DVDs in Review

Peter Kay: Double Bumper Comedy Compilation

Title: Peter Kay: Double Bumper Comedy Compilation

Release date: November 9 2009

Certificate: 15

Format: DVD

DVD RRP: £19.99

Rating: 2/5

First off, this DVD is a blatant Christmas cash-in, repackaging the exact same material for the umpteenth time just to make a few quid over the festives. Of course, Kay isn't the first entertainer to pull this trick, but he's really taking the cake with the amount of times that he can churn out the same stuff.

What makes matters worse is that his best material isn't here - pick up the double pack of 'Live at the (Bolton) Albert Hall' and 'Live at the Top of the Tower' for the real juice. In this ill-fated collection, you get 'Stand Up Ukay' and 'Special Kay', which aren't quite as cheesy as the puns in their titles but they still rank among his most tepid material.

'Special Kay' is just a collection of clips of Kay in stand-up mode, being interviewed or singing as his comic creation Geraldine for the X Factor spoof.

It's the kind of montage that Kay might keep for his own private archive, or something that may crop up in a documentary about him 30 years from now, but so early in his career what's the real point of this? How many times are you going to gladly put the DVD in just to watch a mildly humorous John Smiths ad?

Seeing Kay crack Michael Parkinson up is funny, as are a handful of other moments but Kay can't seriously expect people to pay money for a ragtag collection of poorly edited clips when they're all available in a more direct format on YouTube. Still, the fans will l find this round-up essential, and, for all it's flaws, it's a very easy and occasionally rewarding watch if only for the nostalgia.

The other title in the box set, 'Stand Up Ukay', is a slight improvement but unfortunately it's still little more than a greatest hits collection, focussing more on his stand-up routine rather than his more general appearances.

All in all, this set is focussed more towards completists or those looking for a quick-fire fix of Peter Kay's admittedly high level of quality. It's a shame that this package doesn't really do him justice.