Phoenix Nights at 25: record-selling sitcom now absent from streaming

It is 25 years since Phoenix Nights was first broadcast on Channel 4, and the sitcom that ran for just two series is now largely unavailable on official platforms. Once a huge hit on physical media — its second series was reportedly the fastest ever selling UK TV show on DVD, shifting 160,000 copies in its first week — it does not feature on any streaming service and survives mostly in fan uploads on YouTube and on the secondhand DVD market.

Set in a fictional working men’s club in Bolton, Phoenix Nights was a spin-off from a 1999 episode of That Peter Kay Thing and ran between 2001 and 2002. It was written by Peter Kay, Dave Spikey and Neil Fitzmaurice. The show is centred on Kay’s Brian Potter and filled with eccentric set pieces — from a drunk horse on a wild west night to guest spots from Catchphrase and Bullseye hosts and a makeshift children’s playground built around a portable toilet and scaffolding.

The programme is widely regarded as an ensemble piece, with characters such as Ray Von (Neil Fitzmaurice), a DJ and rumoured murderer; compere Jerry St Clair (Dave Spikey); Kenny Senior (Archie Kelly); Clinton Baptiste (Alex Lowe); Holy Mary (Janice Connolly); and rival Den Perry (Ted Robbins).

The series also faced controversy: a real-life fire safety officer called Keith Laird complained about the character Keith Lard, was paid compensation, and Channel 4 issued an apology.

Key Topics

Culture, Phoenix Nights, Peter Kay, Bolton, Dvd, Youtube