The longest programme title in the world.... ever?

They were Comic Relief singles IIRC - Amarillo and 500 Miles.... although I think Amarillo was the secondary CR single rather than the official one, it was the same year as "All About You" by McFly.

This Britain's Got the Pop Factor is just the start of a year of programming apparently. And yes, perhaps he does release a dodgy DVD or two - but then, there is the choice of the people who buy them - they don't have to buy them. I always think this when I see "best of" DVDs containing one-off episodes of things like Family Guy or Buffy - why not just buy the series? I have seen far worse DVDs than Kay's on the shelf whilst out Xmas shopping. If it's not worth it, don't buy it!!! It's simple!

Anyway in the last 6 years, pretty much since he rose to public recognition, Peter Kay has brought us Phoenix Nights, Max & Paddy, he's done a 180-date tour, written his autobiography, recorded a few adverts and now has come back with, what a lot of people thought, was the best TV programme of this year so far. Not enough for some people though, is it. I suspect the ones who didn't find BGTPF funny were the ones avidly watching the X Factor this evening as if it was the most important thing in the world ever - i.e. the very show and audience that Kay's show was lampooning. So I suspect the joke has hit a little too close to home, hence the hostility.

And with regards to the single and charity money - let's not forget that when Geraldine's single came out, Simon Cowell was immediately in the papers lambasting Peter Kay for apparently hoodwinking the public into believing the single was for charity, especially as it out-sold Leon fair-and-square. Within the month Cowell had trotted out some sickly-sweet Mariah Carey number for Help-For-Heroes, giving some sort of impression of holding a moral high-ground.

But this week, it's a straight fight between another cover sung by a Whitney Houston / Janet Jackson / Beyonce / Leona / Alexandra clone conveniently released and heavily promoted in a cynical and soul-destroying attempt to grab the Xmas number one (of which all the profits will benefit Cowell) and in the blue corner a charity single by Peter Kay, actually about Christmas and not some dreary Leonard Cohen number.

I know which one I want to win. I want the talented young star who has entertained millions on TV to win.

As opposed to the over-hyped here-today-gone-tomorrow face who will live to regret ever turning up to an audition.

I second this. You have hit the nail bang on the head there.

And I guess the fact Cowell lambasted Kay because his original song wasn't really for charity perhaps makes him a bit of a hypocrite. I can see him making changes to the X Factor next year despite it still getting big ratings.

He's been around a lot longer than 6 years, he was appearing on BBC2 on sunday mornings in the mid 90's. The big problem with him is that he's become lazy, complacent and just plain annoying. His stand-up act was excellent in the late 90's but now he's just repackaging the same material again and again and milking every last penny from it.

Pheonix Nights was great but remember it was a collaborative effort, and he fell out with the co-writers (as he apparently does with lots of people) and the result was the awful Max and Paddy.




I didn't like it because it was incredibly self-indulgent and just not funny.



Not that young.

Personally I'd like a Christmas record to get to number one for Christmas

To be honest I hope not. I'd much rather he created some new stand up instead of extending this Geraldine gag much further

It is funny that some seem to see Kay as if he is making some sort of crusade standing up against Cowell. It's probably quite likely that just like Harry Hill, he actually loves the programmes he is spoofing, you'd have to be a regular viewer of The X Factor etc to get most of the jokes

He's been around a lot longer than 6 years, he was appearing on BBC2 on sunday mornings in the mid 90's. The big problem with him is that he's become lazy, complacent and just plain annoying. His stand-up act was excellent in the late 90's but now he's just repackaging the same material again and again and milking every last penny from it.

Pheonix Nights was great but remember it was a collaborative effort, and he fell out with the co-writers (as he apparently does with lots of people) and the result was the awful Max and Paddy.




I didn't like it because it was incredibly self-indulgent and just not funny. [/QUOTE]

And I disliked it because I can't see the point in lampooning something that's become such a huge parody of itself anyway. For example 'The Day Today' came just at the right time when it took a swipe at TV News (possible even ahead of it's time). With this Peter Kay is about 3 years too late.

A quote from Simon Amstell on Buzcokcs this week: "I'm thankful Peter Kay has got another DVD out this Christmas, I've now got something to buy for the thick people I hate"

I like how in the video the news reporter is from ITV News. Probably as Channel 4 News wouldn't want to be seen as reporting on such frivolous crap such as a reality show winner in a town, which ITV would lap up


With the show itself though, I think it was more 'clever' than funny... not that many laugh out loud moments. And when I say clever, I mean in just how spot on it was - it didn't exactly do anything new except a copy, but it was copied so well that it could fool people as a reality show.

What's that - the X Factor?

TBH - what is the X Factor about nowadays? The judges. Forget the contestants (and we frequently do) - the show is merely a publicity piece for four self-important posturers. Apart from the dull-as-ditchwater Daily Mail-driven Eoghan love story, all the newspaper headlines have been about the judges. If that isn't self indulgent I don't know what is.

Oh - and how can you accuse Peter Kay of being lazy when Simon Cowell makes the X Factor winners sing cover after cover after cover, instead of actually spending time writing a new song?

And as for Peter Kay falling out with his co-stars; well I think the judging panel changes and general bitchiness speak for themselves.

As I said before - only idiots buy things without finding out what they are first. And it's very simple - read the label. If Peter Kay has a DVD out, read the back of the DVD to find out what's on it. Seen it before? Don't buy it! He's no more guilty of trying to make money from his material than any other artist out there. How many films come out with new cuts / directors' cuts / alternate endings? If you want to blame Kay for doing this, then blame everyone else too. It's probably less him, and more his publishing company.

As for doing nothing since Max & Paddy (which wasn't awful by the way), he doesn't owe anybody anything. He shouldn't bring out new material for the sake of it. He's made a mark and now he's profiting from it. And hopefully we'll see the results of this over the next 9 months.

What's this got to do with Simon Cowell? My criticisms aren't Kay vs Cowell, I don't actually watch X Factor (although of course I'm well aware of the genre) and couldn't care less about it

He is incredibly complacent these days, he has a fanbase who he can rely on to buy his stuff no matter what rubbish he puts out. He was merchandising stuff with Max and Paddy 'catchphrases' on long before the series started in anticipation as he knew some people would buy them.



True, it will be his 'people' that are chopping it up and churning it out, but if he had the nouse to retain his credability he'd tell them to stop it. Just look at the control someone like Ricky Gervais has over his affairs for example

Films do get re-released with alternative bits but over many years and it's never hidden that the film is essentially the same. Also the directors, actors, writers involved do actually go and do other good stuff between teh first release and the re-release!



It was, it was a huge disappointment after Pheonix Nights. I haven't seen a series 2 appear

Yep, a parody like The Day Today is hyper-real, it takes something normal and exagerates it to the extreme, that's what makes it funny.
TDT was well ahead of it's time.... almost everything that seemed extreme in 1992 is now actualy being done by the TV news

It would have been far better if it didn't look virtually identical to the talent show it was spoofing. It didn't say anything about these talent shows that hasn't been said millions of times over the past 5 years.

A parody of The X Factor could be done so much better - maybe show the back-biting and machinations of behind the scenes, or make it really absurd and surreal

Indeed, and what is the gag anyway... (s)he's a trans-sexual.... and?

[

I doubt it to be honest. The X Factor already makes a laughing stock in itself with all the over the top nonsense and people already imagine the machination processes backstage anyway with the judges bringing it on air. You clearly haven't read what Alexia said.

Even a 'Day Today' style parody wouldn't be as shocking (for want of a better word) imo.

LOL - you compare him to that joke Ricky Gervais. He's only got two over-rated sitcoms (based on his own ego!) to his name, a couple of flop movies and a lifetime of guest appearances on Jonathan Ross.


That I believe was Peter Kay's choice. It was a fantastic series IMO and a shame it didn't continue, but I guess if it had you'd be complaining he was milking the characters further.


Back to the Pop Factor and as a fan I do hope the Christmas special is the end of it, though whether that will leave us wanting more is another thing.