News

Gem Wheeler May 3, 2017

With series two over and no further episodes on the horizon, we salute funny, warm, clever sitcom Peter Kay's Car Share...

Everyday life may be full of funny moments, but it’s fair to say that most of them aren’t found during the commute to work; traffic jams, roadworks and incompetent drivers raise stress levels like little else. The prospect of watching two people make small talk in a confined space as inane radio jingles play gooseberry in the background doesn’t sound like a promising start for a comedy series. Yet somehow, Peter Kay's Car Share won a huge audience for its first series on BBC One back in 2015. After a dramatic ending to its second run this week, fans were desperate to learn what would become of star-crossed couple John and Kayleigh’s burgeoning romance, only to have those hopes dashed when star, co-writer...

Jenny Morrill Jun 12, 2017

Jenny has a few tips for successfully rebooting some classic gameshows...

Game shows are one of the few formats that can withstand being rebooted. Some people might even argue that game show reboots are becoming necessary, given the calibre of new ideas being farted out onto the screen. For every Pointless, there's Dale's All Star Celebrity Family Kerplunk On Fire (actually I'd watch that).

See related Doctor Who: Moffat on budget issues, advice for Chibnall Doctor Who: Phoebe Waller-Bridge is now the joint favourite

There are certain shows that could make up a stellar, unbeatable game show line-up, and they should all be brought back immediately. Some brave souls have tried to bring some of these shows back, with varying degrees of success. In some cases perhaps the execution needed a bit of tweaking, but the decision to reboot was the right one.

When a...

Peter Kay has confirmed the cast of 'Phoenix Nights' are to reunite for a stage show. The 41-year-old comedian has revealed he, Paddy McGuinness, Dave Spikey and the rest of the cast will reprise their roles from the popular comedy series for two nights to raise money for Comic Relief. Speaking about his decision to bring 'Phoenix Nights' back over ten years after it last aired in 2002, he said: ''Because I always like to do something for Comic Relief and this year I just thought, it'll take a year to probably organise ... I rang the cast and they overwhelmed me...

Peter Kay has confirmed details of a Phoenix Nights stage show for Comic Relief.

Kay will reunite with the show's original cast members including Dave Spikey, Neil Fitzmaurice and Take Me Out host Paddy McGuinness in the New Year.

The Phoenix Nights stage shows will take place at the Manchester Arena on Saturday, January 31 and Sunday, February 1, 2015.

Kay confirmed during an appearance on BBC Radio 2's Steve Wright in the Afternoon that tickets will go on sale this Sunday (November 30) at 11am, with all proceeds going to Comic Relief.

The comedian is also expected to reveal further details later on Thursday (November 27) in a broadcast interview with ITV regional news programme Granada Reports.

TV Exclusive @GranadaReports with @peterkay_co_uk he reveals live shows of #PhoenixNights @ManchesterArena next yr pic.twitter.com/RNDxCXbV84

— Caroline Whitmore (@carowhititv) November 27, 2014

McGuinness had remained coy last week when asked about a possible Phoenix Nights reunion by Digital Spy,...

Phoenix Nights star Toby Foster has downplayed rumours of a full Phoenix Nights reunion, claiming that he hasn't heard anything from Peter Kay about the show returning.

Foster, who played Les Campbell from the Phoenix Club backing band Les Alanos in the early '00s Channel 4 sitcom, revealed that he had been inundated with messages since Kay revealed that "big news" was coming very soon about the show.

The BBC radio presenter and comic said that he had spoken to Kay recently and he hadn't mentioned anything about the show. He also retweeted a comment from a follower, who suggested that if the show was coming back, he wasn't involved.

Bloody Hell. Loads of messages. Hand on heart, I have not heard a whisper about a new series of Pn. And I spoke to Peter last week.

— TobyFoster (@TobyFoster) November 19, 2014

@TobyFoster You're not in it then ?

— luke warm (@JimJimdavis...

Peter Kay is expected to announce the return of his classic TV sitcom Phoenix Nights very soon.

The comedian confirmed at a charity event at the weekend that fans of the comedy could look forward to an announcement about the show within the next 10 days.

It is rumoured that Kay is planning a stage show and third series for 2015.

"I am going to be making a big announcement about Phoenix Nights sometime in the next 10 days, so fans need to be watching out for that," Kay told the audience at Blackpool Opera House during a fundraiser for Salford Women's Aid Charity.

Phoenix Nights ran for two series between 2000 and 2001. Its spin-off Max and Paddy's Road To Nowhere had one series on Channel 4 in 2004.

The Bolton stand-up has previously spoken about his plans for a third series, claiming that he had always been jotting down ideas for more episodes.

"Over the years,...

Paddy McGuinness has given hope to fans of Max & Paddy and Phoenix Nights, confirming that he is writing again with his close friend and former comedy partner Peter Kay.

During an appearance on This Morning, McGuinness said that the pair were only "thinking" about teaming up, but, when pressed further, confessed that they had "written something".

The pair last teamed up as Max and Paddy in 2004, when they produced a single series of the Phoenix Nights spinoff.

It's been 12 years since Phoenix Nights aired on Channel 4.

Kay said in 2012 that he ended Phoenix Nights after only two series because he was worried about the quality waning. However, he did also reveal that he was constantly writing down ideas for fresh episodes.

"Over the years, I keep writing things down," said Kay in a TV interview for Channel 4. "I wrote something the other week - Brian books The Drifters,...

A bike fest on the Belfast Waterfront, the Turner Prize exhibition at the Baltic, a film festival on Jersey and hip-hop at Sadler's Wells – here's our pick of cultural events in the coming months

August

Comedy

Camden Fringe London

With an eye for the experimental and the strange, this festival spreads out over venues across the borough, with theatre, stand-up, improv and shadow puppets from the likes of comediennes Morris & Vyse and puppet company Pangolin's Teatime.

1-28 August, camdenfringe.com, tickets from £5

Theatre and dance

Five Truths at the V&A, London

Multi-screen installation brings together five interpretations of Ophelia's madness in Hamlet. Five Truths explores the differences in approach of five of the most influential European theatre directors, including Bertold Brecht and Peter Brook, and how they might have imagined the scene, in a film created by National Theatre associate director Katie Mitchell.

• Until 29 August, vam.ac.uk, admission free

Peter Hall Company,...

Jason Manford has announced that he has quit his role on 8 Out of 10 Cats. The comedian has served as a team captain on the Channel 4 panel show for five series, after replacing Dave Spikey who quit at the end of the fourth run. However, Manford confirmed that he will not be returning to the Jimmy Carr-hosted programme due to his new ITV programme and tour commitments. He went on to say that Jon Richardson will take over as captain for the upcoming 11th series. "It's in the paper this morning about me presenting a new show for ITV called Show Me The Funny, a talent show for new comics," he wrote in a Facebook (more)...