Peep Show could be as awkward and strange as comedy can get (if you have seen it, you will understand what I mean. If you have not seen it, watch it). And I mean that as a compliment. You could point to a number of factors that give Peep Show this at times painful awkwardness, such as the innovative POV shot they used, but I would argue the characters and dialogue are the main factors that makes Peep Show what it is. One of these characters is the BMW-loving Alan Johnson (or just ‘Johnson’), played by Paterson Joseph. His character is introduced as Mark Corrigan’s (David Mitchell’s) boss at JLB Credit, however the two develop a somewhat complicated ‘friendship’ as well, with Mark, let’s just say idolising Johnson.

Johnson is strong, yet soft, harsh yet kind, and aggressive yet confusing. If that doesn’t make any sense, then good, because neither does Johnson. He has an interest in the martial arts, as Mark finds out as he enters his office to Johnson saying ‘Don’t be alarmed, Mark, it’s just Tai Chi… It should take 45 minutes; I’m done in 10. Stick that up your dojo.’ Maybe this is where he acquires his ruthless nature from, a ruthless nature that can be seen in his scamming of Mark out of £2000 to start a new consulting  firm aptly named Consultio/Consultius. Another example of his harshness is when he gives a eulogy at Gerard’s funeral  where he references the deceased’s ‘very limited attributes’ and said that the congregation could take comfort in the reality that the ‘weak must make way for the strong.’

For me Johnson is a quote machine, spouting out many of my favourite (often outrageous) quotes from the show, such as when he tells Mark ‘If we succeed, I’m going to be Charles and you’ll be my Camilla.’ And ‘Nice office you’ve got here! I’ve got a 32-inch plasma in mine… get a document up on that bad boy and you are seriously looking at that document.’ Sadly, I probably could not get away with some of the words in the other best quotes, so it is probably best you go and find them for yourself.

Peep Show is an awkward comedy show, bolstered by many side characters such as Johnson (also a special mention must also go to Big Suze and Gerard). His indescribable energy and antics add a great deal to the show. Without characters like Johnson, Peep Show would not be half the show that it is today, because it allowed the show to explore other areas that it could not do if the focus were always solely on the main characters.

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