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14 SEPTEMBER 2008

A MESSAGE FROM JESSICA HYNES

Scan by Louise from jessicahynes.co.uk "I was very dismayed to see the Times article the other week, with a picture of me looking like a love-lorn twat and "It was very sad. I loved him." written beneath it. I ACTUALLY said I loved Simon AND Edgar AND Nick, or course I did, we were buddies, they went their way I accepted that and was proud. Ed Potton obviously preferred to focus on his invention of the story rather than my truth. What a prick. No way were my 'eyes welling up with tears' I never cry, ever, not since my tear ducts were cauterized in a freak accident with a precision laser. At least that's what Ed Potton said so it must be true. Yours pissed offly, Jessica Hynes" 17 SEPTEMBER 2008:   UPDATE FROM JESS! "Ed Potton and his editor Dominic Maxwell have apologized for the cover - Ed said he wasn't there when it was put together, Dominic said it was misleading. Apology accepted. Jessica"

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6 SEPTEMBER 2008

'FREE JIMMY' TRAILER
Four stoners, three gangsters, five vegans and a million reasons to free one junkie elephant.

We follow the story of four low life anti-heroes Roy Arnie (Woody Harrelson), Odd (Simon Pegg), Gaz (Phil Daniels) and Flea (Jay Simpson), who are uprooted from their mean city streets to work with Ringmaster Stromowski (Jim Broadbent) in a touring Russian circus in terminal decline. The star attraction is Jimmy, an elephant kept ‘happy’ on a cocktail of drugs. But Roy Arnie has a dream that one day he will run his own circus and he tells the boys that the key to his dream is Jimmy. On the opening night a bungled attempt to give Jimmy his ‘fix’ causes widespread panic. Jimmy escapes and so begins a mad cap cross country road-trip to find Jimmy before he goes cold turkey. Suddenly everyone wants a piece of Jimmy. A deranged bunch of animal activists led by clean living, straight edged couple Marius (Kyle MacLachlan) and Bettina (Emilia Fox) are after Jimmy to front their cause. A trigger happy Scottish hunting party (James, Cosmo, David Tennant, Douglas Henshall, Russell Barr) think his head would look great mounted on their wall and The Lappish Mafia – the meanest men in the north (The League of Gentlemen - Reece Shearsmith, Mark Gatiss, Steve Pemberton) want to ‘hit’ him for a big payoff. Jimmy’s only chance is a benevolent moose who befriends him on the road. Can he help to Free Jimmy, release him from his addiction and save him from a million dollar secret... Release date: 17 October 2008 English screenplay by Simon Pegg. For more info, visit FreeJimmy.com

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16 AUGUST 2008

UPDATES FROM SIMON ABOUT 'INGLORIOUS BASTARDS' & 'PAUL'

A couple updates from Simon's blog. 'INGLORIOUS BASTARDS' "Much to our mutual disappointment, I won't be appearing in QT's forthcoming Inglorious Bastards due to insurmountable scheduling difficulties. We really tried to make it work but in the end, it just was not possible without severe ramifications elsewhere. I'm trying to remain upbeat, as Tom Selleck said "Who the hell is Indiana Jones anyway?"" 'PAUL" "But "superbad" as in really good, as in the the film, Superbad, directed by Greg Mottola who, coincidentally will be directing mine and Nick's new movie, Paul. So there it is, the superbad, good news... GREG MOTTOLA WILL BE DIRECTING PAUL!!!!!"

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10 AUGUST 2008

NEW 'STAR TREK' POSTER FEATURING SIMON AS SCOTTY

New posters for J.J. Abrams 'Star Trek' were given out at VegasCon 08. They feature John Cho (Sulu), Anton Yelchin (Chekov), Karl Urban (McCoy), and of course, Simon Pegg (Scotty). ( click to view poster ) To view the rest of them, visit TrekMovie.com.

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10 August 2008

SIMON PEGG AND 'INGLORIOUS BASTARDS'

Simon Pegg, Nastassja Kinski and David Krumholtz are in talks to join the cast of Quentin Tarantino's Inglorious Bastards, reports Variety. The World War II drama centres on a squad of Jewish-American soldiers who take on German armed forces in Nazi-occupied France. Pegg is in negotiations to play a British lieutenant, Kinski a famous German film actress, and Krumholtz a member of the US Nazi hunters. It has been confirmed that Brad Pitt will take on the role of Aldo Raine, with Eli Roth and B.J. Novak also expected to join the cast. Inglorious Bastards will begin production on October 13 in Germany. Tarantino is aiming to premiere the movie at next year's Cannes Film Festival. Source: digitalspy.co.uk

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28 JULY 2008

WIN A SIGNED COPY OF 'SPACED' ON DVD!
Signed by Simon Pegg, Jessica Hynes and Edgar Wright.

Peggster.net has a signed copy of the R1 DVD of 'Spaced' to give away to one lucky fan! The front of the box set is signed by Simon, Jessica and Edgar. All you have to do is answer the following trivia questions: 1. What is the address of the house in 'Spaced'? 2. What is Daisy's club name? 3. What was the name of the dog that played Colin? Send your name, address and answers to: contest(at)peggster.net Entries must be received by 8 August 2008. Good luck! CONTEST WINNER:   Nelly M., France

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14 JULY 2008

LOST IN 'SPACED' SUNDAY ON BBC AMERICA
Six episodes picked by creator-stars and director.

The clever and edgy comedy series that started it all for the award-winning team behind Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, Spaced will be available for the first time in North America in a new collector’s DVD set, Spaced: The Complete Series, on Tuesday, July 22. To celebrate the release, BBC AMERICA presents ‘Lost in Spaced Sunday’, six back-to-back episodes picked by the hit comedy series’ creator-stars Simon Pegg and Jessica Hynes and director Edgar Wright airing on Sunday, July 20, 3 pm ET/ 12 pm PT on BBC AMERICA. Exclusively to BBC AMERICA.com, Simon, Jessica and Edgar each wrote about two of their favorite Spaced episodes. BBC AMERICA will also once again run the entire series with back-to-back episodes starting on Monday, July 21 at 3am ET/12am PT. This kicks off a weeklong four city tour to celebrate the DVD release with Simon, Jessica and Edgar traveling to New York, Los Angeles, Comic-Con and Austin for special screenings, a marathon, panel sessions and signings. Fans can follow them on tour at SpacedInvasion.com.

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4 JULY 2008

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY
AND A LITTLE HELLO FROM EDGAR, JESS AND SIMON.

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2 JULY 2008

SPACED: INVASION USA
The full tour details, July 18th - July 27th

SPACED - A FOUR CITY TOUR TO CELEBRATE THE DVD RELEASE Creators-stars and director to attend events in New York, Los Angeles, Comic-Con and Austin BBC Video announced today a four city tour to celebrate the DVD set release of Spaced: The Complete Series, available for the first time in North America on July 22. Creator-stars Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz) and Jessica Hynes (nee Stevenson) (Shaun of the Dead, Son of Rambow) and director Edgar Wright will travel to New York, Los Angeles, Comic-Con and Austin for special screenings, a marathon, panel sessions and signings for fanboys and fangirls. The weeklong tour kicks off in New York City at the Village East Cinema on Monday, July 21, with a screening and Q&A session moderated by Elvis Mitchell (film critic and host of KCRW’s The Treatment). The week’s events include a Los Angeles screening and Q&A moderated by Kevin Smith (Clerks, Dogma), a Comic-Con panel session moderated by Ain’t It Cool’s Drew 'Moriarty' McWeeny, a Fans’ Choice screening at Comic-Con, a Marathon screening at the Austin’s Alamo Drafthouse moderated by Ain’t It Cool’s Harry Knowles and signings at New York’s Virgin Megastore in Union Square, Jay & Silent Bob's Secret Stash West and Comic-Con. The final stop on the tour is the Late Show with David Letterman where Simon will be a guest on Monday, July 28. NEW YORK Monday, July 21 7:00 PM: A special 3-episode screening event of Spaced, immediately followed by a Q&A with Simon, Jessica and Edgar at the Village East Cinemas. The Q&A session will be moderated by Elvis Mitchell (film critic and host of KCRW's The Treatment). Tuesday, July 22 2:00-4:00 PM: Virgin Megastore in Union Square hosts a Spaced: The Complete Series signing event with Simon, Jessica and Edgar. LOS ANGELES Wednesday, July 23 12:30-2:30 PM: Jay & Silent Bob's Secret Stash West hosts a Spaced: The Complete Series signing event with Simon, Jessica and Edgar. 7:00 PM: A special 3-episode screening event of Spaced, immediately followed by a Q&A with Simon, Jessica and Edgar at the Arclight Hollywood. The Q&A session will be moderated by Kevin Smith (Clerks, Dogma). COMIC-CON Friday, July 25 12:30 PM: Simon, Jessica and Edgar will participate on a panel session moderated by Ain't It Cool's Moriarty in Room 6A. The three will also do multiple signings including one at the BBC booth. 10:15 PM: To close the day, Simon, Jessica and Edgar are asking fans to pick three episodes for a special Comic-Con screening event in Room 6A. Log on now to spacedinvasion.com to cast your vote. AUSTIN Sunday, July 27 5:00 PM: "The Spaced Numb A Thon": A marathon screening of all 14 episodes of Spaced, including a signing and Q&A with Simon, Jessica and Edgar, hosted by Harry Knowles at the Alamo Drafthouse Ritz." Alamo Calendar. For more info, visit the tour's official blog: Spaced Invasion. Attending? Join the Facebook event page: SPACED Screening and Q&A Event - New York City SPACED Screening and Q&A Event - Los Angeles SPACED Marathon and Q&A Event - Austin's Alamo Drafthouse Pre-order your copy of the R1 DVD:  Amazon.com BBC America Shop PlayUSA.com

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25 JUNE 2008

SPACED TOUR DATES
Screenings & signings for the US DVD release.

From Edgar Wright's blog: "Details are coming on the tour, but look out for myself, Simon and Jess in.... NYC - July 21st...for a screening and signing the next day L.A. - July 23rd...for a screening that night and signing San Diego Comic Con - July 25th...for a panel, a signing and a late night screening... Austin, Alamo Drafthouse - July 27th...for the whole damn marathon... Further information to come!"

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10 JUNE 2008

SPACED: INVASION USA - A CONVERSATION WITH EDGAR WRIGHT
Talks, Chats, and Conversations

Tuesday, June 24th 10:00pm The Regent Before he was infesting London with blood-crazed zombies in Shaun of the Dead, before he shot up sleepy English villages in Hot Fuzz, director Edgar Wright, along with writer/stars Simon Pegg and Jessica Hynes, brought UK audiences Spaced. In only 14 episodes, the show became one of British television's most enduring cult hits, winning fans internationally including JJ Abrams, Judd Apatow, Kevin Smith, and Quentin Tarantino. Now Spaced is finally (finally) coming to DVD in the U.S. on July 22. Join us to celebrate the launch with a screening of two complete Spaced episodes, some great clips, and a conversation with director Edgar Wright, moderated by South Park's Matt Stone. Tickets are $12 and can be purchased online at www.lafilmfest.com

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16 MAY 2008

FINAL BOX ART FOR THE 'SPACED' REGION 1 DVD.

( PRE-ORDER YOUR COPY ) SPACED: THE COMPLETE SERIES BONUS FEATURES New exclusive commentary with director Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg, Jessica Hynes (nee Stevenson) and guests Quentin Tarantino, Kevin Smith, Bill Hader, Matt Stone, Patton Oswalt and Diablo Cody. Exclusive Spaced On Stage reunion Q&A recorded at the National Film Theatre, London in October 2007. "Skip to the End" - Exclusive feature length documentary "Spaced Jam" by Osymyso Outtakes Trailers Deleted scenes Raw footage Photo gallery Homage-O-Meter - An onscreen feature that tracks each pop-culture reference Newly updated cast and crew biographies Street Date:  July 22, 2008 US/CA Price:  $49.98 / $62.48

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11 MAY 2008

CAN IT BE TRUE? IS McSPACED REALLY DEAD?

Primetime Pilot Panic: Fox Nixes 'Spaced' "Despite all the buzz, and exec producer McG, and a "phenomenal cast", Spaced is a no-go, I'm told. FBC just turned thumbs down on the WBTV/Wonderland pilot, which was adapted from the successful British TV series". Source: Nikki Finke's Deadline Hollywood Daily.

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5 MAY 2008

PRESS RELEASE: BBC VIDEO PRESENTS 'SPACED: THE COMPLETE SERIES'

FROM THE CREATORS OF SHAUN OF THE DEAD AND HOT FUZZ COMES THE AWARD-WINNING CULT COMEDY SPACED: THE COMPLETE SERIES "The one, the only -- Spaced. Accept no substitute" Quentin Tarantino (Reservoir Dogs, Kill Bill) New Exclusive Commentary By Quentin Tarantino, Kevin Smith, Bill Hader, Matt Stone, Patton Oswalt and Diablo Cody May 5, 2008 - This July, the clever and edgy comedy series that started it all for the award-winning team behind Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, Spaced will be available for the first time in North America in a new collector's DVD set from BBC Video™. From creator-stars Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz) and Jessica Hynes (nee Stevenson) (Shaun of the Dead, Son of Rambow), this 3-disc set features all 14 surreal episodes of the award-winning show, described by Pegg as "a cross between The Simpsons, The X-Files and Northern Exposure." Spaced: The Complete Series will arrive in stores on July 22, 2008 for suggested retail price of $49.98. The prebook date is June 17, 2008. "Spaced is utter brilliance. Constantly and amazingly laugh-out-loud funny and heart wrenchingly emotional, this is a series for, well, anyone who has ever lived," says JJ Abrams (Lost, Star Trek). "Watching Spaced is kinda like watching a Kevin Smith film if Kevin Smith had any real talent," confesses Kevin Smith (Clerks, Dogma). "I watch and re-watch Spaced from time to time to remind myself how good television comedy can be," says Matt Stone (South Park, Team America: World Police). Boasting over eight hours of content, Spaced: The Complete Series features bonus material including the all-new commentary from Quentin Tarantino, Kevin Smith, Matt Stone, Bill Hader (Superbad, Saturday Night Live), Patton Oswalt (King of Queens, Ratatouille) and Diablo Cody (Oscar®-winning writer of Juno). Among the many accolades Spaced, distributed by Channel 4, has garnered from fans and critics alike, Hynes won British Comedy Awards in 1999 and 2001 for her smart portrayal of moody writer Daisy. Additionally, Spaced received BAFTA (UK equivalent to the Emmy) nominations in 2000 and 2002 for Best Situation Comedy and an International Emmy Award nomination in 2001. SPEAKING OUT ON SPACED "The best thing out of England since Winston Churchill." - Seth Rogen (Superbad, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up) "I laughed hard and I hate comedy." - Judd Apatow (Director of The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up) "Daisy Steiner is a revelation: a female character who isn't an accessory, martyr, one-dimensional fantasy object or humorless foil." "In a world of prefab TV pairs, Tim and Daisy are a miracle: He's an observant, whip-smart geek, she's a slacker-feminist icon, and together, they're as real as it gets." - Diablo Cody (Oscar-winning writer of Juno) "Innovative. Witty. Hilarious. Spaced is the show we American comedians watch and say 'How the hell did they get away with this?! Spaced is the sole reason I bought an all region DVD player. Now you have no excuse! Buy this and you can officially be cool." - Bill Hader (Superbad, Saturday Night Live) "Annoyingly good." - Eddie Izzard (The Riches) "Spaced is a to-be-envied, to-be-cherished blend of pop culture heartbreak and genuine human hilarity. It's also a foolproof Idiot Test. Here's how it works: if someone ever tries to duplicate, replicate, or otherwise re-do this one-of-a-kind show, they're an Idiot! Aren't we all lucky to have such a thing in our world?" - Patton Oswalt (King of Queens, Ratatouille) "Brilliant! Hilarious! The first TV show to combine my love of Star Wars, Evil Dead, and funny Brits. If I had grown up in England this show would be the documentary of my life... Although I think it already is." - Eli Roth (Cabin Fever, Hostel I & II) "The wonderfully funny, outrageous and unique British television comedy series that manages to be both insane and sweet at the same time! A very influential show from the guys who gave us Shaun of the Dead" - John Landis (Director of American Werewolf, Blues Brothers) "Spaced is too smart, too entertaining, and too hilarious for American television. When Americans get a glimpse of this mind-blowing show, they will take to the streets, demanding a reason as to why they've been deprived of Spaced pleasure for so long." - Mike White (Freaks and Geeks, School of Rock) "The greatest television show in the history of television! The gold standard of geek cool!" - Harry Knowles (Ain't It Cool News) SPACED: THE COMPLETE SERIES BONUS FEATURES New exclusive commentary with director Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg, Jessica Hynes (nee Stevenson) and guests Quentin Tarantino, Kevin Smith, Bill Hader, Matt Stone, Patton Oswalt and Diablo Cody. Exclusive Spaced On Stage reunion Q&A recorded at the National Film Theatre, London in October 2007. "Skip to the End" - Exclusive feature length documentary "Spaced Jam" by Osymyso Outtakes Trailers Deleted scenes Raw footage Photo gallery Homage-O-Meter - An onscreen feature that tracks each pop-culture reference Newly updated cast and crew biographies Spaced: Definitive Collector's Edition Street Date:  July 22, 2008 US/CA Price:  $49.98 / $62.48

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2 MAY 2008

SIMON RESPONDS TO THE DEADLINE HOLLYWOOD POST

I had hoped I would only have to do this once. Despite, feeling extremely disgruntled by the whole affair, I never wanted the issue of the Spaced remake to turn into a public slanging match. I intended my original statement to be a definitive outline of my position on the whole thing. I have hardly mentioned it publicly since, with the exception of a few interviews during my Run Fat Boy Run press when I was drawn into discussing the subject, most notably on EW.Com. These few occasions are negligible compared to the amount of times I have deflected the issue toward my original comments. The Observer Newspaper in the UK chased me for an interview which I did not give. They ran the article anyway, using passages from my statement, in lieu of exclusive content. However after comments made on Hollywood Deadline by someone who may or may not have been Robert Green from Granada USA, I feel I should respond to the criticism leveled at me personally, as an emitter of "bullshit". The post insists that we have been repeatedly "reached out" to and have petulantly rebuffed their attempts at communication like spoilt children. For the record these attempts to reach out were only ever made after the announcement in the trades and indeed after production had started on the pilot episode. That we are being blasted for not accepting these attempts at communication so long after the damage had been done is ludicrous. I don't think I can put it better than Sarah, a poster over on the Hollywood Deadline talk back. "Green’s comments are akin to taking a shit on someone’s doorstep, then getting all hurt and aggressive because the owner of the house not only complains but also doesn’t help clean up the mess." The incredibly offensive insinuation that those who have expressed their sympathy and concern are cum gargling "idiots" represents extraordinarily misguided aggression by the the poster, whether it be Robert Green or not. The internet, with the establishing of Spaced-Out.org.uk and latterly Peggster.net, Frostitution.net, Edgarwright.co.uk, Jessicahynes.co.uk and others, have been largely responsible for bringing together a huge international community of Spaced fans, many of them in areas where the show isn't even available on domestic DVD. The defensive response to this situation has been amazing. At best it has been hugely empathetic, light hearted and heartfelt, at worst it has engendered unseemly anti-Americanism, from narrow minded people who equate US television with poor quality, inexplicably failing to recognize the sheer historical weight of outstanding American televisual output, which I for one, consume avidly and with a sloppy chin. Despite the latter's unwelcome presence in our corner, the support from you "website idiots" has been extremely touching, to say the least. Edgar has had a conversation with McG. I have phoned him a few times and to be fair, he has returned my calls, but after missing each other several times and the ball once again in my court, the wind has somewhat disappeared from my sails. I'm not sure what I have to say or indeed what can be said at this stage. The fact is, the Spaced remake went into production without our knowledge and that was upsetting. It is as simple as that. Now we are being criticized by the perpetrators of that upset for expressing regret. Even now, there has been no apology, only excuses. This issue has only ever been about courtesy, never about money or credit. Also, how can anyone claim that Spaced is something we want left in the past, when we have spent the last few years trying to secure the release of the DVD in North America, Canada and other territories and the last few months compiling new artwork and commentaries to give the release some extra Spaced specialness. Also, despite time and circumstance conspiring against us, we have never categorically ruled out the possibility of more. Tim, Daisy, Mike, Brian, Twist, Marsha and Colin all have destinies locked in mine and Jess's collective grey matter, who's to say they won't some day be played out. If you've skipped to the end, here's the simple summation. Somebody stamps on your foot then complains when you say 'ouch'? To adopt a little "website idiot" parlance, WTF? Simon Pegg Read the Deadline Hollywood posting HERE.

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1 MAY 2008

MGM KNOWS 'HOW TO LOSE FRIENDS'

Great news for the US and Canada - 'How to Lose Friends and Alienate People' finally has a North American distributor! MGM will release the film on October 3, according to Variety; this coincides with the previously announced UK release date. Stay tuned for more info, including the final one-sheet which is on the way. Source: Variety [And thanks, Bob! :)]

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1 MAY 2008

FINAL INSTALLMENT IN THE CORNETTO TRILOGY
THE WORLD'S END

Spaced duo savour sweet taste of success After Shaun of the Dead (zombies) and Hot Fuzz (cops), comes The World's End: the final installment in what Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright have called their three-flavour Cornetto trilogy. The working title can be revealed today, but what the genre might be is another question. Asked by the Guardian if it suggested a sci-fi/doomsday theme, Wright said: "It's kind of going in that direction." Wright was speaking yesterday as a two-film deal with the UK's leading production company, Working Title Films, was announced in London. The deal will involve him making the comedy with Pegg, as well as a separate action thriller, currently called Baby Driver. Pegg and Wright, who first teamed up on the Channel 4 sitcom Spaced, said the Cornetto theme was a tribute to Krzysztof Kieslowski and his Three Colours (blue, white and red) series of films. A strawberry Cornetto appeared in the pair's 2004 breakthrough film Shaun of the Dead, an original flavour in Hot Fuzz and for the final film it will, somehow, be mint choc chip. "We're still waiting for the box of Cornettos to be sent to us," said Wright. Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz were phenomenal successes and laid a path to Hollywood for the pair. Wright, 33, is working on two films in the US: Scott Pilgrim vs The World and an adaptation of the Marvel comic book character Ant-Man. Pegg, meanwhile, has been playing Scotty in the forthcoming Star Trek film. Source: The Guardian

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1 MAY 2008

SPACED R1 DVD UPDATE: COMMENTARIES

"We recorded a whole bunch of new Spaced commentaries in Santa Monica yesterday. Edgar, Jess and myself, were joined by guest commentators, Kevin Smith, Diablo Cody, Quentin Tarantino and Matt Stone. This, together with brand new cover art will hopefully sweeten the blow for those completists who already have the region 2." -SIMON PEGG, 23 March 2008

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1 MAY 2008

GET YOUR "SAY NO TO McSPACED" BUTTON!

Want to wear your feelings about McSpaced on your sleeve? (Or your jacket, or your messenger bag...) Buy the SAY NO TO MCSPACED button! They are created by Peggster.net assistant webmaster, Nic. There's no profit being made from the buttons; any residuals earned from the sales will go into a fund for purchasing as many as we can get to be handed out at ComicCon in July, so pick one up and support the cause!

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1 MAY 2008

INTERVIEW & US SPACED REVIEW ON COLLIDER

Collider.com has posted an exclusive interview with Simon, as well as a review of the script of US remake of 'Spaced'. Long live Spaced 1.0!!!

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1 MAY 2008

SIMON'S OFFICIAL STATEMENT REGARDING THE US SPACED

UPDATE: At the time of writing I was not aware that Jessica and myself, will in fact receive some payment for the use of our ideas. The issue however remains one of principal and respect rather than one of compensation. Thoughts on the subject of an American Spaced. Feel free to skip to the end. Now that the pilot has been officially announced, I thought it might be a good idea to clarify my position on the subject. The whole affair seems to have inspired some spirited debate and some heartening displays of loyalty and love. All this for a show which is almost 10 years old, is all rather wonderful and a vindication of all the blood, sweat and tears (both of joy and pain) we shed in the show's creation. It was always our aim to create a comedy which spoke to its audience on such a personal level, it almost felt one on one. It would seem the fan reaction to the news that Fox has appropriated the format, confirms at least, that we succeeded. As far as remaking TV shows for different territories is concerned, I don't have a problem. The Office remake being a perfect example. Yes, the original British version is a wonderful and compact piece of comedy writing and performance, but I think it's bit much to expect a large scale American television audience to fully relate to the minutiae of day-to-day business life in an obscure British suburb. I'm sure if you're reading this, you are the type of person who takes pleasure in the variety of entertainment you enjoy, relishing the differences between our various cultural touchstones but there is a massive audience out there, which perhaps isn't as culturally savvy (euphemistic phrase for 'geeky') as we are and need their signifiers to be a little more familiar. So, Slough is replaced by Scranton, and the office archetypes become a little more archetypal to an American audience. The spirit of the show remains intact. The performances are uniformly great and the show scores big ratings and wins EMMYs, whether we as comedy purists prefer the original or not. The success of the remake is born out by it's undoubted success and appeal. My main problem with the notion of a Spaced remake is the sheer lack of respect that Granada/ Wonderland/Warner Bros have displayed in respectively selling out and appropriating our ideas without even letting us know. A decision I can only presume was made as a way of avoiding having to give us any money, whilst at the same time using mine and Edgar's name in their press release, in order to trade on the success of Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, even professing, as Peter Johnson did, to being a big fan of the show and it's creators. A device made all the more heinous by the fact that the press release neglected to mention the show's co-creator and female voice, Jessica Hynes (nee Stevenson). The fact is, when we signed our contracts ten years ago, we had neither the experience or the kudos to demand any clauses securing any control over future reversioning. We signed away our rights to any input in the show's international future, because we just wanted to get the show made and these dark days of legal piracy seemed a far away concern. As a result, we have no rights. The show does not belong to us and, those that do own it have no obligation to include us in any future plans. You would perhaps hope though, out of basic professional respect and courtesy, we might have been consulted. It is this flagrant snub and effective vote of no confidence in the very people that created the show, that has caused such affront at our end. If they don't care about the integrity of the original, why call it Spaced? Why attempt to find some validation by including mine and Edgar's names in the press release as if we were involved? Why not just lift the premise? Two strangers, pretend to be a couple in order to secure residence of a flat/apartment. It's hardly Ibsen. Jess and I specifically jumped off from a very mainstream sitcom premise in order to unravel it so completely. Take it, have it, call it Perfect Strangers and hope Balkie doesn't sue. Just don't call it Spaced. It's a shame, since the pilot is now a certainty, whether we like it or not, a simple phone call and a few reassurances might have helped to at least curtail the tide of indignation from fans and creators alike. I have, as of yet, heard nothing. Simon Pegg A Facebook group has been set up (by a fan) for 'Spaced' fans who are against the remake: Say NO to an American remake of Spaced.

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1 MAY 2008

'STAR TREK' UPDATE!
OFFICIAL WEBSITE & CHAT TRANSCRIPT

Simon is now on set shooting Star Trek. "I stepped onto the set for the first time today and it sent a shiver down my spine. I am boldly going", says Simon. The film's official website (plus a cool viral site and the teaser trailer) have gone live: check out www.paramount.com/startrek and www.ncc-1701.com. Meanwhile, JJ Abrams and a number of cast and crew (not Simon, unfortunately) took part in a live chat from the set for TrekMovie.com ( READ IT HERE ) - check it out for news as well as the first picture from the bridge!

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1 MAY 2008

"HIPPIES" (1999) TO BE RELEASED ON DVD ON 10 March

Written by Arthur Matthews (Father Ted) and starring Simon Pegg (Spaced, Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz etc), Julian Rhind-Tutt (Stardust, Green Wing) and Sally Phillips (Green Wing, Alan Partridge), the show is based around a Notting Hill commune, with Pegg as Mouth magazine editor, Ray Purbbs, an idealist fighting (not very well) against the establishment. He's not helped by the co-contributors to Mouth, girlfriend Jill (Phillips), reluctant co-conspirator Alex (Rhind-Tutt) and the permanently spaced out Hugo (Darren Boyd). It's released on 10th March, retailing at £12.99. Extras include audio commentaries by writer Arthur Mathews, Hippy Invasion (1970 archive footage from the notorious edition of the David Frost Show), photo gallery and subtitles. Source: Retro To Go Pre-order your copy today from Amazon.co.uk.

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1 MAY 2008

'HOW TO LOSE FRIENDS' TEASER UP!

The first teaser for 'How to Lose Friends and Alienate People' is now up exclusively on The Sun's website! Also, check out director Robert Weide's website for a gallery full of behind the scenes photos. (Thanks, Julie!)

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1 MAY 2008

McSPACED: SPACED TO BE REMADE FOR U.S. TV?!

Variety reports that Fox Television and creators McG and Adam Barr are developing a US version of Spaced. The article indicates that it's "unclear" whether Simon and Edgar (what about Jess?!) will be involved in the development. But Edgar is very, very clear! He's posted about it three times today, in fact. UPDATE: And one more EdgarBlog, for good measure. This one's a corker. UPDATE #2:  A MESSAGE FROM SIMON: "I feel utterly bemused by the issue of Spaced being transferred anywhere. It is an extremely personal show that grew out of a very specific set of circumstances. There is no way on Earth it could ever be reversioned without becoming something completely different. If you take away all those specifics, what you're left with is a very conventional log line for a fairly mediocre sitcom. "Two strangers decide to pose as a professional couple in order to secure an apartment". I'm sure anyone who appreciates the show would agree that 'set up' is probably the least relevant aspect of the show's appeal. I am really pissed off that we weren't even contacted out of courtesy or respect. Long live Spaced 1.0."

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1 MAY 2008

SIMON TO PLAY SCOTTY IN 'STAR TREK'

Paramount Pictures is beaming up Simon Pegg to play Scotty in J.J. Abrams' "Star Trek." Pegg joins Eric Bana, Anton Yelchin, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana and Leonard Nimoy in the latest bigscreen incarnation of the classic TV series. Penned by Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, the story chronicles the early days of James T. Kirk and his fellow USS Enterprise crew members during their time at Starfleet Academy. Chris Pine has been offered the role of Kirk. Paramount has set a November start date for the film, which will bow on Christmas Day 2008. Abrams and Stratton Leopold are producing, while Kurtzman and Orci will exec produce alongside Bryan Burk and Damon Lindelof. Pegg, whose recent credits include "Hot Fuzz," will star in the upcoming satire "How to Lose Friends and Alienate People." Source: Variety

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1 MAY 2008

ANNOUNCED:   PAUL (2008)

Simon Pegg and Nick Frost's next project will be 'Paul'. "[After doing press for RFBR], me and Nick are locked into finishing the first draft of our new movie by the end of October. It's looking pretty good at the moment. We've been talking to directors and have some exciting possibilities. Edgar will stay in the mix as an executive producer and hopefully script editor. All being well, we'll shoot next year."

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