dead Michael Parkinson

[Sean 5,999]

2 minutes ago, Insane said:

Yes, And Young.

Remember Larry King?He was pretty much the British equivalent.

[Insane 321]

2 minutes ago, Sean said:

Remember Larry King?He was pretty much the British equivalent.

Not much, when I mean young I mean like the people here might be 2 times older than I am

[Bibliogryphon 8,662]

10 hours ago, TQR said:

“Chat show host is toast”? Weak. 2/10.

 

CARKINSON. IT WAS RIGHT THERE.

 

Chatter -> Box

[Bated Death 4]

8 hours ago, Youth in Asia said:

Overrated as a chat show host but underrated as a Yorkshireman.

Fair enough, would be interested to know which British chat show hosts are/were better?

[Kenny 281]

8 hours ago, Youth in Asia said:

Overrated as a chat show host but underrated as a Yorkshireman.

 

Over-rated in every way. Parky was another professional Yorkshireman who betrayed his roots. He was just an odious celebrity arse-licker.

 

 

 

[Gadget 17]

R.I.P. Parky.

[RoverAndOut 3,480]

24 minutes ago, Kenny said:

 

Over-rated in every way. Parky was another professional Yorkshireman who betrayed his roots. He was just an odious celebrity arse-licker.

 

What absolute bollocks. His own parents were the ones who said there was no way he was going down the pits like his father, grandfather, great grandfather, etc. As if educating yourself and making something of your life is betraying your roots! He lived in Yorkshire until he died, was a regular at Yorkshire cricket matches and Barnsley football matches but no. Just a "professional Yorkshireman who betrayed his roots." Tell Meg Ryan he's an arse licker. Tell Noel Gallagher, who he ambushed with details about his abusive father. He did his research, he let his guests tell their stories, he provided entertainment and we were all better informed as a result.

[Sly Ronnie 617]

2 hours ago, Bibliogryphon said:

 

Chatter -> Box

 

Parky Carks It.

[time 7,969]

10 hours ago, Sly Ronnie said:

That's another one from Wings' 'Band on the Run' cover to chalk off.

Only McCartney, Laine & Conteh left.

[time 7,969]

13 hours ago, TQR said:

“Chat show host is toast”? Weak. 2/10.

 

CARKINSON. IT WAS RIGHT THERE.

Parkinson's Decease

[Evil Grimace 317]

11 minutes ago, time said:

Parkinson's Decease

@time has it here.

 

And this thread has the best tag line, so kudos @Paul Bearer.  Everytime I read it, the voice and intonation is Parkinson's. 

 

[ajlposh 449]

As an American with very limited knowledge on this man, did anyone watch Ghostwatch when it aired back in the day? He hosted it. I saw it mentioned on an iceberg YouTube video. The story behind it, as well as the show itself, is very fascinating

[Youth in Asia 1,023]

8 hours ago, Bated Death said:

Fair enough, would be interested to know which British chat show hosts are/were better?

Loads of them. He just lobbed easy questions of the "please explain why you are so great" variety. Even in this category I would put him behind Wogan, Ross and several others.

[time 7,969]

5 hours ago, Youth in Asia said:

Loads of them. He just lobbed easy questions of the "please explain why you are so great" variety. Even in this category I would put him behind Wogan, Ross and several others.

Wogan was pretty good, Ross loves the sound of his own voice too much, but without Parkinson, there would have been no Wogan/Ross chat shows. You also seem to be missing the point of a late night chat show. The whole idea of the show was to get the guests to open up, be relaxed and be themselves, accomplished by asking 'easy questions' and then letting the guests speak.

[YoungWillz 19,100]

5 hours ago, Youth in Asia said:

Loads of them. He just lobbed easy questions of the "please explain why you are so great" variety. Even in this category I would put him behind Wogan, Ross and several others.

I can't let this pass. This is quite an extraordinary statement.

 

There is no doubt that he admired many of his guests and to a certain extent respected their boundaries. But he was the last superb chat show host for many reasons. 

 

He was a journalist rather than a comedian or personality. He did his research and knew more than he asked questions about of his guests. Back in the day, he was not averse to either deliberately or inadvertently provoking his guests - something that rarely happens now because the guests' PR team tell the host what they cannot ask. On many occasions he had people on who had nothing to promote or sell. He gave inordinate amounts of time to the guests to tell their stories. And when they stepped out of line, they looked like idiots against an interested but objective questioner.

 

Kenneth Williams went off on one about striking workers once - Parkinson told him his opinion was utter crap. Ali really went off on one when challenged rightly I thought about the belief system - and he allowed him to do it.

 

People queued up to be interviewed by Parkinson. With other chat shows it's a treadmill to sell their latest product with vetted questions.

 

He wasn't perfect, lord no. But incomparable. I'd say so.

[Sean 5,999]

12 hours ago, Sly Ronnie said:

 

Parky Carks It.

Other Funeral plans are available.

[harrymcnallysblueandwhitearmy 1,464]

1 hour ago, YoungWillz said:

I can't let this pass. This is quite an extraordinary statement.

 

There is no doubt that he admired many of his guests and to a certain extent respected their boundaries. But he was the last superb chat show host for many reasons. 

 

He was a journalist rather than a comedian or personality. He did his research and knew more than he asked questions about of his guests. Back in the day, he was not averse to either deliberately or inadvertently provoking his guests - something that rarely happens now because the guests' PR team tell the host what they cannot ask. On many occasions he had people on who had nothing to promote or sell. He gave inordinate amounts of time to the guests to tell their stories. And when they stepped out of line, they looked like idiots against an interested but objective questioner.

 

Kenneth Williams went off on one about striking workers once - Parkinson told him his opinion was utter crap. Ali really went off on one when challenged rightly I thought about the belief system - and he allowed him to do it.

 

People queued up to be interviewed by Parkinson. With other chat shows it's a treadmill to sell their latest product with vetted questions.

 

He wasn't perfect, lord no. But incomparable. I'd say so.

Indeed. I wouldn’t watch a Norton, Ross, Morgan or any of the modern chat shows in a million years, but I’d happily watch old Parky editions. His self-effacing style was better and his guests were generally more interesting.

[YoungWillz 19,100]

5 minutes ago, harrymcnallysblueandwhitearmy said:

Indeed. I wouldn’t watch a Norton, Ross, Morgan or any of the modern chat shows in a million years, but I’d happily watch old Parky editions. His self-effacing style was better and his guests were generally more interesting.

The modern stuff is a problem - it's a clique within a clique within a clique. I don't feel like the audience are part of the conversation, unlike Parkinson where the guests not only talked to him as the host but did generally address the audience. Nowadays they talk across each other and we are left as mere observers of the privileged - and I include the hosts in that.

 

To be fair, Norton's Channel 4 show was excellent back in the day and much more of building on what Parky had done, perhaps in a little more childish fashion (who can forget Sarah Brightman talking about the size of Andrew Lloyd Webber's schlong?!). Then he went to the Beeb and became an utter sycophant, basking in the reflected glory of his guests and not actually seeming to get very much out of them. Mrs Merton was on the way there too. 

 

All the promising buds of chat show have died. Now we are supposed to just lap up anecdotes from the rich and famous and not see them challenged or be prepared to feel discomfited.

[RoverAndOut 3,480]

1 hour ago, YoungWillz said:

The modern stuff is a problem - it's a clique within a clique within a clique. I don't feel like the audience are part of the conversation, unlike Parkinson where the guests not only talked to him as the host but did generally address the audience. Nowadays they talk across each other and we are left as mere observers of the privileged - and I include the hosts in that.

 

To be fair, Norton's Channel 4 show was excellent back in the day and much more of building on what Parky had done, perhaps in a little more childish fashion (who can forget Sarah Brightman talking about the size of Andrew Lloyd Webber's schlong?!). Then he went to the Beeb and became an utter sycophant, basking in the reflected glory of his guests and not actually seeming to get very much out of them. Mrs Merton was on the way there too. 

 

All the promising buds of chat show have died. Now we are supposed to just lap up anecdotes from the rich and famous and not see them challenged or be prepared to feel discomfited.

 

It is worth pointing out that the job isn't as easy these days. Celebrities have many more avenues and much more control over getting their messaging out. Don't get me wrong, it's a two-way street: appearing on Graham Norton brings a big audience to your work but how long would he be on air if he couldn't get big movie stars and pop stars on his couch?

 

In Parky's day, guests had to appear to promote their work. Or else were happy to go on to discuss their life or career. Nowadays, there are other ways of promoting your work and if you want to look back on your life, you right a glossy autobiography that's serialised in the newspapers. Interviews are very much done on the terms of the interviewee rather than the interviewer these days, which means the only time we find out much about them is when they want us to. Which is sad, but inevitable.

[YoungWillz 19,100]

4 minutes ago, RoverAndOut said:

 

It is worth pointing out that the job isn't as easy these days. Celebrities have many more avenues and much more control over getting their messaging out. Don't get me wrong, it's a two-way street: appearing on Graham Norton brings a big audience to your work but how long would he be on air if he couldn't get big movie stars and pop stars on his couch?

 

In Parky's day, guests had to appear to promote their work. Or else were happy to go on to discuss their life or career. Nowadays, there are other ways of promoting your work and if you want to look back on your life, you right a glossy autobiography that's serialised in the newspapers. Interviews are very much done on the terms of the interviewee rather than the interviewer these days, which means the only time we find out much about them is when they want us to. Which is sad, but inevitable.

Oh, I'm with you. 100%.

 

Which is why more often than not, folk don't watch. The format in its current incarnation is redundant. We learn nothing new, the mix of guests is limited and it's all done almost to a script. It is a waste of everybody's time to watch this frippery.

[SovietJohnny 93]

Full House!!

[YoungWillz 19,100]

10 minutes ago, SovietJohnny said:

Full House!!

Did we ever establish that the kid Richard Jones is in fact dead? Born in 1958. We may never know...

 

And who was the mysterious dame hidden behind Sid James? 

[Handrejka 1,840]

On 18/08/2023 at 16:03, YoungWillz said:

Did we ever establish that the kid Richard Jones is in fact dead? Born in 1958. We may never know...

 

And who was the mysterious dame hidden behind Sid James? 

Probably no-one famous. I'm sure an actress would have made damn sure she was seen.  

[DeathClock 378]

Genuine Question...

 

As an American, whenever The Deathlist hits on a British person (or other nationality) I am quite emotionless. The only non-American hit that I was interested in was Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. Other than that, I feel nothing when a non-American public figure dies. In contrast, when there is an American "hit" I pay a lot more attention to it and I might even get bummed out when learning of the passing. 

 

I was wondering if British folks on this forum feel a similar way whenever the Deathlist has an American "hit"? 

[SovietJohnny 93]

2 minutes ago, DeathClock said:

Genuine Question...

 

As an American, whenever The Deathlist hits on a British person (or other nationality) I am quite emotionless. The only non-American hit that I was interested in was Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. Other than that, I feel nothing when a non-American public figure dies. In contrast, when there is an American "hit" I pay a lot more attention to it and I might even get bummed out when learning of the passing. 

 

I was wondering if British folks on this forum feel a similar way whenever the Deathlist has an American "hit"? 

Commonly (and you Yanks are very common) known as “America First”