The Services, That Peter Kay Thing and Phoenix Nights

[DrGreggles]

And didn't Kay get Kitson blurred out on the repeats?

I think it was on the outtakes when they were shown on C4 rather than the repeats.

[the]

^{(Edit: Posted before seeing the above)}

I doubt it - it was a fairly substantial speaking part so it would have looked extremely odd.

I'm not sure about repeats, but he was blurred out in a PN blooper reel that went out on C4. (Maybe it meant that Kitson wouldn't get paid for the use of bloopers, I dunno.)

Do we know why they changed from the fake fly on the wall to the straight sitcom format?

The fly on the wall conceit was the basis of TPKT, being a spoof docusoap series. Phoenix Nights being a sitcom, they probably dropped it because the documentary conceit would be unnecessary and restrictive to the scene-setting and storytelling.

Which is a good thing, it's highly irritating when sitcoms have a completely superfluous documentary conceit just so they can do awkward looks to camera and 'interview' exposition. (And usually get very sloppy with the logic of what ends up being captured by the camera anyway.)

[petril]

that post has just reminded me of the fucking CRIME TIME episode with Stuart Maconie

[DrGreggles]

that post has just reminded me of the fucking CRIME TIME episode with Stuart Maconie

Yes, a poor episode, but "Police probe Leeds girl's snatch" was a good gag.
Based on 'Dead Man Weds', I'm thinking it was a Spikey line.

[Famous Mortimer]

Had no idea there was a second series of Alex Lowe's Clinton Baptiste's podcast out, and an upcoming tour. Will probably see him at the Leicester Comedy Festival in Feb.

Does it improve? Because I just listened to the first episode and it stank.

[Bennett Brauer]

I haven't heard the second series yet, but this clip made me laugh https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtyDmYpyZlw.

I can see how a little may go a long way with the character though, but I'd be interested in seeing him live to see if he does crowd work.

[TheBrownBottle]

I maintain that regardless of any other shortcomings, Clinton Baptiste's 'I'm getting the word ... nonce' to a man who would clearly take umbrage is one of the funniest moments I've ever seen on TV. 

[Famous Mortimer]

I maintain that regardless of any other shortcomings, Clinton Baptiste's 'I'm getting the word ... nonce' to a man who would clearly take umbrage is one of the funniest moments I've ever seen on TV. 

It's a fantastic bit, true.

[DrGreggles]

My favourite bit is the camp "y'alright" after the ludicrous intro.

[TheBrownBottle]

Yes, that 'y'alright' is superb - the introduction of 'Hundreds of years ago when man walked the planet he had no real means of communication. In time man developed a phenomena which has never been fully understood by the psychic community. This phenomena is...Clinton Baptiste' is up there too.

Clinton Baptiste may be the greatest one-off character in sitcom history.  If you can't indulge in hyperbole on t'internet, where can you?

[imitationleather]

Was Shirley Ghostman entirely ripped off from that character or only partially?

[Sebastian Cobb]

For ages I thought Baptiste was Fitzmaurice playing another character outside Ray Von

[SteveDave]

https://www.comedy.co.uk/live/news/5501/phoenix_nights_screenings/

Watch it on the big screen! All for a good cause and with some cast interviews that I'm guessing will be included on a 20th anniversary repackaging?

[idunnosomename]

Why the fuck would i want to celebrate the 19th anniversary of a tv show by watching it in a theatre