That Peter Kay Thing: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 09:02, 13 March 2007

Latest revision as of 08:16, 28 July 2025

(230 intermediate revisions by more than 100 users not shown)

Line 1:

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2014}}

[[Image:Peter_Kay_in_That_Peter_Kay_Thing.jpg|right|thumb|250 px|[[Peter Kay]] as Robert Edge/Mr Softytop, one of the 15 characters he played in "That Peter Kay Thing"]]

{{Use British English|date=February 2014}}

'''''That Peter Kay Thing''''' was a series of six [[Parody|spoof]] [[Documentary film|documentaries]] shown on [[Channel 4]] in January and February 2000. Set in and around [[Bolton]], these followed the lives of different characters and starred [[Peter Kay]] as the subject of each documentary. All of the episodes displayed Kay's penchant for nostalgic humour and unsympathetic lead characters. The voiceovers were provided by [[Andrew Sachs]]. Many of the plot lines were based around actual events from Kay's life. At least six of the characters appear in the spin-off series ''[[Phoenix Nights]]''.

{{Infobox television

| image =

==Memorable Characters==

| caption =

*'''[[Brian Potter]]''' (Kay) - Owner of [[working men's club]] "The Neptune". He lost the use of his legs when the club flooded and, in trying to rescue the night's takings, was trapped behind the [[fruit machine]] and was left in a coma. He is notoriously tight fisted. It is suggested that he can actually walk, as at the end of the episode he is seen to stand whilst remonstrating with a group of Fireman. Often says "You may not have noticed but I'm disabled!"

| runtime = 30 mins <small>(inc. adverts)</small>

*'''[[Max and Paddy]]''' (Kay and [[Patrick McGuinness]]) - Two incompetent [[bouncer (doorman)|bouncers]] at the Neptune Club.

| creator = [[Peter Kay]]

*'''Jerry St. Clair''' ([[Dave Spikey]]) - Part time builder and compère at the Neptune Club. He won ''Talent Trek'' in [[1992]]. His act consists of dubious singing and poor jokes.

| starring = Peter Kay<br />[[Paddy McGuinness|Patrick McGuinness]]<br />Dave Spikey<br />[[Toby Foster]]<br />Neil Fitzmaurice<br />[[Sian Gibson|Sian Foulkes]]<br />[[Daniel Kitson]]<br />Kristian Tiffany<br />Kay Kelley<br />Beatrice Kelley<br />[[Steve Edge]]

*'''[[Les and Alan|Les Alanos]]''' - The Neptune's house band, '''Les''' ([[Toby Foster]]) and '''Alan''' ([[Mark Jackson]]). Les originally worked with Alan's father before he left to form the tribute band ''Right Said Frank''. Les claims that "Les Alanos" only ''sounds'' Spanish, but that it is in fact their names cunningly disguised "Les, Alan, ''Us''!". In the later series ''Phoenix Nights'', Jackson was replaced by [[Steve Edge]] as Alan.

| channel = [[Channel 4]]

*'''[[Paul LeRoy|Paul le Roy]]''', often mis-pronounced ''Leroy'' (Kay) - A local [[disc jockey]] for the [[radio station]] [[Chorley FM]]. He is obsessed with the music of the [[1980s]]. He sports a [[mullet (haircut)|mullet]] and has a long-suffering wife.

| first_aired = {{Start date|2000|01|13|df=yes}}

*'''[[Keith Lard]]''' (Kay) - An overly cautious local fire safety inspector who, it is alleged, interferes with dogs. The character appears to have been based on Bolton fire inspector Keith Laird, though both Kay and Channel 4 have been forced to deny this and publicly apologise.

| last_aired = {{End date|2000|02|16|df=yes}}

*'''Patrick O'Neil''' (Kay) - A cheeky employee at the Apollo [[Housie|Bingo]] Hall, who along with his friend "Sparky" (so called because he was struck by lightning), causes havoc in the Apollo. Kay had actually worked in a Bolton bingo hall and admits that of the Patrick O'Neil is the only character in the series actually based on him.

| director = Andrew Gillman

*'''Tom Dale''' (Kay) - A [[Liverpool|Liverpudlian]] bingo caller known for his bizarre pre-show preparations and his catchphrase "Let's tickle those balls." For some reason, he bears more than a passing resemblance to [[Dracula]]. He is based on Roy Diamond, a bingo caller Peter worked with.

| writer = Peter Kay<br />[[Neil Fitzmaurice]]<br />[[Dave Spikey]]

*'''Rose and Theresa''' (Kay and [[Beatrice Kelley]]) - Two middle aged bingo fans who assume anyone who wins is sleeping with caller Tom Dale. Theresa believes bingo has it all: "Drama, glamour, tension, chips, fish, peas ''and'' a drink for £2.49".

| producer = Ivan Douglass<br />Sandie Kirk

*'''Mr. Softytop''', aka '''Robert Edge''' (Kay) - a third generation [[ice-cream]] man, who hates children. He resembles a blonde [[Elvis Presley|Elvis]] and, to make up for his dwindling sales, he keeps the raspberry sauce chained to the counter and rents pornographic videos from his van.

| executive_producer = Addison Cresswell

*'''Signor Whipy''' An illegal immigrant from Barnsley and is threataned to have his nose bitten off by Mr. Softytop if he evr sells ice cream on his patch again.

| cinematography = Ian Hilton

*'''Darren Bramwell''' ([[Kristian Tiffany]]) - A college student who works for Mr. Softytop on weekends. He is slightly slow, but seems more down-to-earth than Softy.

| editor = Adrian Conway

*'''Matthew Kelly''' (Kay) - An aspiring [[Ireland|Irish]] actor who is stuck in several part-time jobs notably as a cleaner in the services and a steward in the Arena. He has starred as Mr Bumble in '[[Oliver Twist]]' and a burns victim in '[[Casualty (television)|Casualty]]'. Matthew is often confused with the TV personality [[Matthew Kelly]].

| num_series = 1

*'''Johnny Utah''', aka Craig (Kay) - A surly [[American Old West|Wild West]] obsessive, who works as a coach driver. He dislikes the passengers and is not afraid to leave them behind. He worries that someone might damage his "Trigger Finger". He was arrested for speeding and carrying a replica revolver in the episode "the arena"

| num_episodes = 7 <small>(inc. pilot)</small>

*'''Duncan Beach''' ([[Daniel Kitson]]) - A [[St. John Ambulance]] volunteer who is devoted to his job, but treated with contempt by those he treats. Without his job, he would be stuck at home with his mum and "her fella". His hardest job was when the [[Pope]] visited [[Heaton Park]]. He was forced to question his faith in God, as he felt he could have made it a bit cooler and provided better seating arrangements.

| country = United Kingdom

*'''Shaun''' ([[Neil Fitzmaurice]])- A representative of the stadium security group Live Sec, Shaun is one of Kay's many characters that are humorous but forgotten in favour of such characters as Max and Brian Potter.

| language = English

*'''Leonard de Thomkinson''' (Kay) - An elderly, kindly local eccentric. Due to [[angina]] he is unable to work, but has a paper round and is, therefore, Britain's oldest [[paperboy]]. He lived with his mother until her death and is very religious. Every day he carries a crucifix into the town centre and preaches the word of God. He is well liked but, it is suggested, has no real friends - though he does write to an American on death row. He is based on a real man (also called Leonard) who used to visit the [[Esso]] [[filling station|petrol station]] in his [[Reliant Robin]] where Kay worked. The real Leonard would often tell Kay about all the friends he had, yet, when he died in [[1991]], Kay was upset by the lack of people at his funeral.

| related = [[Phoenix Nights]] <small>(2001–02)</small><br />[[Max and Paddy's Road to Nowhere]] <small>(2004)</small>

*'''Mark Park''' (Kay) - An aspiring pop star, and former [[greengrocer]], who looks like [[Mick Hucknall]]. He has a dog called Lady. In the first episode he was a member of Park Avenue with '''Cheryl Avenue''', and won ''Talent Trek'' at the Neptune Club. The final episode, Lonely at the Top, charts his fall from fame. He also appears to have had a nose job.

}}

*'''Pearl Harbour''' (Kay) - A would-be career woman who manages a Bolton [[service station]]. She is one of Kay's "Nosey bitches" and lords her power over the uninterested teenagers she employs.

'''''That Peter Kay Thing''''' is a British [[mockumentary]] series which was first shown on [[Channel 4]] in 2000. It was written by [[Peter Kay]], [[Dave Spikey]], [[Neil Fitzmaurice]] and Gareth Hughes, and was directed by Andrew Gillman. The series was narrated by [[Andrew Sachs]], with the exception of the pilot, which was narrated by Kay. Set in and around [[Bolton]], each episode functions as a self-contained documentary following a different set of characters, many of them played by Kay. The pilot episode, "The Services", was shown in 1998 as an episode of ''[[Comedy Lab]]'', a series which showcased pilots of experimental comedy shows. Many of the characters went on to appear in the successful spin-off series ''[[Phoenix Nights]]''.

*'''Alan McClarty''' (Kay)- A Scottish mechanic who has worked for the [[RAC plc|RAC]] before his wife left him and he had a nervous breakdown. He now runs his own breakdown company, "ARC". He is still an unstable character.

==Running Themes==

*[[Steve Edge]] appears in several of the episodes as Alan, a character on the edge of the series which captures moments of his life. He rarely has more than one line an episode. Kay admits that joke didn't really work, as the appearances were too low key to be noticed by viewers over several weeks. Edge appeared in ''Phoenix Nights'' as a character also called Alan.

*Every episode passes with at least a passing reference to [[Bob Carolgees]]. Carolgees actually appeared in the episode "Leonard" giving Leonard his award.

*Every episode makes reference to a young girl who has been in a coma since [[Halloween]].

*Characters refer to the [[Solero]] ice lolly in most episodes.

==Episode list==

{{Episode table |background= #E8C961 |overall= |title= |airdate= |episodes=

====In the Club====

{{Episode list

Set in the Neptune Club - a working men's establishment. It follows the annual ''"Talent Trek"'' competition. The first episode is notable as it was the basis for Kay's next project ''Peter Kay's Phoenix Nights''. It features many of the characters who were to go on to be a part of the series - Brian Potter, Jerry St. Clare, bouncers Max and Paddy and Les Allanos. The final scene sees the club burnt down and sets the stage for Potter to take over the Phoenix Club.

| EpisodeNumber = Pilot

| Title = The Services

Also features: Paul le Roy, Mark Park, Cheryl Avenue.

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1998|11|09|df=yes}}

| ShortSummary = Set in a service station just outside [[Bolton]], made for Channel 4's [[Comedy Lab]]. The episode charts a day in the life of the unruly station manager Pearl Hardman and her employees, including the [[Depression (mood)|depressed]] teenager Matthew Kelly. Panic then ensues when they discover that [[Bob Carolgees]] may be stopping at the station.

====Eyes Down====

}}

Set in the Apollo Bingo Hall, the episode charts a day in the life of the customers and employees, including Patrick O'Neil, a rebellious teenage employee, who would rather not be there, his friends Yvonne and Sparky, Tom Dale, a self-obsessed bingo caller, Ron Hibbert, the owner (who is afraid of Tom), and the various old women who inhabit the club.

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 1

Also features: Keith Lard, Rose and Theresa.

| Title = In the Club

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2000|01|12|df=yes}}

====The Ice Cream Man Cometh====

| ShortSummary = Set in the Neptune Club, a [[Working men's club|working men's establishment]]. It follows the grand final of the annual Talent Trek 99 competition. Characters include the club's social secretary Brian Potter, the club's compère Jerry St. Clair, the bouncers Max and Paddy and the house band Les Alanos. The competition is won by Park Avenue, the singing duo Marc Park and Cheryl Avenue (who both feature in the final show of the series, Lonely at the Top).

This episode revolved around the fading popularity of local [[ice cream van]]s. The subject of the documentary is Mr Softytop, a grumpy ice-cream man who verbally assaults his customers and Darren, his assistant. His attempts to boost sales include inventing the "Millennium Cone", selling at the site of road accidents and renting pornography, films include: Shaving Private Ryan, Beverly Hills Cock, Look Who's Porkin and the Phantom Penis. (A real [[sex shop]] in Bolton is called '''Softy's Hard Stuff'''). To make matters worse he has to compete with a new competitor, Signór Wippy.

}}

{{Episode list

Also features: Leonard, Paul le Roy, Alan McClarty.

| EpisodeNumber = 2

| Title = Eyes Down

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2000|01|19|df=yes}}

| ShortSummary = Set in the Apollo Bingo Hall, the episode follows a day in the life of the customers and employees, including the idealistic Patrick O'Neil an ambitious teenage employee who does not like working at the hall - his friends Yvonne and Sparky, the arrogant bingo caller Tom Dale, the owner Ron Hibbert (who is afraid of Tom), questionable fire safety officer Keith Lard, and the various old women who inhabit the club.

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 3

| Title = The Ice Cream Man Cometh

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2000|01|26|df=yes}}

| ShortSummary = The subject of this episode is ice cream man Robert Edge also known as Mr Softy Top, who sells soft scoop ice cream from his [[ice cream van]]. He resents his job, dislikes children and attempts to boost sales by selling at the sites of [[road traffic accidents]] and renting pornographic videos. To make matters worse, he has to compete with another ice cream man who has started trading in the locality, Signór Whippee. The second half of the episode is set at [[Leverhulme Park|Leverhulme Park's]] [[Leverhulme park#Bolton Show|Bolton Show]], where Softy runs out of ice cream and after sending Darren out to buy some more (which is melted by the time he gets back), Softy has a mini-breakdown and [[psychotic episode]]. This results in the final triumph of Signór Whippee, although he is later exposed as an illegal immigrant. Softy leaves the ice cream business and goes on to open a sex shop called Softy's Hard Stuff, but continues to sell ice cream in the shop, while Darren becomes an ice cream man full time and uses Signór Whippee's van.

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 4

| Title = The Arena

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2000|02|02|df=yes}}

| ShortSummary = Set in the [[Manchester Arena]], this episode follows the staff and customers preparing for a Super Sounds of the Seventies Night concert. The incompetent Matthew Kelly is employed as a steward, having only applied in order to see concerts for free. He is hassled by Live Sec's Chris and Sean, and is angry when, instead of stewarding the concert, he is left in charge of the car park.

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 5

| Title = Leonard

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2000|02|09|df=yes}}

| ShortSummary = The episode follows Leonard, a local eccentric, in the run-up to his receiving an award for being Britain's oldest paper boy. Leonard introduces other local eccentrics including The Duke, who walks around Bolton drawing his fingers from his pockets as if they were guns and shouting "[[John Wayne]]!", and Carl, who waves at cars. His aunt claims he was over-protected by his mother, and, as much as he likes to be everybody's friend, he has no real friends of his own. This does not break Leonard's spirit and he remains optimistic throughout.

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 6

| Title = Lonely at the Top (The Marc Park Story)

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2000|02|16|df=yes}}

| ShortSummary = A documentary following the rise and fall of Marc Park, 12 months after he won Talent Trek at the Neptune Club. After rising to fame as part of pop group Park Avenue, Park dumped partner Cheryl Avenue when she became pregnant. After two or three hits, he found he was being portrayed as a villain in another documentary focusing on Cheryl's struggles as an unemployed single mother. Eventually Marc returns to his job as a greengrocer and moves in with his brother Frank whilst Cheryl becomes a star, much to the frustration of Marc.

}}

}}

====The Arena==Characters==

{{col-begin}}

Set in the [[Manchester Evening News Arena]], this episode follows the staff and customers preparing for the Super Sounds of the Seventies Night. Matthew Kelly is employed as a steward - a job he is thoroughly useless at, and receives much stick from Chris and Sean from Live Sec. Kelly is annoyed when, instead of attending the concert, he is left in charge of the car park.

{{col-break}}

*'''[[Brian Potter (character)|Brian Potter]]''' (Kay) – Notoriously selfish social secretary of the working men's club The Neptune. He lost the use of his legs when his former club flooded. It is suggested that he can actually walk, as at the end of the episode he is seen to stand whilst remonstrating with a group of firefighters.

*'''[[Max and Paddy]]''' (Kay and [[Paddy McGuinness]]) – Two inept [[bouncer (doorman)|bouncers]] at the Neptune.

*'''[[Jerry St. Clair]]''' ([[Dave Spikey]]) – Part-time builder and compère at the Neptune Club, and a previous winner of Talent Trek.

*'''[[Les and Alan|Les Alanos]]''' – The Neptune's house band, '''Les''' ([[Toby Foster]]) and '''Alan''' ([[Steve Edge]]). Les originally worked with Alan's father before he left to form the tribute band ''Right Said Frank''.

*'''[[Paul LeRoy|Paul le Roy]]''' (Kay) – A local [[disc jockey]] for the [[radio station]] Chorley FM. He is obsessed with the music of the 1980s. He sports a [[mullet (haircut)|mullet]] and has a long-suffering wife.

*'''[[Keith Lard]]''' (Kay) – An overly zealous local fire safety inspector who, it is alleged, interferes with dogs.

*'''Patrick O'Neil''' (Kay) – A cheeky employee at the Apollo Bingo Hall, who along with his friend "'''Sparky'''" (Alex Lowe), causes havoc in the Apollo.

*'''Tom Dale''' (Kay) – A [[Liverpool|Liverpudlian]] bingo caller known for his bizarre pre-show preparations and his catchphrase "Let's tickle those balls".

*'''Rose and Theresa''' (Kay and Beatrice Kelley) – Two middle-aged bingo fans who assume anyone who wins is sleeping with Tom Dale.

*'''Mr. Softy Top''', aka '''Robert Edge''' (Kay) – A third generation [[ice cream]] man who hates children.

{{col-break}}

*'''Signór Whippee''' (Kay) – An ice cream man and Mr. Softy Top's rival.

*'''Darren Bramwell''' (Kristian Tiffany) – A college student who works for Mr. Softy Top on weekends.

*'''Matthew Kelly''' (Kay) – An aspiring Irish actor who is unhappily stuck in several part-time jobs.

*'''Johnny Utah''', aka Craig (Kay) – A surly [[American Old West|Wild West]] obsessive, who works as a coach driver.

*'''Duncan Beach''' ([[Daniel Kitson]]) – A [[St. John Ambulance]] volunteer who is devoted to his job, but treated with contempt by those he treats.

*'''Chris Choi''' ([[Neil Fitzmaurice]]) – One half of the security group Live Sec.

*'''Shaun Ballen''' (Kay) – The other half of the security group Live Sec.

*'''Carol and Edina''' (Jo Enright and Lynda Thornhill) Two Concertgoers dressed up in fitting attire for the 70's music show.

*'''Leonard de Tomkinson''' (Kay) – An elderly, kindly local eccentric. Due to [[Angina pectoris|angina]] he is unable to work, but has a paper round and is, therefore, Britain's oldest [[paperboy (newspaper delivery)|paperboy]].

*'''Marc Park''' (Kay) – An aspiring pop star, and former [[greengrocer]], who looks like [[Mick Hucknall]]. He has a dog called Lady.

*'''Cheryl Avenue''' (Claire Rhodes) – An aspiring pop star, and former member of Park Avenue, she is the former long suffering partner of Marc Park and mother to his child. She later gained a pop career in her own right while also making her ex look bad much to Marc's chagrin.

*'''Pearl Hardman''' (Kay) – A would-be career woman who manages a Bolton [[motorway service area|service station]].

*'''Alan McClarty''' (Kay) – An emotionally unstable Scottish mechanic who has worked for the [[RAC plc|RAC]] before his wife left him and he had a nervous breakdown. He now runs his own breakdown company, "ARC".

{{col-end}}

==Reception==

Also featuring: Duncan Beach, Johnny Utah.

''That Peter Kay Thing'' won the Best New TV Comedy award at the [[British Comedy Awards]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.britishcomedyawards.com/past-winners/2000.aspx|title = The British Comedy Awards - the British Comedy Awards - Winners 2000}}</ref>

====Leonard==Legacy==

A number of the characters in ''That Peter Kay Thing'', including Brian Potter, Max and Paddy, and Jerry St Clair went on to become central characters in the highly successful spinoff series ''[[Phoenix Nights]]'' and ''[[Max and Paddy's Road to Nowhere]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/whats-on/comedy-news/phoenix-nights-guide-peter-kays-8548087|title = Phoenix Nights: A guide to Peter Kay's hit show|date = 30 January 2015}}</ref>

The episode follows lovable local eccentric Leonard in the run-up to him receiving an award for being Britain's oldest paper boy. Leonard introduces the other local eccentrics including The Duke, who walks around Bolton drawing his fingers from his pockets as if they were guns and shouting '''"[[John Wayne]]!"''' and Carl who waves at cars. The episode is more melancholy than the others, as Leonard is one of the few truly likable characters, but he leads a tragic life. His aunt claims he was coddled by his mother, and, as much as he is everybody's friend, he has no real friends. This does not quash Leonard's spirit and he remains upbeat throughout.

In Episode 1, it was claimed Brian joined the Neptune club as a new member of staff, however this is inaccurate as his former club before, the Aquarius, as seen in ''Max and Paddy's Road to Nowhere'', still features all the Neptune's staff and committee.

====Lonely at the Top====

A documentary following the rise and fall of Mark Park, 12 months after he won ''"Talent Trek"'' in "In the Club." After rising to fame as part of pop group Park Avenue in the first documentary, Park ditched partner Cheryl Avenue when she became pregnant. After two or three hits, he found he was being portrayed as a villain in another documentary focusing on Cheryl's struggles as an unemployed single mother. Eventually he returns to his job as a greengrocer.

==References==

====The Services (Pilot Episode)====

{{reflist}}

Set in a service station just outside Bolton, made for Channel Four's [[Comedy Lab]]. The episode charts a day in the life of troublesome manager Pearl Harbour, miserable teenage employee Matthew Kelly, and the other employees, and the panic that ensues when they discover that [[Bob Carolgees]] may be stopping at the station.

==External links==

Also featuring: Paul le Roy, Johnny Utah, Alan McClarty.

*''[http://www.channel4.com/programmes/that-peter-kay-thing That Peter Kay Thing]'' at Channel 4

*{{IMDb title|231048}}

[[Category:2000 British television series debuts]]

[[Category:2000 British television series endings]]

[[Category:2000s British comedy television series]]

[[Category:Channel 4 comedy]]

[[Category:British English-language television shows]]

[[Category:Television shows set in Lancashire]]

[[Category:British mockumentary television series]]