Peter Kay's Car Share

This week I’ve been watching Peter Kay’s Car Share.

Stand-up comedy is my main love in life. The first stand-up I got into in a big way was Peter Kay. For me he was my gateway comedian, an entry point into the intoxicating world of mic stand and microphone. Without him, I may never have moved onto edgier, more experimental strains of funny. Indeed, Kay’s Live at the Top of the Tower DVD was one I watched over and over again as a teenager. His routines on weddings, teletext holidays and biscuits in your brew celebrated and revelled in the minutiae of British family life. Like all good observational comedy, we laughed because we saw our own lives in the material: a child does slide on their knees at a wedding; teletext wasn’t an efficient booking system; Rich Teas really are terrible for dipping. What the material lacked in ambition, it made up for in recognition.

Since achieving mainstream success, Kay has become a bête noire amongst comedians. They criticise the raw capitalism that has him commodify catchphrases onto aprons and mugs. He has also faced criticism for re-packaging old routines onto DVD and selling them as 'new' at Christmas. Comedian Richard Herring revealed Kay’s greed even extends to taking a share of the car park receipts from his arena tour. This rampant profiteering reveals an ugliness to his cuddly reputation.

"I really enjoyed that gig. Let's go to the merch stall so I can get the comic's apron."

It’s not just his ethics that have been challenged: his material has too. Perrier Award winner Daniel Kitson has derided his work as ‘racist and lazy.’ From my previous blog, you will know that Kitson is my hero. He is the anti-Kay: a cult figure too verbose for marketable catchphrases. He and Kay worked together on Phoenix Nights, a Channel 4 sitcom about the dying social club scene. Co-penned with Neil Fitzmaurice and Dave Spikey, Kay’s comedy was part- homage, part-critique to an age where variety ruled. Kitson is right to a degree: some of the material is questionable; Kay seems to think dwarves and Chinese accents are funny, but I would argue there is enough good will to make these caricatures defensible.

Kay’s Car Share is his first piece of television since Britain’s Got The Pop Factor. There, Kay lampooned the X Factor, scoring high ratings but low approval amongst viewers. Like Harry Hill learnt with his reality TV musical I Can’t Sing, it is difficult to parody something that is already parodying itself. It did however show Kay was capable of commenting on something contemporary, which marked a positive creative step, given how too often his work is rooted in reminiscence.

Reality tv: beyond parody.

In Car Share, then, has Kay found a vehicle to drive his comedy forward? Or is he reversing yet again into cosy nostalgia?

Thankfully, it’s the latter- although there are bumps along the way.

In a first for the BBC, the show was released as a whole series on iPlayer. This apparently was done at Kay’s behest with him arguing that episodes are better enjoyed back to back. The Beeb acquiesced but only for a limited time. The series has now been removed, meaning you’ll have to settle for one a week. Having seen the whole series, I urge you to make the commitment.

Kay’s comedy vehicle is so titled because it follows two supermarket workers, John and Kayleigh, who are forced to car share. John is middle management, whereas Kayleigh works on shop-floor promotion. They are both single and live alone- although Kayleigh’s brother is a sporadic presence. Their situation is redolent of Andy and Maggie in Extras in that they are both professionally and emotionally dissatisfied, longing – albeit quietly – for escape. Initially, they don’t get on. Quelle surprise! Kayleigh is too open for John: her enquires into his past have all the tact of Jeremy Paxman. Over time though John concedes to her candour and the two talk love, life and music. What is particular impressive is how the car radio is used as a catalyst for all these conversations. It is completely unaffected how the relationship between the two grows by them ridiculing ads, debating pop music and harmonising to Ebony and Ivory. These natural moments between the co-stars, probably achieved by improvisation, are perfectly judged and add an emotional depth not seen before in Kay’s work- a less caustic version of Coogan and Brydon’s The Trip springs to mind.

Peter Kay and newcomer Sian Gibson

The sitcom is not without its faults. Its earlier episodes misfire when the writers try to shoehorn set pieces. Episode one has Kayleigh accidentally pour a urine sample over John, and episode three has a misunderstanding about the term ‘dogging’ lead to hilarious consequences- both are as contrived as they sound. By episode four though this nuts and bolts approach to scriptwriting is thrown out as the interplay between the characters takes centre stage. Seeing the two lonely hearts draw closer is a delight and something even my hero and perennial romantic Daniel Kitson would applaud.

Car Share then can't be accused of being lazy like some of Kay's comedy. Instead, it is meaningful and by the end rather beautiful.

Catch Car Share's first two episodes on iPlayer now: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02n62v4