lol ok. Yes it’s a different type of show, yes some things are going to go over my head. Yes yes yes. But remember, if I don’t laugh out loud at something it doesn’t automatically mean that I didn’t understand it. If I laughed out loud at every single line or joke from a comedy show you would find me insufferable (some people already think that lol). However, this was recorded a month ago. I am currently 4 episodes in on Patreon and about to do a 5th and I’m happy to say that I think this show is fantastic and hilarious. It was also recommended by a friend who explained the northern England working man’s club background of the show. So remember, I am loving the show so far. And if I don’t laugh at something, it doesn’t always mean that I didn’t understand what was said or what happened. Usually if that’s the case I look into the camera and wave my hand over my head or say out loud “I don’t get it”. Have a great day today you lovely muppeteers. -King Boomer, Lord of the Muppets and sitter on toilets
KB ..... good man, ..... great background to any of us appreciating whether you enjoyed or even 'got' various British comedies. As you say, you're well capable of indicating how things are coming across. And well done for dropping the H from "sitter on toilets" ! Keep it up. Best US reactor out there :)
All good. Please consider Black Books and Toast of London for future reactions. You'll love them both. Also Toast of London stars Douglas Reynholm from IT crowd. Both are great laugh out loud surreal comedies
Some of the humour is subtle too, like 7:02 the guy's saved Brian's (Peter Kay) number as Ironside... There's sometimes things happening in the background that are easily missed.
This is a brilliant comedy. I am black but the racism part was comical. It wasn’t meant to be taken seriously. In fact it was meant as an insult to racists!
Queen Boomer will love Brian. You gotta watch Max and Paddy's Road to nowhere also. 😂 🎶Dunno where we're going, got no way of knowing, Driving on the road to nowhere...... 🎶
Just for a bit of context, the guy opening the club is Roy Walker, probably best known for presenting a TV quiz show in the UK called "Catchphrase" where contestants had to guess a common phrase from an animation which slowly revealed over time. His own catch phrase was "say what you see" and Mr Chips was the animated character which appeared on screen, hence the little jokes.
@@Queenfloofles I thought about my joke and have surmised that it is even better than the original post and also your none joke. I can't come to Chorley you ibecile.
Was one of the crew in "Common as Muck" along with the late Edward Woodward & Roy Hudd among others. Another one was Richard Ridings, who does the voice of Peppa Pig's Dad....
It’s very Northern England comedy, even southerners get lost sometimes! I remember seeing him at the Dean water hotel before he was famous. I knew he’d be big but could never had predicted how big!
This was not written just by Peter Kay but was a three way job by him, Dave (The Saint) Spikey and Neil (Ray Von) Fitzmaurice. The celebrity guest,'TV's own Roy Walker presented Catchphrase, a quiz show that you should watch a clip from called 'Snake Charmer'. Never cut off the end of P N without seeing the auditions. Kay was both Brian and Max on the door.
What makes this even more brilliant, and shows how accurate a parody it was, the audiences were mostly real Bolton residents who I believe were not entirely aware of the nature of the show, and their reactions to the (often inappropriate) acts real. Also, incredibly, the acts being auditioned at the end of each episode are real life acts from the area.
There was a 1970s TV show called "The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club". Worth watching an episode or two to get a handle on working mens club culture. Back in the 60s and 70s it was common for large employers in the north to have social clubs for their employees. So towns with mines would have a miner's welfare club. Or a few employers would sponsor a trades club. They were social clubs that offered a range of entertainment and cheap alcohol. Phoenix Nights is set long after the best days of the northern England working mens club, but that adds to the charm of the show.
Trust me, King...you've hit the jackpot with Phoenix Nights. Give it time. It's absolutely amazing. Especially in Series 2 when things kick into overdrive! 👍
The remark towards the end of "a singalong with Combat 18," is a reference to a British Neo Nazi extreme racist group (think Ku Klux Klan.) The name Combat 18 was chosen because of Adolf Hitler's initials (AH) being the 1st and 8th letters of the alphabet.
In the song they are referring to some black shoes they got but had asked for white shoes hence saying "send the buggers back". But yeah, it's quite easy to interpret it as racist. Peter Kay also plays one of the doormen (the one in the neck brace) and the follow up to this is Max and Paddy's Road to Nowhere. The first episode has a moment in it which is one of the funniest/greatest moments in tv ever. I won't spoil it for you but I guarantee you will have to pause to give yourself time to recover..
Glad to hear you're a few episodes in and enjoying it. It can be a little difficult to follow the language with the accents but you soon get used to it. This was Peter Kay's creation and he has the 2 roles in it, as the bouncer and as the owner of the club. Yes, that was Jeff from Peep Show.
Hey presto! Sammy the snake! 🤣😂🐍 love that episode. Also the black bin bags and corned beef songs! 😂 queen boomer needs to watch this aswell. You will love it the more you watch.
Yes! The greatest British sitcom ever. And yes, that’s Jeff and Leslie, fun fact, Leslie (Tim Healy)is actually the father of the lead singer from The 1975. In the song they are referring to some black shoes they got but had asked for white shoes, however obviously it sounds very racist. It’s worth sticking with even though some of the jokes in this episode you may not have totally got or accents etc. as there are some absolutely hilarious moments in this series.
One or two have commented on Tim Healy and "Auf Wiedersehen, Pet!" Is another must watch. All you need to know from this drama, it was about blokes left on the scrapheap in Thatcher's Britain going abroad to work &/or work "on the fiddle" whilst still claiming unemployment benefits. Series 1 is set in Düsseldorf and Series 2 begins in Derbyshire then ends up with a job for a crook and his Spanish villa. Both Series 1 & 2 are hilarious and there's a couple more series that aren't too bad! 👍
So many British cultural references! I have an easy fix - spend the next 30 years living in the UK, then watch it again! Keep up the good work, Mr Boomer!
It is very very dry Northern humour. But there are lots of subtleties which you might not pick up immediately. For example, when Brian Potter phoned the guy in Stranraer he had Brian's number under the name Ironside (the armchair detective played by Raymond Burr). Also when Brian was shouting at the builders for singing acapella he said they were singing Acapulco. I think the back story of the club, hinted at by the interviewer, was that the nightclub had been burnt down once, flooded once and was now reopening again (hence the name Phoenix and hence Brian being in a wheelchair). A visual clue that Brian's wheelchair existence was recent was that he couldn't reach the optics to get a drink, which was continued with the visual gag of him drinking out of a vase (because he could reach the optics with that)
I'm glad you've finally got round to this brilliant series. It is basically a laugh/pun a minute [sometimes visual too] and I can go back and watch this endless times. It never gets old. You will struggle to pick all the jokes up first time though, so it's worth watching every episode many times.
Other people have mentioned That Peter Kay Thing. Episode 1, "In the Club", is definitely worth watching as it introduced various Phoenix Nights characters. The story is set in Brian Potter's previous establishment, The Neptune Club.
Yeah, the scene with the racist song, where he doesn’t realise into the journalist points it out then his horror and panic as he listens, actually understands what they are saying and panics as he tries to get them off is a classic.
The security guard with the neck brace is also played by Peter Kay. The show gets better the longer you watch it. The minor characters come into their own & Peter Kay is superb. Best episode is the one with the blow up bouncy castle, it’s hilarious, won’t give too much away. I’m seeing Peter Kay in stand up in London on Saturday,
A classic. Still one of my favourite shows and I still have the DVD. The directors commentary with the cast is really funny. Moved to Bolton from the south around the same time. Loved the town. Saw Paddy in Matalan once but was too nervous to say hello 😂
Don't forget to watch right to the end as that's when they feature different acts auditions and they are hilarious. This was filmed just up the road from me in Farnworth. One of my favourite programmes. Can't wait for King Boomer to see the psychic night.
Very, very Northern Boomer. You do realise Peter Kay also plays the bouncer? Later episodes where they're auditioning stage acts is hilarious. Stick with it
The show draws you in and makes you feel part of its world. I guarantee you'll watch it more than once. I live in the place where it's set and it's just bang-on.
Its very much relatable to working class northern English people, so some jokes might be lost on you, there's a spin off series called "Max and Paddy's road to nowhere" which follows two characters from this but i know you'll love that series for sure
K.B ! The was a British police comedy series called " Operation Good Guys " that had some ultra classic comedy scenes. It was a BBC production and run for 3-4 series. 100% worth a review as much of the acting was ImProv from the guys who have been in British gangster movies and they do it bloody well.
My dad worked in clubland and said this was absolutely spot on in its depiction. It gets a lot better as the series finds its feet. You have at least got to visit “Potters pink paradise” before you stop!
You may also recognise the fella at the bar who questions Roy Walkers Irish accent as the dogwalker in 'Dogging' who invites Kayleigh to join him and his wife. Don't werry baht th'accent, it's like Shakespeare, you'll get used to it.
This is a show I missed back in the day; I was too busy at the time. Obviously, being British, I know of it and love Peter Kay, so this will be fun to finally get around to watching it with you guys. 🎉📺
This is one of the best written British comedies, and really comes into its own with its second series, keep an eye out for things going on in the background, paddy's the bouncers classic chat up line '' nice legs love, what time do they open". And '' how far away are they'' referring to dwarfs getting off a mini bus coming into the club. Max and paddy is a spin off show, it's fantastic. Max and paddy characters also did a fitness video, the power of two that's funny too.
I'm all in for this. So many references will be lost on you as you almost have to be 40yrs old and British for some very niche 'celebrity' references but it is fantastic. You're in Florida right? Think of the working mens clubs like your Moose Lodges pal
Little nugget of information as well, the guy in Half A Shilling, the smallest guy on the left is Buzz Hawkins, the guy behind the popular British radio series, The Bradshaws, he voiced every character.
Love this show. Can quote it backwards. I love that there’s little gags squirrelled in there too - like the name of the business being on the truck, ‘Sweet Truck Haul’ 😂 It’s a shame no-one has DVD’s anymore because the commentary for these were pure gold. Peter Kay and Paddy McGuinness calling Daniel Kitson (who plays the DJ with the glasses in this ep) all kinds of things because he claimed that Phoenix Nights was the thing he was most ashamed of doing. Being from the north east and seeing Tim Healy (Leslie from Benidorm) made me wonder what Boomer would make of Auf Wiedersehen Pet with him struggling with some of the accents in this 😂
It is VERY Northern. The accents and the humour, which is gentle with the odd laugh out loud moment. The cast were mostly stand up comics from the Northern club circuit (a world of its own that still exists) and Peter Kay's mates from Bolton (Fred Dibnah's home town), which is why some of the acting is a bit ropey. Also, a lot of the detail was improvised - it got slicker as the series went on. Other than Kay himself, the biggest winner from the series was Paddy McGuinness, the taller bouncer. Peter Kay's mate with no performing experience at all, he's got quite a presenting career now, including the last few series of Top Gear.
I'm from the West Midlands, my Dad from Cheshire, Mum from Dorset. Loved visiting The Northern side of the family, warm, open hearted and witty. Mums not so much yet tried their best outdoing each other, imo. 🇬🇧👵❤
Alan, the truck driver who plays the keyboard in the backing band, was also in peep show, marks racist friend from work, the german war reenactment episode. He was also in benidorm!
Can’t express how happy I am you’re doing Phoenix Nights! And don’t worry it absolutely doesn’t go the same way as Benidorm 😂. It stops at its peak. And even if some subtle English/northern things go over your head you are gonna love this!! You’re definitely now tuned into our sense of humour 🥰
I’m from the north of England and we have endless working men’s clubs, this is so brilliantly accurate these characters really do exist 😂 hope you find it funny because I love inbetweeners but this is my favourite comedy of all time
did you realise Peter kay was playing 2 parts, he's also max the bouncer who went through the window, there's a follow up series called max and paddy Road to nowhere, just with the 2 bouncers, it hilarious
"I thought you were pisisng around like that Gerry Adams" That joke was so casually said, called a leader of the IRA not real Irish and then the guy says 'nah he's Irish'.
In fairness, King B, there were so many UK-only references in this episode - Roy Walker (who opened the club) presented Catchphrase on UK TV for years in the 80s; there were other references to Jive Bunny (a novelty music act that topped the charts in the late 80s), and the DJ plays Walking In The Air, which was the theme of a hugely successful 80s' animated film (The Snowman). The auditions at the end of each episode are hilarious, as are the outtakes.
I live very close to where this is based. It's a 30 minute car journey... Yes we have a very "thick" accent it was forged in the cotton mills of the early 1900s. The noise in the factories meant you had to learn to lip read and speak slow and deliberate. In recent times we talk faster but will still put emphasis on syllables... I find it funny that our northern accent developed to be easer to understand but non northarn people find it hard to understand. lol.
The humour of this show is all about nostalgic experience of the British work class. A fair bit of it will only resonate if you’ve been to a working man’s club in Britain between the 70’s and 90’s. If you have experienced it, trust me, it’s hilarious!
It's a slow burner, that leads to some of the best TV of it's time, that follows with a spin off show called (Max & Paddy Road To Nowhere) BTW Max (The doorman) is also played by Peter Kay....
One of the funniest shows ever. An authentic parody of northern working mens clubs. Peter Kay just can't seem to go wrong with anything he's involved in.
I can see joke after joke flying straight over your head 😂😂😂😂😂 all you need to know is this is an exact representation of an English northern working men’s club!
I'm glad you gave it a chance, I know the accents are a challenge for you cousins over the pond, obviously if you 3 or 4 episodes now you will be a bit more understanding of the accents, and believe me there are a few around the UK you might struggle with at first, I wonder how long it took you to realize Peter Kaye was playing more than one part? Anyway you are in now mate, no going back trust me...enjoy the ride.
That was one of the best comedies around. Mr Boomer - don't expect laugh a minute stuff all the time as it's more subtle and like a comedy soap I guess, but it does have some big belly laugh moments. My favourite scene was the home made car alarm. ''Get back yer bastards or I'll break yer legs!''
The guy you pointed out from benidorm show ,Brian Also played a builder in a show called Auf weider sein pet. Along with jimmy nail and an actor who was in harry potter ... cannot recall names of top of my head . But can recall others , one a known wrestler and wayne sleep. Plus one other .... who was a bit wet behind tha ears.
King Boomer Phoenix Nights was a classic show, You should have a look at a show Called People Just Do Nothing or Orrible or The Phoneshop, for me they are really good comedy's..
I'm from Chorley, I can confirm, this is accurate. Fun fact, at the end of one of the episodes is a guy with the words Darius written on him, he actually joined where i was working back then, quirky fellow, went into the toilets one day and just started screaming and whooping at the top of his voice just like he does in the show and just walked out as though nothing happened. He didnt last very long, very weird.
lol ok. Yes it’s a different type of show, yes some things are going to go over my head. Yes yes yes. But remember, if I don’t laugh out loud at something it doesn’t automatically mean that I didn’t understand it. If I laughed out loud at every single line or joke from a comedy show you would find me insufferable (some people already think that lol).
However, this was recorded a month ago. I am currently 4 episodes in on Patreon and about to do a 5th and I’m happy to say that I think this show is fantastic and hilarious. It was also recommended by a friend who explained the northern England working man’s club background of the show.
So remember, I am loving the show so far. And if I don’t laugh at something, it doesn’t always mean that I didn’t understand what was said or what happened. Usually if that’s the case I look into the camera and wave my hand over my head or say out loud “I don’t get it”.
Have a great day today you lovely muppeteers.
-King Boomer, Lord of the Muppets and sitter on toilets
KB ..... good man, ..... great background to any of us appreciating whether you enjoyed or even 'got' various British comedies. As you say, you're well capable of indicating how things are coming across.
And well done for dropping the H from "sitter on toilets" !
Keep it up. Best US reactor out there :)
Peter Kay played both the manager and the bouncer.
All good. Please consider Black Books and Toast of London for future reactions. You'll love them both. Also Toast of London stars Douglas Reynholm from IT crowd. Both are great laugh out loud surreal comedies
Some of the humour is subtle too, like 7:02 the guy's saved Brian's (Peter Kay) number as Ironside... There's sometimes things happening in the background that are easily missed.
21:00 - This song is hilarious!
This is a brilliant comedy. I am black but the racism part was comical. It wasn’t meant to be taken seriously. In fact it was meant as an insult to racists!
Have you seen south park the episode with "the wheel of fortune" ? 😂
Oh please please please go through it all. Its hilarious and only gets better
King boomer is collecting the infinity stones of British tv
😂😂😂
I, too, wonder if he would weald this power responsibly.
@@KingBoomer ENJOY THE UK ... Before > COMMUNISM .. TOOK OVER !!
He really is 😂😂😂
Ha ha nice one
It so realistic this is what working mens clubs was like , brilliant 🙌
Was?
They still are.
@@AdeboFunkyVoodoofilled with village weirdos
The good thing was the audience was real, not actors.
St Gregory's Social Club on Church Street in Farnworth, is where it was filmed iv been meny times
if ever there was a series purely for brits it’s this one. there’s so much he’s gonna miss
The auditions at the end are brilliant. Sticky Vicky firing ping pong balls out of her bits. The best line ever....she only put 4 in😂
The one that got me was “What’s in you snake eyed pie? Chicken and mushroom!”
@@seancorker5815 😂
The out takes of that are hilarious too!
Thailand style 😅😅
Spoiler alert…noooh….why?
I work in a care home where I look after a lady who worked on the show!
Queen Boomer will love Brian. You gotta watch Max and Paddy's Road to nowhere also. 😂
🎶Dunno where we're going, got no way of knowing,
Driving on the road to nowhere...... 🎶
Just for a bit of context, the guy opening the club is Roy Walker, probably best known for presenting a TV quiz show in the UK called "Catchphrase" where contestants had to guess a common phrase from an animation which slowly revealed over time. His own catch phrase was "say what you see" and Mr Chips was the animated character which appeared on screen, hence the little jokes.
The legend Roy Walker. Comedian and gameshow host.
Picturing King Boomer in the supermarket singing “send the buggers back”! Can’t wait for you to meet the psychic! 😂
😂 " Ya'll right!"
Coming in your ears Chorley FM!
If he made a tv show, he could come in your eyes.
Where the Listener Comes First! 😂
Can't go to Chorley now without thinking that at least once.
@@Queenfloofles I thought about my joke and have surmised that it is even better than the original post and also your none joke.
I can't come to Chorley you ibecile.
@@Queenfloofles I can't come in Chorley since I got that rash. Yessssss.
You must also watch the auditions at the end. Hilarious.
In the ending credits there is an extra bit, where the team are auditioning new acts... you really need to watch it
You have to keep watching it because it gets better and better as you get to know the characters 😂😂😂
Tim Healy who played Lesley in Benidorm originally played Dennis Patterson in Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, he's been quite a few TV shows over the years
Was one of the crew in "Common as Muck" along with the late Edward Woodward & Roy Hudd among others. Another one was Richard Ridings, who does the voice of Peppa Pig's Dad....
Incredible british show this, glad you are finally covering Phoenix nights, fingers crossed this one doesnt get blocked
It’s very Northern England comedy, even southerners get lost sometimes! I remember seeing him at the Dean water hotel before he was famous. I knew he’d be big but could never had predicted how big!
Watch a little further, the auditions for acts for the club (at the end) are hilarious.
I forgot about that, there is a sort of “post credit” bit at the end of each episode.
Boomer paws ...smash smash
This was not written just by Peter Kay but was a three way job by him, Dave (The Saint) Spikey and Neil (Ray Von) Fitzmaurice. The celebrity guest,'TV's own Roy Walker presented Catchphrase, a quiz show that you should watch a clip from called 'Snake Charmer'. Never cut off the end of P N without seeing the auditions. Kay was both Brian and Max on the door.
What makes this even more brilliant, and shows how accurate a parody it was, the audiences were mostly real Bolton residents who I believe were not entirely aware of the nature of the show, and their reactions to the (often inappropriate) acts real. Also, incredibly, the acts being auditioned at the end of each episode are real life acts from the area.
There was a 1970s TV show called "The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club". Worth watching an episode or two to get a handle on working mens club culture. Back in the 60s and 70s it was common for large employers in the north to have social clubs for their employees. So towns with mines would have a miner's welfare club. Or a few employers would sponsor a trades club. They were social clubs that offered a range of entertainment and cheap alcohol. Phoenix Nights is set long after the best days of the northern England working mens club, but that adds to the charm of the show.
Trust me, King...you've hit the jackpot with Phoenix Nights. Give it time. It's absolutely amazing. Especially in Series 2 when things kick into overdrive! 👍
Don't know if you saw but at then end of the episodes there's usually a little audition skit... some are absolutely hysterical.
The remark towards the end of "a singalong with Combat 18," is a reference to a British Neo Nazi extreme racist group (think Ku Klux Klan.) The name Combat 18 was chosen because of Adolf Hitler's initials (AH) being the 1st and 8th letters of the alphabet.
Phoenix nights is up there with faulty towers for me. brilliant shows that never fail to make me laugh.
Can't wait to see you reacting to the episode: *Family Fun Day* Maybe, invite Queen Boomer (Cally) to watch as well.
Mate. I seen “fun day” and just started chuckling hahaha. Never gets old that one 🤣
You really need to check out Max and Paddy's road to nowhere after, it's both the doormen in this, on there own adventure.
The inflatable bouncy castle - “What are they?”…”Them’s its eggs!” 😂😂
“You swept that cock up yet?”
In the song they are referring to some black shoes they got but had asked for white shoes hence saying "send the buggers back". But yeah, it's quite easy to interpret it as racist.
Peter Kay also plays one of the doormen (the one in the neck brace) and the follow up to this is Max and Paddy's Road to Nowhere. The first episode has a moment in it which is one of the funniest/greatest moments in tv ever. I won't spoil it for you but I guarantee you will have to pause to give yourself time to recover..
Excellent choice to review mate! Peter Kay's Phoenix Nights is an absolute comedy classic! 👍🏻
The funniest one was the "Sammy snake" scene, I nearly died laughing
Glad to hear you're a few episodes in and enjoying it. It can be a little difficult to follow the language with the accents but you soon get used to it. This was Peter Kay's creation and he has the 2 roles in it, as the bouncer and as the owner of the club. Yes, that was Jeff from Peep Show.
Hey presto! Sammy the snake! 🤣😂🐍 love that episode. Also the black bin bags and corned beef songs! 😂 queen boomer needs to watch this aswell. You will love it the more you watch.
Yes! The greatest British sitcom ever. And yes, that’s Jeff and Leslie, fun fact, Leslie (Tim Healy)is actually the father of the lead singer from The 1975. In the song they are referring to some black shoes they got but had asked for white shoes, however obviously it sounds very racist. It’s worth sticking with even though some of the jokes in this episode you may not have totally got or accents etc. as there are some absolutely hilarious moments in this series.
Didn't realise different colour shoes were races
Sammy Snake;)
@@HandleDeezNutzVoluntarily Keith Lard 🐶
"I'm going to give her a pearl necklace.."😂😂 One of my favourite shows ever!
Good old Beverly Hilscopto 😂
The old man with an eye patch telling the Lord Mayor "thirty pence a piece" is the most English thing I've ever seen in my life.
One or two have commented on Tim Healy and "Auf Wiedersehen, Pet!" Is another must watch.
All you need to know from this drama, it was about blokes left on the scrapheap in Thatcher's Britain going abroad to work &/or work "on the fiddle" whilst still claiming unemployment benefits.
Series 1 is set in Düsseldorf and Series 2 begins in Derbyshire then ends up with a job for a crook and his Spanish villa. Both Series 1 & 2 are hilarious and there's a couple more series that aren't too bad! 👍
So many British cultural references! I have an easy fix - spend the next 30 years living in the UK, then watch it again! Keep up the good work, Mr Boomer!
Yes Max and Paddy is a spin off, they are the security guys
Watch the credits of every episode, Peter Kay plays Max the chubby bouncer as well as Brian
You're gonna miss the little Easter eggs - did you notice the company on the side of the lorry was called "Sweet Truck Haul" 🤣
It is very very dry Northern humour. But there are lots of subtleties which you might not pick up immediately. For example, when Brian Potter phoned the guy in Stranraer he had Brian's number under the name Ironside (the armchair detective played by Raymond Burr). Also when Brian was shouting at the builders for singing acapella he said they were singing Acapulco. I think the back story of the club, hinted at by the interviewer, was that the nightclub had been burnt down once, flooded once and was now reopening again (hence the name Phoenix and hence Brian being in a wheelchair). A visual clue that Brian's wheelchair existence was recent was that he couldn't reach the optics to get a drink, which was continued with the visual gag of him drinking out of a vase (because he could reach the optics with that)
I think you meant WHEELCHAIR detective mate.
The first episode is just to introduce the characters. It gets much better, trust me.
The audio commentary by the cast on the DVD is hilarious! 🤣
I'm glad you've finally got round to this brilliant series. It is basically a laugh/pun a minute [sometimes visual too] and I can go back and watch this endless times. It never gets old. You will struggle to pick all the jokes up first time though, so it's worth watching every episode many times.
Other people have mentioned That Peter Kay Thing. Episode 1, "In the Club", is definitely worth watching as it introduced various Phoenix Nights characters. The story is set in Brian Potter's previous establishment, The Neptune Club.
Yeah, the scene with the racist song, where he doesn’t realise into the journalist points it out then his horror and panic as he listens, actually understands what they are saying and panics as he tries to get them off is a classic.
The security guard with the neck brace is also played by Peter Kay. The show gets better the longer you watch it. The minor characters come into their own & Peter Kay is superb. Best episode is the one with the blow up bouncy castle, it’s hilarious, won’t give too much away. I’m seeing Peter Kay in stand up in London on Saturday,
Trust me it gets much much better... absolutely hilarious 😅
A classic. Still one of my favourite shows and I still have the DVD. The directors commentary with the cast is really funny. Moved to Bolton from the south around the same time. Loved the town. Saw Paddy in Matalan once but was too nervous to say hello 😂
Don't forget to watch right to the end as that's when they feature different acts auditions and they are hilarious. This was filmed just up the road from me in Farnworth. One of my favourite programmes. Can't wait for King Boomer to see the psychic night.
Very, very Northern Boomer. You do realise Peter Kay also plays the bouncer? Later episodes where they're auditioning stage acts is hilarious. Stick with it
The show draws you in and makes you feel part of its world. I guarantee you'll watch it more than once. I live in the place where it's set and it's just bang-on.
Its very much relatable to working class northern English people, so some jokes might be lost on you, there's a spin off series called "Max and Paddy's road to nowhere" which follows two characters from this but i know you'll love that series for sure
K.B ! The was a British police comedy series called " Operation Good Guys " that had some ultra classic comedy scenes. It was a BBC production and run for 3-4 series. 100% worth a review as much of the acting was ImProv from the guys who have been in British gangster movies and they do it bloody well.
Yes! I remember laughing my arse off at that. Good call.
@@clothilde1623 I just hunted down the box set on Ebay 😁😉
Yes!!!! I love Phoenix Nights and I've been meaning to rewatch it again.
My dad worked in clubland and said this was absolutely spot on in its depiction. It gets a lot better as the series finds its feet. You have at least got to visit “Potters pink paradise” before you stop!
my favorite episode that one 🤣 the family funday
LOVE PHOENIX NIGHTS
It’s sad how few people get the Ironside reference.
You may also recognise the fella at the bar who questions Roy Walkers Irish accent as the dogwalker in 'Dogging' who invites Kayleigh to join him and his wife. Don't werry baht th'accent, it's like Shakespeare, you'll get used to it.
This is a show I missed back in the day; I was too busy at the time. Obviously, being British, I know of it and love Peter Kay, so this will be fun to finally get around to watching it with you guys. 🎉📺
This is one of the best written British comedies, and really comes into its own with its second series, keep an eye out for things going on in the background, paddy's the bouncers classic chat up line '' nice legs love, what time do they open". And '' how far away are they'' referring to dwarfs getting off a mini bus coming into the club. Max and paddy is a spin off show, it's fantastic. Max and paddy characters also did a fitness video, the power of two that's funny too.
I'm all in for this. So many references will be lost on you as you almost have to be 40yrs old and British for some very niche 'celebrity' references but it is fantastic. You're in Florida right? Think of the working mens clubs like your Moose Lodges pal
Little nugget of information as well, the guy in Half A Shilling, the smallest guy on the left is Buzz Hawkins, the guy behind the popular British radio series, The Bradshaws, he voiced every character.
Love this show. Can quote it backwards. I love that there’s little gags squirrelled in there too - like the name of the business being on the truck, ‘Sweet Truck Haul’ 😂 It’s a shame no-one has DVD’s anymore because the commentary for these were pure gold. Peter Kay and Paddy McGuinness calling Daniel Kitson (who plays the DJ with the glasses in this ep) all kinds of things because he claimed that Phoenix Nights was the thing he was most ashamed of doing.
Being from the north east and seeing Tim Healy (Leslie from Benidorm) made me wonder what Boomer would make of Auf Wiedersehen Pet with him struggling with some of the accents in this 😂
That really is like a typical 70s & 80s working men's club...bloody brilliant.
brian potter was first introduced in the series that peter kay thing , he plays several different characters in the series
It is VERY Northern. The accents and the humour, which is gentle with the odd laugh out loud moment. The cast were mostly stand up comics from the Northern club circuit (a world of its own that still exists) and Peter Kay's mates from Bolton (Fred Dibnah's home town), which is why some of the acting is a bit ropey. Also, a lot of the detail was improvised - it got slicker as the series went on.
Other than Kay himself, the biggest winner from the series was Paddy McGuinness, the taller bouncer. Peter Kay's mate with no performing experience at all, he's got quite a presenting career now, including the last few series of Top Gear.
I'm from the West Midlands, my Dad from Cheshire, Mum from Dorset. Loved visiting The Northern side of the family, warm, open hearted and witty. Mums not so much yet tried their best outdoing each other, imo. 🇬🇧👵❤
"Have you got two if my builders singing acapulco" 😅
Alan, the truck driver who plays the keyboard in the backing band, was also in peep show, marks racist friend from work, the german war reenactment episode. He was also in benidorm!
Can’t express how happy I am you’re doing Phoenix Nights! And don’t worry it absolutely doesn’t go the same way as Benidorm 😂. It stops at its peak.
And even if some subtle English/northern things go over your head you are gonna love this!! You’re definitely now tuned into our sense of humour 🥰
I’m from the north of England and we have endless working men’s clubs, this is so brilliantly accurate these characters really do exist 😂 hope you find it funny because I love inbetweeners but this is my favourite comedy of all time
Roy Walker used to host a game show called Catch Phrase.
Peter Kay also plays the security man too. Plus all the audience are just people from Bolton invited in there reactions are real.
One our best ever comedies - up there with Faulty Towers and open all hours
did you realise Peter kay was playing 2 parts, he's also max the bouncer who went through the window, there's a follow up series called max and paddy Road to nowhere, just with the 2 bouncers, it hilarious
"I thought you were pisisng around like that Gerry Adams" That joke was so casually said, called a leader of the IRA not real Irish and then the guy says 'nah he's Irish'.
Here we go .
Paddy also came into our shop a few years back when i worked in Bolton . Nice chap .
Also black books is worth your time
In fairness, King B, there were so many UK-only references in this episode - Roy Walker (who opened the club) presented Catchphrase on UK TV for years in the 80s; there were other references to Jive Bunny (a novelty music act that topped the charts in the late 80s), and the DJ plays Walking In The Air, which was the theme of a hugely successful 80s' animated film (The Snowman). The auditions at the end of each episode are hilarious, as are the outtakes.
I live very close to where this is based. It's a 30 minute car journey...
Yes we have a very "thick" accent it was forged in the cotton mills of the early 1900s.
The noise in the factories meant you had to learn to lip read and speak slow and deliberate.
In recent times we talk faster but will still put emphasis on syllables...
I find it funny that our northern accent developed to be easer to understand but non northarn people find it hard to understand. lol.
This needs to be persevered with. It can be a slow burner but it's brilliant.
The humour of this show is all about nostalgic experience of the British work class. A fair bit of it will only resonate if you’ve been to a working man’s club in Britain between the 70’s and 90’s. If you have experienced it, trust me, it’s hilarious!
It's a slow burner, that leads to some of the best TV of it's time, that follows with a spin off show called (Max & Paddy Road To Nowhere) BTW Max (The doorman) is also played by Peter Kay....
SO glad you are doing this. Watched this end to end whilst serving out in Iraq. Peter Kay is amazing in this.
One of the funniest shows ever. An authentic parody of northern working mens clubs. Peter Kay just can't seem to go wrong with anything he's involved in.
It is very very Northern ...like me 😁
I can see joke after joke flying straight over your head 😂😂😂😂😂 all you need to know is this is an exact representation of an English northern working men’s club!
Fantastic.
Matt Groening loved this.
I'm glad you gave it a chance, I know the accents are a challenge for you cousins over the pond, obviously if you 3 or 4 episodes now you will be a bit more understanding of the accents, and believe me there are a few around the UK you might struggle with at first, I wonder how long it took you to realize Peter Kaye was playing more than one part? Anyway you are in now mate, no going back trust me...enjoy the ride.
Try Coupleing next, it's like the British version of Friends and you'll be pissing yourself laughing
The next show they did was Max and Paddy’s road to nowhere 😂 absolutely genius..
That was one of the best comedies around. Mr Boomer - don't expect laugh a minute stuff all the time as it's more subtle and like a comedy soap I guess, but it does have some big belly laugh moments. My favourite scene was the home made car alarm. ''Get back yer bastards or I'll break yer legs!''
The show that put both Stranraer and Chorley on the map! 🤣 I still quote from this show often.
The guy you pointed out from benidorm show ,Brian
Also played a builder in a show called Auf weider sein pet. Along with jimmy nail and an actor who was in harry potter ... cannot recall names of top of my head .
But can recall others , one a known wrestler and wayne sleep. Plus one other .... who was a bit wet behind tha ears.
King Boomer
Phoenix Nights was a classic show,
You should have a look at a show
Called People Just Do Nothing or
Orrible or The Phoneshop, for me they are really good comedy's..
I'm from Chorley, I can confirm, this is accurate. Fun fact, at the end of one of the episodes is a guy with the words Darius written on him, he actually joined where i was working back then, quirky fellow, went into the toilets one day and just started screaming and whooping at the top of his voice just like he does in the show and just walked out as though nothing happened. He didnt last very long, very weird.
You're quite right it is Jeff from peep show real name Neil Fitzmaurice..
Like you said it gets better 😊Peter Kays characters in this are both brill 😊
If you get to Series 2 the Fun Day is fantastic. I won't put any spoilers for anything else.
(Come and get your black bin bags...)
Sammy the snake