Perfectionist Peter films Phoenix Nights sequel

Peter Kay has started shooting his follow-up to Phoenix Nights in his home town of Bolton.

The new six-part sitcom will be called Road To Knowhere and follows the exploits of nightclub bouncers Max and Paddy as they tour Britain in a camper van.

Filming has proved a painstaking affair, with just a couple of minutes’ footage being shot during each 12-hour day, thanks to  Kay’s perfectionism – and because passers-by interrupt proceedings by shouting out his catchphrases like “Ave It” and “Garlic bread?”.

Kay, and co-star and co-writer Patrick McGuinness, have already shot scenes in Bolton’s main shopping centre, a supermarket car-park  and outside Swinton Civic Centre, which doubled as a magistrates’ court.

Another scene will be shot in the town’s cinema, where Kay used to work, as his character Max takes his dwarf girlfriend to see a film.

Last week, Kay was there to see a film himself, and joked to box-office staff that a price rise to £5 a ticket made it too expensive. "It's cheaper than paying £20 for your DVD to watch you tell us things about Bolton that we already know," the cashier replied.

Filming on Road To Nowhere, which will be screened on Channel 4 in November, continues across the country this week.

Kay told the Bolton Evening News: "I am very pleased with the new series.

“I obviously don't want to give away any surprises but there is lots for Phoenix Nights fans to enjoy and I have tried to inject more drama to mix with the comedy.

 "We have assembled a fantastic cast and crew and everything's going great."

McGuinness added: "Not long ago I would have considered 10am the crack of dawn. Now I'm having to get up at 5am. It's a killer.

“But having said that, it's good to see it all coming together. The scripts are very funny; there's some good stuff in there."

The Evening News got their story after deputy editor Ian Savage was invited on set to be an extra in a scene that had to be shot 14 times until Kay was satisfied. Click here to read his experiences.

Published: 5 Jul 2004