When it comes to British comedy shows, many people will die on a hill to name Phoenix Nights as one of the greatest of all time. Yet, despite this, the fantastic series set in a north of England workingman’s club, is not available to stream anywhere. That could have changed if creator Peter Kay had accepted an offer from Netflix to license the series on their platform – but he had a specific reason for turning down the chance to have the show in the library of the world’s largest streamer.
Phoenix Nights is a TV show that falls into the same category as adult animation like Family Guy and South Park, with some content not exactly falling on the right side of political correctness. As Kay explained in a new interview on UK radio station Capital FM, the reason he rejected Netflix’s offer was their stipulation that Phoenix Nights episodes would need to be accompanied by trigger warnings due to their potentially offensive content. Kay said:
“Netflix got in touch with me last year because they wanted to put Phoenix Nights on [the platform]. They rang me up – anyway, they sent me a load of paperwork. Basically, it’s not very politically correct now. This was made in a [different] time, do you know what I mean? [They wanted to put a trigger warning at the start of each episode]. I’m not keen on that, I don’t really want a warning before it.”
According to Kay, the warning put in place would have stated that the show was made almost 25 years ago, and reflects outdated opinions and stereotypes. While Kay did not accept Netflix’s offer, he did note that the streamer sent him a complimentary air fryer, for which he was ‘grateful’ for.
Why Is ‘Phoenix Nights’ Considered Controversial?
Whether something is offensive often comes down to personal opinion, as many adult comedies have proven with political incorrect jokes and stereotyping. Phoenix Nights was given a “15” certificate in the U.K., the equivalent of a TV-MA rating in the U.S., so it was never intended for young audiences. Over the course of its 12 episodes, the show featured many jokes at the expense of its lead character, who was in a wheelchair, an episode involving Chinese immigrants working at a club, and many jokes aimed at other minority groups.
However, like many other shows and movies, there was a kind of satire buried in the characters that aimed the jokes more at those sharing the outdated opinion than those who were the butt of the joke. This kind of humor is often lost if it is not laid out with a clear explanation and usually leads to shows being labeled as more controversial than they really are.
Phoenix Nights, controversial or not, is one of the funniest British comedies ever made, something that is clear from its 8.6 review score on IMDb. Whether it is being called “the best thing on TV,” “absolutely hilarious,” “a masterclass in observational comedy,” or the “Crown Jewel of British comedy,” there are many reasons why Phoenix Nights should be available to stream somewhere. For now, though, it is only available on physical media, or to purchase digitally from Google Play.
- Release Date
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2001 – 2002-00-00
- Network
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Channel 4
- Writers
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Neil Fitzmaurice
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Dave Spikey
Jerry St Clair
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Archie Kelly
Kenny Senior
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