Peter Kay's Car Share

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 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 while you wait", "One meal for the price of two", "No pies left in this van overnight", "Shaun Ryder Rehab Centre", "HALALDI" 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 episode "The Ice Cream Man Cometh". ==Cast==

• Peter Kay 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 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 as 'Stink' Ray, store fishmonger whom John and Kayleigh hate because of his foul mouth and fishy body odour • Conleth Hill as Elsie, colleague of John and Kayleigh's, who has a drunken lift home after an end of year party • Simon Greenall 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 as a cyclist who 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. Inspiration for the show, for co-creators Tim Reid and Paul Coleman, included Alfred Molina and Dawn French in the BBC's Roger & Val Have Just Got In and The Smoking Room. Paul Coleman pitched the idea to Peter Kay, whom he had previously worked with on ''Max and Paddy's Road to Nowhere''. The programme was mainly filmed in and around Manchester, Farnworth (Bolton), Westhoughton, Horwich, Swinton, Bury, Walkden, Altrincham (Trafford) and Little Hulton (Salford). John and Kayleigh's place of work was portrayed as being the Manchester Fort retail park in the city's Cheetham Hill area, but was in reality filmed around the goods entrance and car park at the back of the large Halfords Autocentre off Viaduct Way in the Broadheath area of Altrincham. 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; 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) 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 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. 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 on 28 March 2015, in aid of Chorley children's hospice Derian House. The entire first series was briefly available on BBC iPlayer where it became the most watched series to be released as a box set. Critic Grace Dent wrote "I laughed over and over again, loudly and gracelessly, during BBC1's Car Share". == Transphobia allegations ==

The improvised episode from the series received some criticism due to its negative portrayal of transgender individuals, making light of attacks against trans individuals. During the episode, a fictional pre-prepared radio segment similar to Simon Bates' Our Tune is played, which outlines a breakdown of a woman's marriage due to her then-husband Gordon's gender dysphoria when she discovers her husband wearing her clothes. ==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 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 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, commented: "It's cheesy, feel good, but lacks the drama of the previous episode." {{Episode table |background=33C4FF |overall=5 |title=21 |director=15 |writer=27 |airdate=19 |viewers=13 |viewersR= |country=UK |episodes= {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber2 = 5 |Title = Unscripted |DirectedBy = Peter Kay |WrittenBy = |OriginalAirDate = |Viewers = 7.07 |ShortSummary = Note: Chronologically, this episode takes place somewhere before series 2 episode 4. On the Complete Collection Blu-ray/DVD set this episode is classed as series 2 episode 2. In this mostly improvised one-off episode, John and Kayleigh drive through Salford from work, commenting on the songs and adverts playing on Forever FM, and talking about everything from what the U stands for in club sandwich to films they have never seen. Kayleigh says her first boyfriend was called Danny ('but he was a "holding hands" boyfriend'). John, in contrast, says he was having sex when he was 13. At the end of the episode, John tells Kayleigh men have needs, and hints he wants to have sex with her, but she does not seem keen. She would rather snuggle on the sofa with a takeaway and accidentally on purpose invites herself round to John's for a dinner date. Note: On the Complete Collection DVD and Blu-Ray releases, this episode is inserted into the running order as episode 2. After the final specials aired, Kay confirmed they were initially filmed in the series 2 recording block, but 2 episodes were held back for the following year. Forever FM Playlist: Edwyn Collins - A Girl Like You, Trio - Da Da Da, Martika - Toy Soldiers, Fine Young Cannibals - Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've), The Belle Stars - Sign of the Times, The Divine Comedy - National Express, Four Tops - Loco in Acapulco, Bee Gees - More Than a Woman, Madonna - Borderline, Danny Wilson - The Second Summer of Love {No day dream} }} }} Audio special (2020) ==References==