A fond, festive W
HOEVER thought to bring together three legends of the stage and screen – Ian McKellen, Derek Jacobi and Frances de la Tour – for this sitcom deserves an extra mince pie this Christmas.
But sadly this is the last hurrah for the marvellous acting trio, with the final ever episode about the lives of newly-weds Freddie (McKellen) and Stuart (Jacobi) and their best friend Violet (de la Tour).
McKellen and Jacobi don’t even utter a word for the first few minutes of this hour-long special, and yet the opening scene is completely engaging.
Following their adventures through the seasons (it’s like four mini episodes), we begin in Spring, and Freddie and Stuart are sashaying around in silk dressing gowns and drinking tea from china cups. WE always assumed it was Graham’s cheeky Irish charm and unflappable interview skills that kept the A-listers rolling in.
But perhaps they are just keen to have a go at flipping the Big Red Chair – ie trying to keep Graham’s attention with a gripping story, without him (or a celeb) tipping them off the seat.
And now the Chair has become so famous, it’s even getting its own show – a behind the scenes special.
Tonight we are firmly in our Friday night routine, with Oscar-winner Nicole Kidman, pictured, and Best Exotic Marigold Hotel star Dev Patel in the house – they appear together in new movie Lion.
Joining them are Oscar-nominee Felicity Jones of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, comedian and author Dawn French, promoting new TV drama series Delicious, and Sir Michael Parkinson, who discusses his book Muhammad Ali: A Memoir. And as if that wasn’t enough excitement for one night, gorgeous singer Jack Savoretti performs Only You. WITH Al Pacino graffiti on the walls, stunning vistas and mouth-watering food, Palermo in northern Sicily is Rick’s final stop.
The chef has been checking out the best spots in Europe, and we’ve lapped it up.
And really, how can anyone not love a show that even has its own ‘Fly Me To The Moon’– style theme tune? – “Hey Rick! Where we goin’ this weekend?”
And so to Palermo, a city with Arab, North African, French, Spanish and Italian influences, making its cuisine unique.
“If you like a strong sense of the past, great street food, a touch of the baroque, with hint of The Godfather, plus a swim, this could be for you,” says Rick, ever the Tourist Board’s dream.
After champagne and canolis in his hotel room, it’s onto the streets where he samples octopus straight out of the sea (via a pot of boiling water for about 10 minutes).
“It’s an epiphany of seafood,” he exclaims, before joining the celebrations for a local festival. As ever, he’ll convince you to book a weekend break before the episode ends.