Mark Corrigan (Peep Show)

Mark Corrigan is a fictional character in the British television show Peep Show, which first aired on Channel 4 in 2003 and remains a cult hit. Mark is played by David Mitchell and was voted the 12th Greatest Comedy Character in a recent Channel 4 poll.

Mark Corrigan is a twenty-something loan manager residing in a flat in London. He attended Exbourne School in Shropshire until his father's British Aerospace shares crashed and he was forced to attend the state-run Fitzalan Comprehensive School. This sudden change from private to state school is believed to have left him somewhat socially damaged. He later attended the fictional Dartmouth University, where he attained a degree in Business Studies. He has a sister, Sarah, who is a solicitor married to a man named Simon. Mark is currently living with best friend Jeremy, whom he met at university. Together they sometimes call themselves the "El Dude Brothers"; this name dates back to their days at university, but is now usually only invoked when one of them wants to appeal to the support of the other, against their better judgement. Unlike the work-shy Jeremy, Mark is conscientious about his job, though his experience of it is dominated by two figures: smooth-talking boss Alan Johnson, who seems to view Mark as something of a malleable protege; and Sophie Chapman, the object of Mark's rather neurotic affection.

Mark is very much a social reject; he is paranoid about nearly everything, thinks too much (usually for the worst) and worries endlessly about seeming normal, something he never quite manages to do. In practice, he spends most of his time obsessing about Sophie or, from series 3 onwards, worrying about his ever-worsening relationship with her. Throughout the first two series, he fought fiercely with work colleague Jeff Heaney for Sophie's attention and developed a rivalry with him. Despite Jeff moving in with Sophie temporarily, Mark eventually won out, and by the beginning of the third series had made her his girlfriend. However, she was relocated almost immediately to Bristol, leaving their now long-distance relationship strained. In the series 3 finale, Mark intended to propose to Sophie, but then realised that he didn't actually love her. Sophie, however, discovered the engagement ring early and accepted before Mark could conceal it. Mark chose not to refuse her offer, mainly out of 'embarrassment' and fear. In the series 4 finale, Mark and Sophie finally get married, despite both not wanting to, only for Sophie to almost immediately call for the marriage to be annulled or for them to get a divorce. Mark is left to return to his flat in his wedding car with only Jeremy for company.

In Series 1 Episode 4, Mark developed a homosexual crush on Alan Johnson, then only a visiting manager. In an effort to explore this previously undiscovered side of his personality, Mark rented some gay pornography and eventually came to the conclusion that he was "possibly bi, but basically un-curious." Alan has since become Mark's boss and Mark is still paranoid about his potential to have feelings for Alan.

Unsurprisingly Mark is highly sexually frustrated, and also apparently somewhat repressed; he is disgusted by Jeremy's licentious views (if not always practice) on easy women and kinky sexual behaviour. At first his sexual anxiety was partly a result of a testicular hydrocele, about which he also became paranoid, but the swelling was reduced by surgery.

Mark mostly seems to watch television, read, play computer games or just hang about in his flat. He doesn't seem to particularly enjoy the company of flatmate Jeremy, but puts up with him anyway as his only companion, and indeed does not even charge him rent.

His biggest interest is history, in particular Ancient History and the Second World War. He often references Nazi history and Adolf Hitler, portrayed a Nazi officer in a re-enactment and is a fan of classic war films such as Das Boot, further showing his interest in history. Mark spends his spare time doing some things relating to World War II such as playing the computer game Blitzkrieg, (he is seen playing it on the side of the Nazis in series 3). He also read the book Stalingrad which was first revealed after an encounter with a group of young boys (aged about 9 or 10) who began to call him a "paedo" (short for paedophile) in the street. After this incident he sits down to read "Stalingrad" and is quoted as saying "Those kids have no idea what went on in Stalingrad." He later quoted from the same book in an attempt to seduce next-door neighbour Toni. He is an avid amateur historian, having a life-long regret of not taking Ancient History as opposed to Business Studies at university.

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