British Comedian Peter Kay Rejected Netflix’s Offer to Stream ‘Phoenix Nights’ Over Woke Trigger Warnings

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Many British comedy fans consider a certain show to be one of the all-time greats. However, despite its popularity, it’s surprisingly difficult to watch online. The show’s creator was offered a deal by a major streaming service to make it available on their platform, but he turned it down. He had a good reason for not wanting the show added to their library.

The TV show Phoenix Nights is similar in style to adult animated comedies like Family Guy and South Park, meaning it often pushes boundaries with its humor. Peter Kay recently explained in an interview with Capital FM that he turned down a deal with Netflix because they wanted to add trigger warnings to each episode, citing potentially offensive content. Kay felt this wasn’t right for the show.

So, Netflix contacted me last year about getting Phoenix Nights onto their service, which was pretty wild! They sent over a ton of legal stuff, but it turns out some of the humor hasn’t aged brilliantly – it’s not super politically correct by today’s standards, you know? They were suggesting adding a trigger warning at the beginning of every episode, but honestly, I’m not a fan of that. I’d rather people just watch it as it was made, without a disclaimer beforehand.

Kay said the disclaimer Netflix proposed would have explained that the show was created nearly 25 years ago and contains views and stereotypes that are no longer considered acceptable. Although Kay declined Netflix’s offer to add the disclaimer, he appreciated that they sent him a free air fryer as a gesture of goodwill.

Why Is ‘Phoenix Nights’ Considered Controversial?


Channel 4

What people find offensive is often subjective, and many comedies aimed at adults have pushed boundaries with jokes considered politically incorrect or reliant on stereotypes. The British show Phoenix Nights received a rating that meant it wasn’t intended for children. Throughout its 12 episodes, it included jokes about its main character, who used a wheelchair, a storyline featuring Chinese immigrants, and humor targeting various minority groups.

Like many shows and movies, this one used satire – its jokes were often aimed at the people holding outdated beliefs, rather than at the groups those beliefs targeted. This subtle humor can be easily missed without explanation, and it often leads to the show being seen as more controversial than intended.

Okay, look, as a comedy fan, I have to say Phoenix Nights is seriously one of the funniest British shows ever. I mean, it consistently gets amazing reviews – an 8.6 on IMDb speaks for itself! People call it everything from the best thing on TV to a perfect example of how to do observational comedy, even the ‘crown jewel’ of British comedy. It needs to be on a streaming service! Right now, though, you’re stuck with buying the DVDs or getting it digitally from Google Play. It’s a crime it’s not more accessible, honestly.

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2025-11-29 02:49