Spikey pens decorating sitcom

Phoenix Nights star Dave Spikey is working on a new comedy-drama about painters and decorators.

ITV have already expressed an interest in the show, titled Magnolia, and Spikey is currently writing a 90-minute opening episode.

The news comes as Spikey’s first ITV sitcom, Dead Man Weds, co-starring Johnny Vegas as a lazy local newspaper reporter, prepares to launch on January 5.

Spikey, who co-wrote Phoenix Nights with Peter Kay and Neil Fitzmaurice, said he chose the subject of painters and decorators because that was the occupation of his father, his wife’s father, his brother-in-law and best friend.

He said: “I’ve always been interested and fascinated by the events and experiences encountered by tradesmen when they are invited into family homes, shops, pubs and businesses to undertakework.

“Every week a different place, different people and so different stories and characters to interact with our painters.

“If it goes to series, in every episode we have enormous potential to introduce new characters, from a single parent with two kids living in a council flat in Salford to a bullied wife living in luxury and loneliness in a £500,000 house in Wilmslow.

“We can jump between the two, see how our painters interact how they affect the story  and how it affects them and their relationships with each other.”

Published: 15 Dec 2004