Before Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright made Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, they created the cult TV show Spaced. The show revolves around Tim and Daisy, played by Simon Pegg and Jessica Hynes, who have to pretend to be a couple in order to live in a cheap flat. The two must keep up their faux relationship, while dealing with an alcoholic landlady and a bizarre artist neighbor, or else they will be kicked out of their apartment. In reality, the show is how to bridge that awkward period between being a teenager and an adult. It’s difficult to be an adult when you’re living in a pop-culture fantasy world with your friends, Twist and Mike.

What gave Spaced its cult status was its pop culture references. Some are obscure, like the homage to Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy that involves a fear of Mice Spiders. Some are more in your face, like The Shining, which includes creepy twins speaking in unison.  There are so many references that you will feel like you are included in their inside jokes. Don’t let this deter you though because the show is still hilarious if you don’t get any of the references. It’s one of those shows that you can watch over and over again and still find a reference that escaped you the first time.

The best thing about Spaced is Daisy. She’s not your stereotypical strong female character, but she’s not weak by any means. She uses fart jokes as pick-up lines and drinks beer, but is completely feminine at the same time. This is thanks to the lovely Jessica Hynes nèe Stevenson. Her heavy involvement in writing her character is what made Daisy so genuine. Her work is often disregarded, especially in the case of “McSpaced,” the failed US version of Spaced. 

The worst thing about Spaced is that it’s only two series long. While some could argue that it’s because Brits favo(u)r quality over quantity, it’s really because Shaun of the Dead happened. There was going to be a third series, but by the time everyone was available too much time had passed. It would have been weird to see two thirty-somethings still trying to come to terms that they are adults. Instead, Simon, Edgar and Jessica explained what happened to Tim and Daisy in a featurette on the show’s DVD.

If you loved Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, you will definitely love Spaced. Spaced is available on Netflix, Hulu, and YouTube. Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright’s next project, The World’s End, is going to be in theaters this Friday. In the meantime, check out this clip that inspired Shaun of the Dead.