TV Comedy:Peter Kay's Car Share - Audience Pleasures

Relatable Situation -  
Episode one : Satnav playing up and radio not working.

Transgressive Pleasures - 
Episode one : Urine Sample and butcher joke.
Episode two : 'Dogging' joke.
Episode three : Japanese swearing and dating site names.

Narrative Pleasures - 
Difference in Kayleighs and Johns Personalities.

Specific Pleasures - 
Peter Kays personality.

Character Identification - 
Both characters are working class and therefore are relatable towards the target audience.

Snowballing Narrative - 
Episode one : Wee on clothing.
Episode two : Dogging joke scene with man at the end.
Episode three :  Kayleighs date.

Familiarities - 
Music and video parodies.

Repetition - 
Brillington College.

Narrative pleasures are used throughout of Peter Kay's car share where the difference between Kayleigh's  and Johns personality is displayed which will help to familiarize the audience with the contrasting personalities and will be relatable to the audience and their relationships with work colleagues. the characters are both identified working class and therefore relatable towards the target audience and inject humor to a  familiar car share scenario to work. In the first episode of Car Share we are introduced with the first scene of John trying to work the sat nav, this is relatable towards the target audience and they are likely to be familiar with the situation. Throughout each episode there are frequent adverts on the radio, giving more familiar and relatable scenarios for the target audience with those who are familiar to travelling to work listening the radio.

The audience are given the specific pleasure of Peter Kay's personality where certain aspects are displayed through his character John. People recognize Peter Kay and are familiar wit his jokes and the is therefore familiar to the target market for his famous career is stand up comedy. During episode 6 there is also a reference to ' cannon and ball ' this pleasures the audiences recognition of the familiarity of the comedy duo.

Transgressive pleasures are throughout each episodes. For example in episode one Kayleigh's urine sample gets over Johns cloths.; this taboo situation helps the audience find it humorous. Another example is the ' Dogging ' joke in episode two, where dramatic irony is used when Kayleigh reveals that she goes 'dogging' with her neighbor. when the audience is aware of the alternate meaning of the word, which John reveals. This is also a snowballing narrative where the scenario and joke grows as the pair disagree on the meaning of the word throughout the episode and the audience is surprised when Kayleigh demands John to pull over to a dog walker to confirm the meaning of the word. Both characters however are talking about the different meanings to the word. Kayleigh continues to say that John doesn't understand dogging, when the dog walker responds' hes clearly never f***ed in front of a crowd has he flower? ' Kayleigh and John then finding the humor of the awkward situation and Kayleigh urges John to drive on away from the dog walker. 

During episode 6, there is a taboo transgressive element, when Kayleighs face is painted black references to racism. This element continues when Dietetic music is used and  ' ebony and ivory ' is played on the radio to help portray the irony of this. Also this helps the audience recognize the connection between the characters and reminiscence of the old songs.


There is a difference in repetition when in the first episode we are introduced with Ted in episode 1, who later in episode 2 dies but where we are then introduced to 'Ted 2' which is a younger attractive male who is seen throughout the season with his top off. this adds an element of humour to the situation when Kayleigh is seen 'fancying' the male new trolley pusher.

TV Comedy: Peter Kay's Car Share

Network: BBC One

Number of episodes: 6

Cast: Peter Kay, Sian Gibson

Writers: Peter Kay, Sian Gibson, Paul Coleman, Tim Reid

Comedy Genre: Sitcom

Scheduled Broadcast: 21:30

Viewing Figures:

Episode 1: 1.01 million

Episode 2: 4.67 million

Episode 3: 6.44 million

Episode 4: 6.18 million

Episode 5: 6.10 million

Episode 6: 5.78 million

Critic opinions:

"Kay’s new un-hyped TV show is big-hearted and silly and reminds us what a terrific comic actor he can be" - Brian Logan
"Peter Kay's Car Share made me genuinely LOL" -  Grace Dent

 

Codes and conventions of sitcoms:

Running jokes, a comic trap ( premise of a sitcom which the entire show is built), one liners, canned laughter, parody/spoof, satire.


Peter Kay
Peter Kay is an English comedian and actor.He was taught metal work at school by the actor Steve Coogan's dad, and like Coogan he was an altar boy. He proposed to his wife Susan on one knee outside 'Andy's Records', because it was the first place where they kissed. He's worked everywhere, in a factory packing toilet rolls, in a supermarket, in a video shop, at a bingo hall, at a cash and carry, as a mobile disc jockey and at a garage for six years in between all the other jobs. He claims he lied to get into college, he told them he'd two 'A' Levels and five GCSEs and apparently they never checked up.

He won the 1997 So You Think You're Funny contest at Edinburgh and the North West Comedian of the Year award. In 1998 Peter took his own hour-long show to the Edinburgh Fringe and was nominated for the Perrier Award. Peter actually has a qualification in stand up, which he got as part of his Btec in Media Performance Studies. His childhood ambition was to be a bin man.

TV Comedy: Audience Pleasures

• narrative pleasures such as those of narrative resolution, 
• character identification, snowballing narrative, suspense, comedy, and so on
• pleasures of recognition, familiarity and anticipation
• pleasures of difference-within-repetition
• performance unpredictability and spontaneity
• transgressive pleasures
• specific pleasures associated with performers or personalities.

Walliams and Friend Research

• Who commissioned the programme?

        Shane Allen and Gregor Sharp, commissioning Editors from the BBC.

• Who produced it?

         Sarah Fraser

• What audience is it aimed at? Why?

         Adults, as the show contains mature humor and sexual and inappropriate references for an under                    sixteen aged audience.

• Why is it on at that time and on that channel? Link to 'type' of comedy and target audience. 

        The show is aired at 21:30 on channel BBC 1.The show is aired at a later time due to the use of                         transgressive humor as its targeted at a more mature audience rather than an earlier  time where it                     can be viewed by a younger audience.

• Is it on after the watershed? Why?

        The show is aired after this time so it can be viewed by the appropriate audience so that the show can               include transgressive and inappropriate humor and language aimed for a more mature audience. 

• Know the audience demographic.

        The audience demographic is class B/C1: Middle management, teachers, creative and media people eg             graphic designers ect./ office supervisors , junior managers, nurses, specialist clerical staff - white collar.