Peter Kay's Car Share
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

''Peter Kay's Car Share'' is a British
sitcom A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of character (arts), characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent settin ...
set around supermarket assistant manager John Redmond (
Peter Kay Peter John Kay (born 2 July 1973) is an English comedian, actor, writer, and director. Born and raised in Farnworth, Kay studied media performance at the University of Salford and later began working part-time as a stand-up comedian. In 199 ...
) and promotions rep Kayleigh Kitson ( Sian Gibson), and their participation in a company car-sharing scheme. The first series was filmed in and around
Greater Manchester Greater Manchester is a ceremonial county in North West England. It borders Lancashire to the north, Derbyshire and West Yorkshire to the east, Cheshire to the south, and Merseyside to the west. Its largest settlement is the city of Manchester. ...
: notably Peter Kay's native
Bolton Bolton ( , locally ) is a town in Greater Manchester in England. In the foothills of the West Pennine Moors, Bolton is between Manchester, Blackburn, Wigan, Bury, Greater Manchester, Bury and Salford. It is surrounded by several towns and vill ...
; and
Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...
,
Trafford Trafford is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England, with an estimated population of in . It covers and includes the area of Old Trafford (area), Old Trafford and the towns of Altrincham, Stretford, Urmston, Partington and Sa ...
and
Salford Salford ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city in Greater Manchester, England, on the western bank of the River Irwell which forms its boundary with Manchester city centre. Landmarks include the former Salford Town Hall, town hall, ...
. In December 2015, Kay confirmed a second and supposedly final series had been commissioned. It began airing on 11 April 2017. Filming locations for the second series included:
Blair Drummond Safari Park Blair Drummond Safari Park is a family visitor attraction located in Blair Drummond, Stirling (council area), Stirling, Scotland. It opened to the public on 15 May 1970 and is home to over 300 animals, many of which roam freely or are kept in la ...
, Bury,
Burnley Burnley () is a town and the administrative centre of the wider Borough of Burnley in Lancashire, England, with a 2021 population of 78,266. It is north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River B ...
,
Nelson Nelson may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Nelson'' (1918 film), a historical film directed by Maurice Elvey * ''Nelson'' (1926 film), a historical film directed by Walter Summers * ''Nelson'' (opera), an opera by Lennox Berkeley to a lib ...
, Wirral and
Southport Southport is a seaside resort, seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. It lies on the West Lancashire Coastal Plain, West Lancashire coastal plain and the east coast of the Irish Sea, approximately north of ...
. ''Peter Kay's Car Share'' won Best Comedy at the 2016, 2018 and 2019
National Television Awards The National Television Awards (often shortened to NTAs) is a British television awards ceremony, broadcast by the ITV network and begun in 1995. The National Television Awards are the most prominent ceremony for which the results are voted o ...
, and the BAFTA TV Awards for Best Male Comedy Performance and Best Scripted Comedy at the 2016 BAFTA TV Awards. The series came to an end in May 2018 when two special episodes broadcast on 7 and 28 May. The first of these, Peter Kay's Car Share Unscripted, was partially improvised but incorporated prepared radio material and visual gags. The programme returned for an audio special in April 2020, amidst the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
.


Plot

The series focuses on supermarket assistant manager John Redmond (Kay) and promotions rep Kayleigh Kitson (Gibson), who are participating in their work's car-sharing scheme. The first half of each episode shows John picking up Kayleigh from her house in his red
Fiat 500L The Fiat 500L is a mini MPV manufactured by Fiat under the Fiat Serbia joint venture and marketed globally since its debut at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show. Based on a variant of the GM Fiat Small platform, ''FCA Small Wide platform'', the 50 ...
and the pair having discussions about each other's lives as they travel to work. The second half of the episode follows the pair on the car journey home and they reveal what they did at work. As they travel to and from work, John and Kayleigh listen to Forever FM; a fictitious radio station which has music alternating with terrible advertisements and promotions. In each episode, one or both of them (mostly Kayleigh) daydream about them creating a music video-style fantasy performance of a song played on the radio. Surprising billboards at the roadside and on vehicles provide an additional source of interest ("
Brazilian wax Bikini waxing is the removal of pubic hair using a special wax, which can be hot or cold, that adheres to hairs and pulls them out when the wax is removed quickly from the skin, usually with a cloth strip. While the practice is mainly associa ...
while you wait", " One meal for the price of two", "No pies left in this van overnight", "
Shaun Ryder Shaun William George Ryder (born 23 August 1962) is an English singer, songwriter and poet. As lead singer of Happy Mondays, he was a leading figure in the Madchester cultural scene during the late 1980s and early 1990s. In 1993, he formed Bl ...
Rehab Centre", "
HALAL ''Halal'' (; ) is an Arabic word that translates to in English. Although the term ''halal'' is often associated with Islamic dietary laws, particularly meat that is slaughtered according to Islamic guidelines, it also governs ethical practices ...
DI" and others), as well as the radio adverts and announcements. One episode featured the ice cream van owned and driven by "Mr Softee Top", an ice cream man and porn video salesman who was the subject of the ''
That Peter Kay Thing ''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 ...
'' episode "The Ice Cream Man Cometh".


Cast

*
Peter Kay Peter John Kay (born 2 July 1973) is an English comedian, actor, writer, and director. Born and raised in Farnworth, Kay studied media performance at the University of Salford and later began working part-time as a stand-up comedian. In 199 ...
as John Redmond, assistant manager of the supermarket where he and Kayleigh work * Sian Gibson as Kayleigh Kitson, John's colleague and a promotions rep in the supermarket *Danny Swarsbrick as Ted 2, the new trolley collector after Old Ted dies (8 episodes) *
Guy Garvey Guy Edward John Patrick Garvey (born 6 March 1974) is an English musician, singer, songwriter and radio presenter. He is the lead singer and lyricist of the rock band Elbow. He has a weekly show on BBC Radio 6 Music titled ''Guy Garvey's Fines ...
as Steve, Kayleigh's brother-in-law and a motorbike fanatic (4 episodes) *Gemma Facinelli as Rachel, colleague of John and Kayleigh's, who takes a small shine to John (2 episodes) *
Reece Shearsmith Reeson Wayne Shearsmith (born 27 August 1969) is a British actor, comedian, writer and magician. He was a member of The League of Gentlemen, with Steve Pemberton, Mark Gatiss and Jeremy Dyson. Jointly with Pemberton, he created, wrote and starr ...
as 'Stink' Ray, store fishmonger whom John and Kayleigh hate because of his foul mouth and fishy body odour *
Conleth Hill Conleth Seamus Eoin Croiston Hill (born 24 November 1964) is a Northern Irish actor. He has performed on stage in productions in the UK, Ireland, Canada and the US. He has won two Laurence Olivier Awards and received two Tony Award nominations. ...
as Elsie, colleague of John and Kayleigh's, who has a drunken lift home after an end of year party *
Simon Greenall Simon James Greenall (born 3 January 1958) is an English actor, presenter and voice artist. Among his television appearances are as the Caretaker on '' Trapped!'', Richard in '' Lucy Sullivan is Getting Married'', and as Michael the Geordie in ...
as Dave Thompson, John's boss, heard through conversation and a phone call * Mick Miller as Tony, lewd friend of the Redmond family whom John chats to in a greasy spoon *
Pearce Quigley Pearce Quigley is an English actor of the stage and screen. Quigley's credits include '' Pie in the Sky'', ''Happiness'' (2001-2003), ''Cutting It'' (2002 - 2005), '' Millions'' (2004), '' Born Equal'' (2006), ''Within the Whirlwind'' (2009), '' ...
as a cyclist John tangles with in a bout of road rage, ending up with him going viral on YouTube *Vasant Mistry as Old Ted the supermarket trolley collector who dies between the first and second episodes
Bryan Hand
as Ken, Kayleigh's elderly neighbour who goes dogwalking with her occasionally
David Galbraith
as Ian Lichfield, John's old friend and manager of the Wigan store
Archie Kelly
as "Man with dog", encountered when Kayleigh asks if dogging is as innocent as she thinks *Loraine Calvert as Rose Redmond, John's Nan who pops up through conversation and a bit of housesitting *Rob Charles (Breakfast radio Presenter of Forever FM) (12 Episodes) *Martin Emery (Drivetime radio Presenter of Forever FM) (12 Episodes)


Production

The series was commissioned in 2013 by the BBC, and was initially made available on
BBC iPlayer BBC iPlayer (stylised as iPLAYER or BBC iPLAYER) is a video on demand service from the BBC. The service is available Over-the-top media service, over-the-top on a wide range of devices, including Mobile phone, mobile phones and Tablet computer ...
. Inspiration for the show, for co-creators
Tim Reid Timothy Lee Reid Sr. (born December 19, 1944) is an American actor, comedian and film director best known for his roles in prime time American television programs, such as Venus Flytrap on ''WKRP in Cincinnati'' (1978–82), Marcel "Downtown" Br ...
and Paul Coleman, included
Alfred Molina Alfred Molina (born Alfredo Molina; 24 May 1953) is a British and American actor. He is known for his leading roles and character actor roles on the stage and screen. In a career spanning over five decades he has received a Drama Desk Award ...
and
Dawn French Dawn Roma French (born 11 October 1957) is a British actress, comedian and writer. She is known for writing and starring on the BBC sketch comedy series '' French and Saunders'' (1987–2007) with her best friend and comedy partner Jennifer Sa ...
in the BBC's '' Roger & Val Have Just Got In'' and ''
The Smoking Room ''The Smoking Room'' is a British television sitcom written by Brian Dooley, who won a BAFTA for the series in 2005. The first series, consisting of eight episodes, was originally transmitted on BBC Three between 29 June and 17 August 2004. The ...
''. Paul Coleman pitched the idea to Peter Kay, whom he had previously worked with on ''
Max and Paddy's Road to Nowhere ''Max and Paddy's Road to Nowhere'' is a British sitcom starring and written by Peter Kay and Paddy McGuinness. It was broadcast on Channel 4 and began on 12 November 2004, running for six 30-minute episodes up until 17 December 2004. A spin-of ...
''. The programme was mainly filmed in and around
Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...
,
Farnworth Farnworth is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester, England, southeast of Bolton, 4 miles south-west of Bury (7 km), and northwest of Manchester. Within the historic county of Lancashire, Farnworth lies on ...
(
Bolton Bolton ( , locally ) is a town in Greater Manchester in England. In the foothills of the West Pennine Moors, Bolton is between Manchester, Blackburn, Wigan, Bury, Greater Manchester, Bury and Salford. It is surrounded by several towns and vill ...
), Westhoughton, Horwich, Swinton, Bury,
Walkden Walkden is a town in the City of Salford in Greater Manchester, England, northwest of central Salford, and of Manchester. Walkden has been designated as one of seven main town centres in the City of Salford, and now largely functions as a r ...
,
Altrincham Altrincham ( , locally ) is a market town in Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, south of the River Mersey. It is southwest of Manchester, southwest of Sale, Greater Manchester, Sale and east of Warrington. At the 2021 United Kingdom ce ...
(
Trafford Trafford is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England, with an estimated population of in . It covers and includes the area of Old Trafford (area), Old Trafford and the towns of Altrincham, Stretford, Urmston, Partington and Sa ...
) and
Little Hulton Little Hulton is a suburb in the City of Salford, Greater Manchester, England, south of Bolton, northwest of Salford, Greater Manchester, Salford, and northwest of Manchester. Within the boundaries of the Historic counties of England, histo ...
(
Salford Salford ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city in Greater Manchester, England, on the western bank of the River Irwell which forms its boundary with Manchester city centre. Landmarks include the former Salford Town Hall, town hall, ...
). John and Kayleigh's place of work was portrayed as being the
Manchester Fort Manchester Fort is a retail park in Cheetham Hill, Manchester, England, which includes 36 units with a total floorspace of 325,000 sq ft. It opened in 2005 and its anchors included B&Q and TK Maxx. Henderson Global Investors purchased Manchest ...
retail park in the city's
Cheetham Hill Cheetham is an inner-city area and electoral ward of Manchester, England, which in 2011 had a population of 22,562. It lies on the west bank of the River Irk, north of Manchester city centre, close to the boundary with Salford, bounded by Cru ...
area, but was in reality filmed around the goods entrance and car park at the back of the large
Halfords Autocentre Halfords Autocentre is a British car servicing and repair company that operates across the United Kingdom, specialising in car servicing, MOT testing, brakes, tyres, Exhausts, and air conditioning services/repairs. , there were 314 autocentres ...
off Viaduct Way in the Broadheath area of
Altrincham Altrincham ( , locally ) is a market town in Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, south of the River Mersey. It is southwest of Manchester, southwest of Sale, Greater Manchester, Sale and east of Warrington. At the 2021 United Kingdom ce ...
. The exterior was dressed with fake windows containing large images of fresh fruit and vegetables, with car park features, trolleys, staff uniforms and signage in the style and colours of
Tesco Tesco plc () is a British multinational groceries and general merchandise retailer headquartered in the United Kingdom at its head offices in Welwyn Garden City, England. The company was founded by Jack Cohen (businessman), Sir Jack Cohen in ...
; where coincidentally, Peter Kay once worked in real life. In episode 3 of series 1 two members of Halfords staff in their gold and black uniforms can be seen in the unloading bay as John and Kayleigh drop off their colleague "Stink" Ray (
Reece Shearsmith Reeson Wayne Shearsmith (born 27 August 1969) is a British actor, comedian, writer and magician. He was a member of The League of Gentlemen, with Steve Pemberton, Mark Gatiss and Jeremy Dyson. Jointly with Pemberton, he created, wrote and starr ...
) the fishmonger. The Forever FM presenters are voiced by Rob Charles (Mike on the "Mike and his Morning Muesli" breakfast show), and Martin Emery (Andy on the "Big Drive Home" drivetime show). The fictional radio station was created by Salford-based audio creative company Kalua, and its tagline is ''"Forever FM: playing timeless hits, now and forever"''. In May 2016, filming began on the second and final series. On 3 December
Peter Kay Peter John Kay (born 2 July 1973) is an English comedian, actor, writer, and director. Born and raised in Farnworth, Kay studied media performance at the University of Salford and later began working part-time as a stand-up comedian. In 199 ...
announced that the second series will be broadcast on BBC in April 2017. An exclusive scene was aired during Peter Kay's Christmas Comedy Shuffle on BBC One on Christmas Eve 2016. The first two episodes of the second series were given an advance screening at Vue Cinemas for
Red Nose Day 2017 ''Red Nose Day 2017'' was a fund-raising event organised by Comic Relief, broadcast live on BBC One and BBC Two from the evening of 24 March 2017 to early the following morning. This 2017 edition of Red Nose Day was part of the "Make Your La ...
. The full series was made available on BBC iPlayer from 11 April 2017. On 2 May 2017, Kay announced that there would not be a third series or a Christmas special, however, on 17 November 2017, it was announced that a final episode would be broadcast in 2018, in addition to a one-off unscripted episode.


Reception

An exclusive screening of all six episodes of the first series was held in
Blackpool Blackpool is a seaside town in Lancashire, England. It is located on the Irish Sea coast of the Fylde peninsula, approximately north of Liverpool and west of Preston, Lancashire, Preston. It is the main settlement in the Borough of Blackpool ...
on 28 March 2015, in aid of
Chorley Chorley is a town and the administrative centre of the wider Borough of Chorley in Lancashire, England, north of Wigan, south west of Blackburn, north west of Bolton, south of Preston and north west of Manchester. The town's wealth ca ...
children's hospice Derian House. The entire first series was briefly available on
BBC iPlayer BBC iPlayer (stylised as iPLAYER or BBC iPLAYER) is a video on demand service from the BBC. The service is available Over-the-top media service, over-the-top on a wide range of devices, including Mobile phone, mobile phones and Tablet computer ...
where it became the most watched series to be released as a box set. Critic
Grace Dent Grace Georgina Dent (born 3 October 1973) is a British columnist, broadcaster and author. She is a restaurant critic for ''The Guardian'' and from 2011 to 2017 wrote a restaurant column for the ''Evening Standard''. She is a regular critic on t ...
wrote "I laughed over and over again, loudly and gracelessly, during BBC1's ''Car Share''".


Episode list


Series 1 (2015)


Short (2016)


Series 2 (2017)


Final specials (2018)

Despite initially saying that the series ended with Series 2 Episode 4, on 17 November 2017 it was announced during
Children in Need ''BBC Children in Need'' is the BBC's UK Charitable organization, charity dedicated to supporting disadvantaged children and young people across the country. Established in 1980, the organisation has raised over £1 billion by 2023 through its ...
that the show would return for an unscripted episode, as well as a final televised episode to end the series in 2018. The unscripted episode aired on 7 May and the final televised episode, which sees John and Kayleigh beginning a romantic relationship together, aired on 28 May. Writing in ''
The Telegraph ''The Telegraph'', ''Daily Telegraph'', ''Sunday Telegraph'' and other variant names are often names for newspapers. Newspapers with these titles include: Australia * The Telegraph (Adelaide), ''The Telegraph'' (Adelaide), a newspaper in Adelaid ...
'' Veronica Lee gave the episode five stars out of five, describing the final episode as "perfect, uproarious, adorable", while Simon Binns, of the ''
Manchester Evening News The ''Manchester Evening News'' (''MEN'') is a regional daily newspaper covering Greater Manchester in North West England, founded in 1868. It is published Monday–Saturday; a Sunday edition, the ''MEN on Sunday'', was launched in February 20 ...
'', commented: "It's cheesy, feel good, but lacks the drama of the previous episode."


Audio special (2020)


References


External links

* * * * {{BAFTA TV Award for Best Situation Comedy 2015 British television series debuts 2018 British television series endings 2010s British sitcoms 2020s British sitcoms Automotive television series BBC television sitcoms British English-language television shows Television shows set in Greater Manchester BAFTA winners (television series) Slice of life fiction