Peter Kay's absence on All4

[BJBMK2]

It seems so strange to me, that a man who's work was once the most over-exposed, over-released thing in the country, isn't on any streaming service for posterity. That Peter Kay Thing, Phoenix Nights, Max and Paddy et all, we only have second hand DVD's to go off.

It has to be a money thing right? I can't see it not being directly related to some kind of argument about money.

[DrGreggles]

Kay doesn't own them, but can stop them being shown.

He's the Mike Smith of comedy remembering things.

[Steve Faeces]

https://tribunemag.co.uk/2023/02/phoenix-nights-a-tribute-to-a-vanishing-british-institution

This, quite good piece, seems to suggest it might be out of spite. I mean it can't really be anything else. Hardly like anyone has an eye on dvd sales now.

[Phoenix Lazarus]

Kay doesn't own them, but can stop them being shown.

He's the Mike Smith of comedy remembering things.

What did Mike Smith stop from being shown?  More interest in helicoptor lessons?

[DrumsAndWires]

no idea, but i never found him funny so it's no loss

[DrGreggles]

What did Mike Smith stop from being shown?  More interest in helicoptor lessons?

TOTP repeats. Can't remember why, but the BBC are honouring his wishes - even though they could show them if they want and bollocks to the dead fuck.

[Phoenix Lazarus]

no idea, but i never found him funny so it's no loss

Not even Phoenix Nights? 

[centristmelt]

Not even Phoenix Nights? 

"I'm getting the word.....contrarian"

[jobotic]

I'd happily watch That Peter Kay Thing again.

[DrGreggles]

Yeah, he was great until his ego got out of control, which was seemingly some time between the 2 series of Phoenix Nights.

[thr0b]

Oh, it's definitely spite in Kay's part. His production company made it, didn't they?

And re TOTP - Smith just didn't want them being shown again, which is fair enough. And when he passed, they asked Sarah Greene for her opinion, and she asked that they continue not to. And that's fair enough.

[thr0b]

Re the spite - in the wake of the show, Spikey wanted to do his own tour, and he wanted to do it in part as Jerry St Claire, from out of Phoenix Nights, to capitalise on the profile a bit. Kay refused, so the character became the generic Club Singer.

You'll note on the season 2 DVD, the main cast doesn't show up for the commentary.

[Gurke and Hare]

Have people in TV been fucked over as much as musicians by the move to streaming? If so, then despite his notorious fondness for a pound note I can't really blame him for blocking showings.

[Icehaven]

Have people in TV been fucked over as much as musicians by the move to streaming?

The current strike or whatever it is in Hollywood would suggest so. The crux seems to be they (the writers, the actors, whoever else) don't get residuals from streaming the same way they would when shows were repeated on broadcast TV.

[JamesTC]

Went to see RHLSTP on Saturday and I was surprised that Neil Fitzmaurice spoke with so much admiration for Peter Kay. I always thought it was him alongside Spikey that had the falling out with him.

He did say that Peter would go to AA meetings and other things like that with a hidden mic and record everything to use as material. The comedy equivalent of Tyler Durden. That's how Keith Lard came about because after it blew up, he came to Neil with a recording of Keith Laird and it was verbatim what they had put in the show.

[gib]

Re the spite - in the wake of the show, Spikey wanted to do his own tour, and he wanted to do it in part as Jerry St Claire, from out of Phoenix Nights, to capitalise on the profile a bit. Kay refused, so the character became the generic Club Singer.

what about Clinton Baptiste then

[thr0b]

what about Clinton Baptiste then

For a long while, Clinton appeared "courtesy of" or "by arrangement with" Kay's production company.

[Sebastian Cobb]

what about Clinton Baptiste then

Weirdly wikipedia reckons Alex Lowe was the creator of that but interviews with Lowe credit it to Kay and have him graciously letting Lowe use the character later on.

Guess there's much less of a power struggle in the first place when Lowe's only in it for a couple of minutes.

[Goldentony]

bad as series 2 is the last time I rewatched it there's a moment where Brian is given a plate of burned chips and says "they look like mummies dicks!" that I think deserves an award

[Joe Oakes]

what about Clinton Baptiste then

He eventually let Alex Lowe use Clinton Baptiste, unhelpfully after Marc Wootton had already ripped it off and bled it dry for Shirley Ghostman. I do quite enjoy his podcast though, especially the stuff with Ramone.

And as someone else mentioned, he still forces Alex Lowe to personally thank him for allowing him to use the character at the end of every podcast and probably live show.

To be honest, I have no idea if Lowe had even asked Kay before Shirley Ghostman was a thing, or if he is contractually obliged to thank Kay every podcast. But it fits with my pre-conceived assumption that Peter Kay is a bit of a cunt, so I'm sticking with it.

[gmoney]

what about Clinton Baptiste then

What about Tommy Dickfingers?

[Snrub]

The next volume of his autobiography is out next month focused on his tv stuff so will be interesting to see what his line is on it.

Same thing has happened with Car Share as well I think, it isn't on iPlayer and there was the Covid era audio only episode that was on there for a month only.

Then there was Peter Kay's Comedy Shuffle which I always found a bit bonkers. A clip show of all his shows from a different channel on prime time BBC One that ended up running for four fucking series. By the end it was true barrel scraping, just repeats of him being interviewed on local news. Insane.

[dissolute ocelot]

He's like Beyonce or Taylor Swift refusing to put their music on Spotify.

Maybe he's in his secret lab working on a new comedy distribution medium to replace DVDs and Blu-Rays and allow him to earn millions from all his carefully guarded shows.

Is he really the type to do it out of spite? Money seems more believable.

[MattD]

The next volume of his autobiography is out next month focused on his tv stuff so will be interesting to see what his line is on it.

Same thing has happened with Car Share as well I think, it isn't on iPlayer and there was the Covid era audio only episode that was on there for a month only.

Then there was Peter Kay's Comedy Shuffle which I always found a bit bonkers. A clip show of all his shows from a different channel on prime time BBC One that ended up running for four fucking series. By the end it was true barrel scraping, just repeats of him being interviewed on local news. Insane.

Remember those DVDs he'd flog to death every Christmas that came out around 10 plus years ago? They were essentially DVD extras packaged as one DVD, once that cash cow ran dry when everyone figured what was up, he took it to TV.

I do actually think he's funny and when you reign him and his ego in with other writers, you will get great stuff. But as is the case with many talented people, they think they are the be all and end all (see the solo careers of musicians outside of their superior bands).

I mean does he seriously believe Max & Paddy or that X Factor parody is better than the stuff he did with Spikey & Fitzmaurice, or the writer of Car Share?

[Gurke and Hare]

Remember

ISWYDT

those DVDs he'd flog to death every Christmas that came out around 10 plus years ago? They were essentially DVD extras packaged as one DVD

He only did that once didn't he? Which is admittedly once too often, but I don't think he released a new set of extras every year.

[pigamus]

Wasn't there one that was the same as the last one but just filmed somewhere else? That was quite the pisstake

[BJBMK2]

Wasn't there one that was the same as the last one but just filmed somewhere else? That was quite the pisstake

Aye, the 2005 set, and it wasn't even the whole thing, it was just the second half!

[idunnosomename]

Stand Up UKay was just vox pop in the street of people remembering his bits and then footage of the bit

DVDS EH?!?

[As Me Or A Worm?]

Eh? He's shite for idiots. Mrs Browns Boys level.

[studpuppet]

TOTP repeats. Can't remember why, but the BBC are honouring his wishes - even though they could show them if they want and bollocks to the dead fuck.

The urban myth was that he fell out with the BBC because when the Savile scandal hit, they used TOTP clips of Smith and Savile together (despite having plenty with Savile alone) and he was ignored when he asked them to desist. Sarah 'join the pool cue' Greene is just respecting his wishes. Not sure how true it might be, though.