Spaced Series 3
And what could have been
The second series of Spaced built on the success of Series 1. Larger, more ambitious stories continued to push the limit of what a sitcom could be, all while building on solid ratings and a rabid cult-like fanbase. It was clear the team behind and in front of the camera were something new, so a third series seemed all but inevitable.
But it never came. Filming Series 2 took its toll on the team, and in the break they turned their attention to a long discussed feature film, a British zombie movie inspired by a scene they shot for Spaced. Shaun of the Dead.
In the years since Spaced aired, the writers of Spaced have commented on a couple of potential story ideas from a hypothetical Series 3. I have collected as many as I could find for this piece.
A couple of disclaimers here, all the ideas I discuss come from direct interview quotes from the team, some of these are offhand remarks, jokes, or more serious suggestions, without deeper insights from the team, it is impossible to know if any or all ideas mentioned would have made it to a real Third Series.
Spaced Series 3, 2002/3
So, back to 2001, all seemed certain that a Series 3 would be on the way, not least Channel 4, who had fully commissioned a third series. This was strongly backed up by Spaced-out, who suggested the team were taking a well-earned break before breaking ground on Series 3, going as far as to say it would appear on screens “next year” (2002).
There is a small question of what form this would have taken, the obvious answer would have been a full third series, however, in some places Edgar has referred to a special as a way to finish off the story, and in one source I found suggested both a third series then a special. In an interview with Ain’t it cool news Jess stated that it would have been Halloween (zombies anyone?) or Christmas-themed special to wrap up the characters.
In an oral history of Spaced from VICE, Simon Pegg said that he believes the characters all had arcs that would be fully explored and finished in the third series.
Tim & Daisy
From the way Series 2 ended you wouldn’t be wrong to assume that the next series would deal with Tim and Daisy’s budding relationship, but that was not the plan.
In Empire’s oral history, Simon explains their image for the opening of Series 3, Tim and Daisy in a restaurant, appearing to talk to one another; however, in a homage to the first episode, it would become obvious they were sat at different tables talking to their (new) partners.
It’s not clear whether this would have been after a breakup, or if their relationship never got off the ground in the first place. Either way, you can see how this would be the basis for the series arc, Tim and Daisy having to rekindle their friendship and relationship (are they still living in the same house at this point?) This might then culminate with an emotional finale, finally settling down together and expressing their true feelings for each other.
However, a happy ending may still not have been on the cards for our heroes, in multiple places Simon has said he believes ultimately Tim and Daisy probably didn’t work out in the end. He thinks they are happy for a while, but eventually get divorced, after having their baby, glimpsed at the end of the Skip to the End documentary. Jess, on the other hand seems far less keen on this ending, so it’s hard to say if this would have panned out in “real life”
Mike
Mike may have the most interesting, and obviously incomplete, arc of the show, and I think he would have benefited most from a third series. Throughout the show hints are made towards Mike’s sexuality, particularly concerning his feelings for Tim.
In several interviews, the team has said that exploring Mike’s sexuality would have been a key aspect of the third series. This storyline had the potential to be really engaging as well as very funny; it also would have felt very progressive for a 2002-era sitcom, where such a story could have easily fallen into the “gay panic” trope. It has also been suggested that Mike would have ended up in a relationship with Dexter, which would have been an interesting role for a returning Reece Shearsmith.
As well as this broader arc, Simon has briefly discussed an episode plot for Mike, where he is hit by lightning, burning off his mustache. Mike would then lose all his interest in the military and become “Civilian Mike”. While that is all we know, I would like to imagine the plot of the episode would be helping him to get his “military mojo” back.
The Rest of the Gang
Sadly, with all my research I haven’t been able to find a any reference from the writers of what would have happened to the rest of the gang. Series 2 ends with Twist and Brian in a difficult spot, their relationship would surely have been a major plot element. On the other hand Marsha, committed to keeping the house and knowing the truth about Tim and Daisy, is almost impossible to speculate on.
The Sequels We Did Get
The most closure Spaced fans ever got was the coda to the 2005 Skip to the end Spaced documentary produced for The Complete Series DVD release, the brief scene shows Tim and Daisy in a relationship with a new-born baby girl. You can see this here.
There was also the very brief 2019 scene featuring Marsha, I've written a brief article about that you can read here.
To many, Shaun of the Dead is the obvious sequel to Spaced, with many cast members returning, the North London setting, and the similarities between Shaun and Tim as well as the evolution of Edgar Wright’s distinctive direction. It launched the Wright/Frost/Pegg trio to international acclaim and it’s considered by many to be a truly iconic British comedy.
However without the writing talents of Jess Hynes, who brought such life and richness to the character of Daisy, and whose writing is essential to the DNA of Spaced, this is for me, the one element that stops it being a true Spaced sequel.
In the years since Spaced concluded, dozens of interviewers have put the question to the team, “will there be a series 3?” and I think it’s clear the answer is no. Spaced was written from a place of truth, they made the show because they didn’t see their lives reflected in TV, so they made a show that did. Katy Carmichael put it best:
We were Generation X: the slackers, the disaffected, directionless, free, and human. We were all in it together, and Spaced captures that time perfectly.
PS. Thank you for sticking with me! I know my output could charitably be described as “spotty”. I’ve been dealing with a personal tragedy of the most intense kind, and researching and writing this piece has brought me a lot of joy in a difficult time, I can’t promise I’ll be as reliable or consistent as I should, but if you keep reading, I'll keep writing x
Index:
https://lwlies.com/oral-history/spaced-oral-history-simon-pegg-edgar-wright-jessica-hynes
https://legacy.aintitcool.com/node/38030
https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/spaced-oral-history/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7CWX7U5xjA
Various quotes from the new-defunct Spaced-Out