‘Spaced’ Season One, Episode 1: “Beginnings,”

Writers: Simon Pegg and Jessica Stevenson

Air Date: September 24, 1999 (Channel 4 UK)

What It’s About: Daisy (Jessica Stevenson) and Tim (Simon Pegg) are two down-on-their-luck Londoners who meet while commiserating over their inability to find a decent and affordable flat (aka apartment). The strangers decide to pose as a “professional couple” in order to secure the flat of their low-income dreams. But will they slip up and reveal they barely know each other?

Why It’s So Good: SO MANY REASONS.

Look, Spaced in its entirety is a jewel of a comedy series. There are only two short British seasons, which means there are only 14 episodes total. Each is wonderfully written, brilliantly acted and full of charm. It’s nigh on impossible to pick the “best” episode of Spaced, so we’re looking to its strong start: “Beginnings.”

Spaced‘s pilot sets the tone for the series right out of the gate. From the very first minute, you know that this is a sitcom that will bend the rules of narrative expectations and shower you with sharp British wit. Simon Pegg and Jessica Stevenson have an easy and relatable comic chemistry and every character is already fully realized. Even though the show was pioneering a meta-comedy style that is starting to fatigue contemporary viewers, every joke and sight gag feels fresh and honestly earned. The pilot leaves you wanting more.

Most importantly, though, it’s director Edgar Wright’s “mainstream” debut. Wright is a cult favorite because of his bold visual style and love of referential comedy. Moreover, he’s kind of considered to be one of the few comedy directors working today who actually takes full advantage of the film medium. Spaced laid the groundwork for the rest of Wright’s career.

Don’t Forget The B-Plot!: There isn’t really a big one in the pilot, but we do see their downstairs neighbor Brian’s “artistry” and learn that their eccentric landlady Marsha was dumped by her husband in favor of their dog. We also get the first hints that their might be history between Brian and Marsha.

The Best Moment: There are so many splendid and hilarious scenes in the pilot, but we have to give it up for the moment in which Daisy and Tim, who have so carefully memorized the “five years, eight months and three days” they’ve been together get caught in their lie by Marsha. They quickly invent two anniversaries: one when they first kissed and one when they first had sex. The catch is they accidentally invert the orders. Brian suspiciously asks, “So, you had sex before you kissed?” But Marsha shrugs it off. I guess Marsha’s from the Catskills.

One More Thing: Daisy teases Tim for being a sci-fi nerd, but in real life, both Pegg and Stevenson have gone on to become legitimate science fiction figureheads. Pegg has appeared on Doctor Who, Star Trek and there’s a wild rumor he filmed a cameo in the new Star Wars film. Stevenson played a crucial role in one of the most critically acclaimed Doctor Who two-parters in history. She played the Doctor’s human wife in “Human Nature” and “The Family of Blood.”

Spaced is available to stream on Hulu Plus.