A chat with the talk show king
GOSSIP Girl was a cult classic
when it ran from 2007 to 2012. Now there’s a reboot, airing Wednesdays on BBC1, introducing a brand-new set of rich, entitled teenagers, running their privileged corner of New York City.
The teachers in their posh private school try to wrestle back control from their students, who react to bad
grades by getting people fired.
Reimagining the original Gossip Girl blog, the staff launch an Instagram account designed to spread secrets and start feuds. Sequels can never capture the same magic as the
original, but this is a fitting follow-up.
LONG before Graham Norton’s sofa of stars, there was only one talk show all the A-listers wanted to appear on.
Parkinson was less of a TV programme, more of an institution.
I remember watching in amazement as guarded celebs would reveal intimate details of their lives on a Saturday night – anecdotes they wouldn’t share with any other interviewer.
Even if you didn’t care too much about the person in the hotseat, the conversation would always be interesting, and often surprising.
Who could forget the look of embarrassment on David Beckham’s face when Victoria revealed her nickname for him was ‘Golden Balls’?
As we celebrate half a century since the first episode aired, the legendary interviewer, now 86, took the time to go back through the archives. He picked out some memorable moments with the stars for last night’s Parkinson at 50 show on BBC1, with only the tiniest acknowledgement of Rod Hull and Emu.
He talked about getting flustered and flirting outrageously with his teen pin-up Lauren Bacall, a life-affirming chat with Jimmy Stewart and a treasured conversation with John Lennon and Yoko Ono.
Michael’s first big interview came when he was working at Granada television and he was sent to speak to a young Mick Jagger – a prospect that terrified him.
Once he relaxed into interviews, Michael admitted he was always scared of tripping over when he came down the famous stairs at the start of the show.
Parky relived encounters with the likes of Peter Kay, Tommy Cooper and Victoria Wood, remembering the moments he couldn’t stop laughing.
But he had the good grace to discuss the conversations that left him cringing too – not just the infamous Meg Ryan moment, but also a toe-curling chat with Helen Mirren and a fiery clash with Muhammad Ali. He acknowledged that some of his reactions were “pompous” and misjudged, but when you’ve interviewed literally thousands of stars, there will always be some people you just don’t get on with – and others who “restore your faith” like Denzel Washington and Billy Connolly.
Interviewed by his son Mike, there’s also time for Michael to reflect on his own life.
Growing up in a pit village in Yorkshire, his dad took him down the mine as a kid to encourage him to work hard and forge a different career.
Journalism gave him a long-running show that began as a 10-week summer experiment and went on to give us decades of entertainment, insight and laughs. So thanks, Parky – here’s to you.