Olivia Colman

A top London cop who is so good at his job that he makes his fellow officers look like slackers by comparison is "promoted" to serve in the sleepy village of Sandford in this contemporary action comedy from the creators of Shaun of the Dead. Police constable Nicholas Angel (Simon Pegg) always gets his man, but these days his impeccable record seems to be more indicative of his fellow officers' shortcomings than his own formidable skills as a keeper of the peace. Loathe to stand idly by as their once respectable track record is steadily soiled by the hyper-competent actions of one lone overachiever, Sergeant Angel's superiors at the Met soon determine to remedy their problem by relocating the decorated constable to the West Country village of Sanford -- where tranquil garden parties and neighborhood watch meetings stand in stark contrast to the violent crime and heated gunplay of the city. As Sergeant Angel does his best to adjust to the relative calm of his new environment, his oafish new partner Danny Butterman (Nick Frost) strives to gain the respect of his fellow constables while sustaining himself on fantasies of his favorite action films and police shows. Later, just as it begins to appear as if Sergeant Angel has been relegated to an uneventful existence in the relative calm of the countryside, a series of horrific "accidents" lead him to suspect that the tranquil hamlet of Sanford has fallen prey to a sinister plot which reeks of foul play. Jim Broadbent, Timothy Dalton, Steve Coogan, and Martin Freeman co-star in the Edgar Wright film. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

The miserable lives and lost loves of London roommates Mark (David Mitchell) and Jeremy (Robert Webb) are conveyed via sophisticated sound and camera techniques that allow viewers to literally get inside the heads of the two protagonists as the British sitcom Peep Show enters its second season. This year, Jeremy, aka "Jez" (Robert Webb), tries to juggle two girlfriends: his longtime dream girl, Toni (Elizabeth Marmur), and an American lass named Nancy (Rachel Blanchard) -- who, much to Jez's dismay, is "saving herself" until marriage. Meanwhile, Mark continues trying to persuade Sophie (Olivia Colman) that she'd be happier with him than with her usual beau, Geoff (Neil Fitzmaurice); to this end, Mark attempts to prove to Sophie that he's no dullard by squiring other girls, with a marked lack of success. Elsewhere, aspiring pop star Jez finally lands a job with a band, but not the job he'd like; and Jez's manipulative buddy Super Hans (Matt King) adds crack addiction to his ever-growing list of shortcomings. The season ends as Nancy proposes to Jez for strictly business reasons, while Mark takes advantage of Geoff's public humiliation to swoop down on the supposedly available Sophie. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The first season of the bawdily hilarious British sitcom Peep Show uses advanced camera and sound techniques to provide a "p.o.v." squint at contemporary manners and mores, as conveyed through the eyes and the innermost thoughts of two twentysomething losers. Mark (David Mitchell) works at a dull job in a duller office, where he obsesses over his co-worker Sophie (Olivia Colman) -- who, alas, prefers the company of go-getter Geoff (Neil Fitzmaurice). Mark's roommate, Jeremy, aka "Jez" (Robert Webb), aspires to be a pop star (his band has already gone through several names, among them Hair Blair Bunch and Spunk Bubble), but lacks such qualities as ambition and drive. Jez' dream girl is Toni (Elizabeth Marmur), the divorcée who lives next door. In the course of the season's six episodes, a third party threatens to disrupt Mark and Jez' friendship, prompting Jez to briefly consider moving in with his manipulative musician buddy Super Hans (Matt King) -- who repays this "compliment" by bedding Toni; Mark manages to embarrass himself in full view of Sophie, Geoff, and half of South London when he gets stoned at the wrong time and wrong place; and finally, Mark finally gets Sophie to go out with him to a funeral, while in a related development Jez uses the imminent death of his uncle as an excuse to lay hands on Toni. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide