Peter Kay’s Car Share will be back for a second series
John and Kayleigh will return in a four-part series in 2017 – but will romance be in the air?
Peter Kay is bringing back his Bafta-winning comedy Car Share, the BBC has confirmed.
The show – set entirely in the car of Kay’s character John as he drives his friend Kayleigh (Sian Gibson) to work –was a hit with viewers when it aired in 2015 and also won the best scripted comedy award at the 2016 Baftas.
The first series climaxed with a ‘will they won’t they’ moment between John and Kayleigh as their chemistry grew, and by the close of series one it looked as if romance was on the cards.
The soundtrack to their friendship – courtesy of fictional local radio station Forever FM – was sealed with a mix CD from Kayleigh to John.
Filming on the second series had to wait until this summer, because the show needed to be shot in brighter weather. Set to air in 2017, it will be slightly shorter – four episodes instead of six.
As with series one, the second batch will premiere on BBC iPlayer in its entirety before broadcast.
The comedy remains the most-watched new sitcom since 2011. As a box set it received three million iPlayer requests in its first four days and on BBC1 was watched by more than six million viewers, according to consolidated ratings figures.
Kay said: "What a joy to be working on the second series of Car Share with the wonderful Sian Gibson. The success of the first series has been completely overwhelming."
Gibson added: “I’m really excited that Car Share is coming back. We had so much fun making the first series and I can’t wait to be Kayleigh Kitson again.”
Charlotte Moore, BBC controller, TV Channels and iPlayer, said: “Car Share broke the mould, innovated and took risks in comedy on primetime BBC1 – a show that epitomises what the channel is all about. I can’t wait for the Bafta award-winning series to return and discover where Peter Kay and Sian Gibson take those gorgeous characters that the nation fell in love with.”
Shane Allen, the BBC’s controller of comedy commissioning, added: “There is so much more to explore between John and Kayleigh in their journey together each day and in life. The writing on the new series is sublime – intimate, poignant and hilarious. With Peter Kay and Sian Gibson at the wheel, audiences are in for another fantastic treat.”
As well as the Bafta award, Care Share's haul of prizes also include Best Comedy at the National Television Awards, Best Entertainment Programme at the TRIC Awards and four awards at the RTS North West Awards.
The new series of Car Share will be shown in 2017
