BBC's Car Share is highest-rated sitcom to premiere on any channel
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Version 0 of 1. The BBC appears to have struck comedy gold with Peter Kay’s Car Share, with the series becoming the highest-rated new sitcom to premiere on any channel since 2011. Car Share, which concludes its run on Friday night, has proved to be a belter for BBC1 with consolidated figures showing 6.85 million people watched its opening episode on television, while another 2.5 million viewed it on BBC iPlayer. That makes it the most-watched episode of a new sitcom since 2011 and compares favourably even with BBC1’s other sitcom giants such as Mrs Brown’s Boys, which began with fewer than 3 million viewers when it first aired on BBC1 in 2011. Discussions are going on for a second series of Car Share – unsurprising given the difficulty broadcasters have finding new popular comedy series for BBC1. BBC England director Peter Salmon described it recently as like “panning for gold”. When it was premiered on iPlayer for a limited time last month, there was an indication that Car Share would be popular as it became the most watched series to premiere as a box set on the online service. The comedy has a seemingly simple premise, being set mostly in a Fiat driven by supermarket manager John (played by Kay) as he is thrown together with his colleague Kayleigh (played by Sian Gibson) as part of a car-sharing scheme by the company they work for. It has been applauded for its performances and writing, and features surreal touches such as John and Kayleigh performing in animated daydream sequences. Shane Allen, the BBC’s comedy commissioning controller, said: “Car Share was the first BBC commission I got away on arrival, so it’s always been very close to my heart. Peter works so hard and this is the first narrative where he’s played a naturalistic version of himself. His friendship and chemistry with Sian is genuine and comes across really endearingly on screen. Peter’s back in Cradle to Grave on BBC Two this autumn – another warm-hearted comedy which I’m very excited about.” Car Share also includes subtle gags about local radio and street signs and has inspired an online playlist based on the songs played on the fictional Forever FM radio station that they listen to on their way to work in Manchester. But the show also signals a new way of using BBC iPlayer as a springboard for new comedies. The BBC has traditionally used BBC2 or BBC3 as launching pads for emerging shows but the success of Car Share on iPlayer may stem some fears about the prospects for new comedy if proposals to make BBC3 online only go ahead later in 2015. Car Share is directed by Kay and is the first time he has worked for the BBC. He was one of the first major signings when Allen moved over from Channel 4 three years ago. |