Look at the lights

It was my friend Gerry that told me about Phoenix Nights, the comedy starring Peter Kay, as he described a scene to me in the pub I shrugged nonchalantly and said ‘I’d never heard of it’. Sometime later I caught an episode and keeled over on the sofa laughing as it dawned on me this must be the show Gerry had mentioned.

For the uninitiated or American readers Phoenix Nights is a comedy first aired on BBC2 based around a social club in the Bolton/Chorley area of the North of England.

Before Phoenix Nights Peter Kay had some minor tv success with shows before hitting mainstream big time with Phoenix Nights and the parodoxical owner of the Phoenix Club – Brian Potter. Kay is what I call a typical observational comic, he often absorbs what he see’s around him in northern life and portrays it with convincing and appealing aplomb.

After Kay had rightfully earned success with Phoenix Nights I had a conversation with a friend I used to work with, I won’t mention his name (Pete) but he often has insightful views on things and we discussed Mr Kay and Phoenix Nights at length, in fact we were ardent fans. We discussed the fact that most comedies often stall after a second series and I think we had a valid point, though I do admit there are sometimes exceptions to the rule, American comedies such as Taxi and Cheers spring to mind, and things like Black Adder.

So when Peter Kay did the spin off to Phoenix Nights called ‘Max and Paddy’s Road to Nowhere’ I watched with interest – to me it was a disaster. It seemed like our theory proved right but not only that, Peter Kay was in self promoting overdrive. Past comedy series where re-released, dvd’s adorned the shelves of retail outlets, adverts with Mr Kay graced the tv screens and the Peter Kay merchandise juggernaut seemed unstoppable. Everyone seemed to love Peter Kay but looking deeper at his solo comedy routine the more discerning of the comedy scene and the critics began to see the flaws. Kay intrinsically relies on English Northern/family/situation humour, he comes across as affable but he doesn’t deliver anything new with his stand up routine, after all, mother in law jokes have all been done before, however much we laugh at them.

So, this really brings me to the conclusion, after Kay’s boom period the critics declared open season and after praising Phoenix Nights began to savage his stand up routines and later efforts such as Max and Paddy. Kay began openly express interest in other avenues and projects, asking if he could be scripted into parts in Coronation Street and Dr Who as well as the almost obligatory self promoting appearances on chat shows. And of course there was the cringe worthy cash in of jaded pop sensation Tony Christies ‘Road to Amarillo’. Oh and then there was the Max and Paddy exercise video! (groan)

In my mind I hoped Kay would come back with another storming series of Phoenix Nights but the excellent actors from there have moved on in their own rights, Dave Spikey and Neil Fitzmaurice to name two whilst of course Kay has concentrated on being a solo star and, the sad irony being without a good supporting cast he isn’t as good as he perceives himself to be.

So whilst I was in Blackpool at the beginning of this week I mentioned Phoenix Nights to my friend from there. She remarked that Peter Kay had offered to switch the Blackpool illuminations on, alas Blackpool council declined and picked……… Dale Winton instead. It reminded me of the first episode of Phoenix Nights when the club re-opened and Kay (as owner Brian Potter) said ‘Look at the lights’ but the club went on to eventually burn down, lets hope Kay can conjure up another Phoenix from the flames and rely more on his innate talent and less on the media merchandising machine.