearly 50,000 votes.

Speaker 2: 9:36

We call them, you know, fair play. Thanks to everyone who's voted to make it legitimate yeah, yeah, genuinely.

Speaker 3: 9:43

And we were torn, actually weren know. There were certain rounds where we were sort of phoning up saying have you voted yet? No, I can't decide which way to go. So, yeah, there's some good match-ups in there. I found it quite difficult on one or two of them.

Speaker 2: 9:55

Do you want to ask Les how he's getting on?

Speaker 3: 9:58

Yeah, let's see, I think, getting closer to the game. Now you've got to imagine he'll be loving it down there, won't he, les? How are we getting on?

Speaker 5: 10:07

When the laughter stops, when the audience departs, when the make-up has been removed, what is left of the cloud? Nothing but an empty costume.

Speaker 2: 10:19

I mean, you know, like I say, it'll be all right. It'll be all right. So we're in the studio now and we've got four pundits with us who are going to talk us through what they think is going to happen in today's final. We've got Malcolm Tucker of the IT crowd Sorry, the thick of it, even He'll not be happy with that. We've got Brim West of Gavin and Stacey, we've got Father Ted and also Mr David Brent himself is here, and David Brent is here as well. So, malcolm, your show was knocked out in the quarter finals against Peepshow. You know how good that show can be. How do you think it's going to go today?

Speaker 4: 10:56

give me a second while I look up my little file of things.

Speaker 3: 10:58

I really don't give a fuck about David. You fell at the final go today. Give me a second while I look up my little file of things. I really don't give a fuck about David. You fell at the final fence. You're out in the semi-final, but you know it's a great run. You were one of the tournament favourites. I think it's fair to say, but you know days like this. Who can these finalists draw their inspiration?

Speaker 4: 11:13

from you were to ask me to name three geniuses, I probably wouldn't say um einstein newton, you know I'd go milligan cleese everett is he in both of them? Because beefy will happily say I don't agree with that in the workplace.

Speaker 2: 11:34

Yeah, fair play. Uh, brin brin west, you were knocked out in the courts by alan partridge, very gracious, after the game. Unlike Alan, are you going to be? I want to ask you actually are you going to be coming to the post-match party after the game? Gosh, not my scene.

Speaker 5: 11:48

Budgie, I'd much rather wait in for you young men to come home all boozed up, orientated, not knowing what's what or who's who you'd be more than welcome, brim, but that's fair enough.

Speaker 3: 12:00

That's that's your call and ted like. Finally, I think, something we have to ask. I know you probably wanted to come and talk about your, your great performance, but actually there were some accusations early on, weren't there? About sponsorship money and yeah, I mean we have to put it out there. Can you try and explain the situation please?

Speaker 5: 12:16

what are you talking about? First of all, that money was just resting in my account before I moved it on.

Speaker 2: 12:21

Yeah, well, you know, take it with the inland revenue.

Speaker 3: 12:25

Yeah, yeah, I mean great to get some insight and I'm sure all our guests feel it was worth travelling down today for that.

Speaker 2: 12:33

Thanks for joining us. Obviously, we're live at Wembley Stadium. Do you want to talk about the third placeplace playoff? By the way, liam, we put that out. We're going to give it a 24-hour quick poll because no one really gives a shit about the third-place playoff, do they?

Speaker 3: 12:45

We were going to do it, and then a couple of people said, oh, you might as well do it really, I suppose. And yeah, interesting to see, I suppose.

Speaker 2: 13:01

Do you know what wouldn't it? So phoenix knights beat the office 67.2 percent to 32.8 percent. So phoenix knights is the third best sitcom of the last 30 years, I'll tell you what?

Speaker 3: 13:07

that really shocks me again, actually, because I don't know. I just I kind of, as we've gone through this, we've reassessed some of our sort of pre-tournament ideas and stances, but yeah, I don't don't know. Before we started, I kind of had in my head that the Office would beat anyone it came up against and it's actually been beaten twice, yeah, and James said the Office cannot finish fourth.

Speaker 2: 13:29

I'm afraid, James, it has finished fourth. You know it's not a bad showing but I think probably one of the pre-tournament favourites I think Brent will be. You know he'll not be happy with that really. I mean, obviously he's in the studio, he's looking around, he's not. He pretends that he's not bothered, but I think he is quite bothered.

Speaker 4: 13:47

Yeah, but often an amateur will stitch up a professional.

Speaker 2: 13:51

Jack said this is the real final at Ethel Phoenix Knights versus the Office. And I have to admit I thought that's the way it would go as well. But Partridge keeps shocking us and Peep Show keeps shocking us.

Speaker 3: 14:04

Yeah, I mean, that's it. You have to beat the team in front of you and the finalists are where they are for a reason. So yeah, our preconceptions were obviously incorrect. We're perhaps not the comedy aficionados that we thought we were.

Speaker 2: 14:22

Although.

Speaker 3: 14:23

I don't think we'd be far away, if we're honest. No, no, not too bad. Do you want to have a check on les again, see if he's cheered up a bit? Yeah, les, les. How you doing mate? Yeah, we've got him, les. It looks like he's really getting going down there now.

Speaker 5: 14:30

Come on, tell us what's going on when the laughter stops, when the audience departs, when the makeup has been removed, what is left of the cloud?

Speaker 2: 14:41

nothing but an empty costume might make a mistake paying this much money out actually to have him on the on the sidelines um, but I've got some good news. Actually, I've just got got a message through. Yeah, we've actually got. I've actually got here, uh, three of the peep show stars mark corrigan, jeremy osborne and super hands. Uh are with me now. All right, guys, how's it going? Um, mark, if I start with you, how are you feeling about today? How do I feel?

Speaker 5: 15:10

empty, check, scared, check alone check, just another ordinary day very funny.

Speaker 2: 15:20

Some nerves there. To be fair, it is a nervous time. I imagine that a lot of people Nerves are jangling. Supporters of Pete's show Jez. Though you were pretty confident all the way through, how does it feel to be in the final Okay Party?

Speaker 4: 15:32

time for the old dude brothers.

Speaker 2: 15:38

Yeah, I thought you'd be a bit more confident. And finally, superhands. How do you see things going? Obviously, alan Portridge is a real tough competitor. So how are you seeing it today, mate fucking hard.

Speaker 4: 15:48

It doesn't work, breaks, but you've got to give it a go. Norwich are never going to win the league, but they still turn up every week, don't they? The pricks.

Speaker 2: 15:57

Yes, thanks for joining us there, guys, anyway, and good luck to the final. Good luck.

Speaker 3: 16:05

Yeah, and actually earlier on today I managed to catch up with Mr Alan Partridge himself. So, yeah, let's play the recording from earlier today, alan. Mr Alan Partridge, you've made it to the final. It's great to meet you. I'm Liam from the Living With Madeleine podcast final.

Speaker 4: 16:20

Uh, it's great to meet you. I'm liam from the living with madeley podcast.

Speaker 3: 16:22

Good afternoon, very pleased to be on your show. Thank you, it's uh, it's an honor to have you now. You're many people's favorite today. I'd say you actually were going to watch this game in the stand with your fans, weren't you? But you decided to be down in the dugout. What, what changed?

Speaker 4: 16:33

I realized I couldn't whistle or wave from the back of a herd of pensioners. Uh, it would have looked. I'll be honest, it would have looked a bit desperate.

Speaker 3: 16:43

Okay, and are you nervous about the game today?

Speaker 4: 16:46

You win some, you lose some.

Speaker 3: 16:47

It's great actually it's great to see you've got that chilled-out attitude. You bumped into the peep show boys earlier, from what I heard.

Speaker 4: 16:54

Yeah.

Speaker 3: 16:54

All good fun, everything pleasant.

Speaker 4: 16:57

No, there was no exchange of blows.

Speaker 3: 17:01

Yeah, I mean, that's interesting. They were a little bit more hostile in their programme notes. Just give me one second, I'll find it.

Speaker 4: 17:11

Yeah this bit here, just having a look at it here.

Speaker 3: 17:16

They say you're out of date, out of touch, and they say people who vote for you out of touch, yeah, yeah. And they say people who vote for you must be simple, like you, Alan. I mean, that seems harsh to me. Call you a simpleton. Do you think it's fair that anyone would call you a simpleton?

Speaker 4: 17:29

Could do. I mean, I do 10 Sudokus a week, but yeah, could do.

Speaker 3: 17:33

And in this last bit here, where ask Mark Corrigan why he thinks Peep Show will win today and he thinks they have an ace up their sleeve. The unique selling point is the fact that we hear their internal monologue and that no other sitcoms do that. How would you describe that? Would you call it an ace up their sleeve?

Speaker 4: 17:50

A fig leaf, behind which resides the unsightly cock and ball.

Speaker 3: 17:53

Well, yeah, I'll stop you there, alan. You've made your point Finally. Not everyone will know this, alan, but you did actually. You once killed a man on live TV the restaurant critic Forbes McAllister, that's correct and so if you do win today, then presumably you will be dedicating the the trophy to Forbes McAllister.

Speaker 4: 18:12

I think I'd have to say though okay, it's your decision.

Speaker 3: 18:17

Good luck today, alan.

Speaker 2: 18:21

Yeah, really interesting to hear from both teams. You can see there's a lot of confidence, there's a lot of nerves. It's a big, big day, so yeah can't wait for it.

Speaker 3: 18:29

Yeah, definitely. I mean I think there's going to be some entertainment. I think on pre-match They've gone a little bit Super Bowl-esque in this, but I think it'll be worth. Whilst we still can, we should grab Les again. Les, come on, tell us what's been going on down there.

Speaker 1: 18:44

I don't really know.

Speaker 2: 18:48

Well, you know, it's not for everyone, is it, I suppose? Like I say, I feel like we've blown his budget a little bit there. But you know, fair play to Les. But, as you said, it is going on the pitch side now. Should we head over there Some of the entertainment that's going?

Speaker 3: 19:02

on. It looks like things are just getting going. Who's down there at the moment?

Speaker 2: 19:07

it's jerry st.

Speaker 5: 19:07

Claire and rave on she's a perfect 10, but she wears a 12 baby, keep a little tooth for me, cos.

Speaker 1: 19:21

we love our love in different sizes. I love her body, especially tonight. Time takes its toll, but not on the eyes. Promise me, then, take me tonight, thank you, thank you very much. Perfect ten.

Speaker 3: 19:48

and, of course, and with ten perfect minutes away from tonight's Open the Box where the jackpot stands at a big £33. So to take up the, I'll leave you the very capable hands your brand new resident DJ, mr Ray Vaughan.

Speaker 2: 20:05

Yeah, that's right, my name is Ray Vaughan, so let's r-r-r. Mr Ray Vaughan. Yeah, that's right, my name is Ray Vaughan so let's R-R-R-Ray Vaughan.

Speaker 3: 20:26

yeah, great entertainment, yeah it's lively, lively down there, yeah.

Speaker 2: 20:29

Yeah, really lively down there. So you know, we're really close to kick-off. Now, how do you think this is going to go, liam? Not your opinion. How would you say this vote is going to go? Because, I'll be honest, I ain't got a clue.

Speaker 3: 20:44

I mean we have to factor in, you know, the Majors fan base and when he gets involved there is a big peep show crowd there, so don't know whether that will have any impact. Yeah, I genuinely I don't know. I can't call it. I think you're right. I think a favourite is probably Partridge, but I think it might be closer than you think actually. Or that betting guy told us yeah, yeah, possibly John McCrick, john.

Speaker 2: 21:09

McCrick, not John Merrick. Yeah, john Merrick, yeah, yeah, I think. Oh, hang on, liam, I'm sorry we're going to have to stop. They're playing the National Anthems. Let's go down to pitch side. I'm not sick, but I'm not well and I'm so hard.

Speaker 1: 21:41

Because I'm not there.

Speaker 3: 21:45

So that's it. It's down to you, the voter. We will get a vote, but it won't be worth any more than yours. Every person who wants to vote can have one single vote on this, so use it wisely, my friends.

Speaker 2: 21:59

Yeah, looking forward to it. Thanks for all our guests today for joining us, and thank you for staying with us all the way through this tournament. We will be back to celebrate the winner of this, probably in a couple of weeks, though, because I'm going on a post-victory tour, aren't I? We're going to have the wins they said. Both of them said they're going to take me to Portugal to celebrate, so I won't be here, but when we come back, I'll give you all the gossip about what happened in the Algarve.

Speaker 2: 22:25

Yeah yeah, the Algarve, yeah, but yeah, and then we'll go through all your comments as well in that episode. It'll be a big one.

Speaker 3: 22:32

Yeah, obviously, this is now the absolute winner. So make sure you vote, make sure you tell your friends, your family to vote and, yeah, when you hear from us again we'll know the winner. Yeah, well, when you hear from us again we'll know the winner. We'll know the best sitcom, as, according to the Living With Maidly fan base of the last 30 years so exciting times that will be an extended show, won't it that we come back with. We're going to discuss lots of the feedback that we've had, lots of comments, any controversy yeah, anything we could have done differently. So, yeah, there's all sorts to go into that episode. This one yeah, anything we could have done differently. So so, yeah, there's all sorts to go into that episode. This one's fairly brief but it's. You know, you've heard us talk a lot about these and, yeah, thanks for, uh, thanks for listening and we'll see you again soon.

Speaker 2: 23:13

Thank you very much.

Speaker 3: 23:14

See you later if anyone wants to get in touch with us, send us anything. Find us on twitter at livingwithmade1 or you can send us an email at livingwithmadely at outlookcom.