When I read about this documentary programme advertised, I recognised a couple of the things mentioned that would be included, and I had my guesses of what else may be included, so I was really looking forward to watching. Basically the show was a three hour collection of clips, focusing on the mostly negative moments on televised chat shows, featuring stars of film, television, music, comedy, entertainment, reality TV, journalism, politics and other fields. These included awkward interviews, unruly or rude guests, unruly or rude hosts, swearing on live TV, performance fails, technical problems and various other shocking, embarrassing, cringe-worthy and hilarious incidents, in Britain and/or around the world.
The beginning moments included: Peter Kay running amok on the set of The Jonathan Ross Show; Pamela Stephenson throwing eggs at the wall on TV-AM; Freddie Starr bursting through the set of Sunday, Sunday with Gloria Hunniford; the awkward interview with Meg Ryan on Parkinson; and Sherrie Hewson tripping on the stairs on Pebble Mill. Popular chat show moments included: Des O'Connor Tonight Live and the offensive German Fokker joke by Stan Boardman; Katie Hopkins judging children by their names and getting in a tiff with Holly Willoughby on This Morning; Katrina and the Waves losing sound, the lights going out, she stops miming her song, and starts miming again when the lights come back on, on the Kelly show. Awkward chat shows included: the strange interview with David Blaine by Eamonn Holmes on This Morning; child Elliott Brashear misbehaving and punching Russell Harty in the crotch; and Freddie Starr being awkward, proposing to and kissing Gloria Hunniford on Good Evening Ulster. There was also: Spike Milligan swearing at a stage invader raising money for Children in Need on Wogan live – with replacement host Joanna Lumley; Samantha Fox having a blonde moment on The Clive James Show; Richard Whiteley embarrassed on his show UnBriefed (where he guesses guests from a silhouette and clues) not recognising Paul Whitehouse; and Brigitte Nielsen arguing with Joan Rivers, walking off, and Rivers putting down her husband on The Joan Rivers Position. Memorable chat shows included: Richard Littlejohn Live & Uncut with young Nigella Lawson (then a journalist) and Michael Winner disgusted by the host's comments about the debate of lesbians having children; Wogan hosted by Sir Terry Wogan with David Icke calling himself "the son of God" and his mad theories on the Earth facing destruction; David Icke being mad again and walking off annoyed on Richard Littlejohn Live & Uncut; and The Frost Programme hosted live by Sir David Frost with Jerry Rubin and a bunch of "yippies" (young activist hippies) smoking dope, causing anarchy, Felix Dennis saying the C word and Frost taking the programme to a break. Anarchic chat shows included: Rod Hull and Emu attacking John Stapleton on TV-AM who loses his earpiece; John Lydon and The Sex Pistols swearing (with some goading) on regional current affairs programme Today hosted by Bill Grundy; and American community access television programme The Bleepin! Truth with guests Joe Redner and Tony Katz arguing, trading insults, Katz walks off and throws a chair at Redner. Bad Hollywood chats included: a red carpet interview with Russell Brand and a rude journalist, he leaves her with his mother; Leila McKinnon interviewing Denzel Washington for A Current Affair, but he is in a bad mood and refusing to talk about his past; and magazine website The Hollywood Reporter interviewing Jerry Lewis who is grumpy and rude, giving short answers, with long pauses. More bad chats included: Shane MacGowan drunk in a corridor with presenters; Marilyn Manson sticking a boom microphone up his bum; Billy Bob Thornton, with his band The Box Masters, refusing to talk about filmmaking on a CBC radio show; Sam Fox drunk and arguing with Steve Farrall live on the interview section of The Club; Cream drummer Ginger Baker doing a Q&A but he is miserable; Oliver Reed drunk on The Word; and lead singer of L7 pulls down her underwear live on The Word. There was also: Eamonn Holmes interviewing Alan Wen for Sky News, but almost mistaking Wen for being a woman; T4's Popworld with Alex Zane interviewing Avril Lavigne, trying to be funny, but she is cheesed off and looks away to try and get away; Judo and martial artist champion Ronda Rousey on Tru MMA Show throwing around the host Aaron Tru; Jonah Hill on Le Grand Journal having French translated, being the butt of a joke and insulted by Ornella Fleury; Costa Rica show Que Rico! experiencing a live earthquake; and New York cable show True Talk with Psychic Tita (who is supposed to hear voices) who is slightly deaf unable to hear audience questions. The last chat show moments included: The James Whale Radio Show with band The Mission lead singer Wayne Hussey who is very drunk, breaking and throwing things; Tracey Emin slurring, not making sense, admitting to being drunk and walking out on Is Painting Dead?; and Pebble Mill hosted by Gloria Hunniford, with comedian Paul Shane murdering the song "You've Lost That Loving Feeling".
I had my guesses what chat show moments would be included, the bad ones, the funny ones and the awkward ones, I always enjoy the nostalgia seeing these moments again, but it was good to learn about the serious stuff as well, some of them I had only heard a little about, overall it was a most interesting and highly watchable documentary.
Narrated by Gloria Hunniford, with contributions from Kathryn Apanowixz (Richard Whiteley's long-term partner), Helen Atkinson- Wood, Alex Beresford, Stan Boardman, Lizzie Cundy, Mark Curry, Bobby Davro, Tom Deacon, Anne Diamond, Paul Foot, Sean Fletcher, Lauren Harries, Charlotte Hawkins, Tony Hawks, Sherrie Hewson, Dominic Holland, Eamonn Holmes, Katie Hopkins, Lisa Maxwell, Kym Mazelle, Melinda Messenger, Bill Oddie, Ted Robbins, Robert Ross (British comedy historian), Celia Sawyer, Suzanne Shaw, John Stapleton, Philippa Tomson, Aaron Tru (host of Tru MMA Show), Tim Vincent, Alan Wen and James Whale. Very good!
The beginning moments included: Peter Kay running amok on the set of The Jonathan Ross Show; Pamela Stephenson throwing eggs at the wall on TV-AM; Freddie Starr bursting through the set of Sunday, Sunday with Gloria Hunniford; the awkward interview with Meg Ryan on Parkinson; and Sherrie Hewson tripping on the stairs on Pebble Mill. Popular chat show moments included: Des O'Connor Tonight Live and the offensive German Fokker joke by Stan Boardman; Katie Hopkins judging children by their names and getting in a tiff with Holly Willoughby on This Morning; Katrina and the Waves losing sound, the lights going out, she stops miming her song, and starts miming again when the lights come back on, on the Kelly show. Awkward chat shows included: the strange interview with David Blaine by Eamonn Holmes on This Morning; child Elliott Brashear misbehaving and punching Russell Harty in the crotch; and Freddie Starr being awkward, proposing to and kissing Gloria Hunniford on Good Evening Ulster. There was also: Spike Milligan swearing at a stage invader raising money for Children in Need on Wogan live – with replacement host Joanna Lumley; Samantha Fox having a blonde moment on The Clive James Show; Richard Whiteley embarrassed on his show UnBriefed (where he guesses guests from a silhouette and clues) not recognising Paul Whitehouse; and Brigitte Nielsen arguing with Joan Rivers, walking off, and Rivers putting down her husband on The Joan Rivers Position. Memorable chat shows included: Richard Littlejohn Live & Uncut with young Nigella Lawson (then a journalist) and Michael Winner disgusted by the host's comments about the debate of lesbians having children; Wogan hosted by Sir Terry Wogan with David Icke calling himself "the son of God" and his mad theories on the Earth facing destruction; David Icke being mad again and walking off annoyed on Richard Littlejohn Live & Uncut; and The Frost Programme hosted live by Sir David Frost with Jerry Rubin and a bunch of "yippies" (young activist hippies) smoking dope, causing anarchy, Felix Dennis saying the C word and Frost taking the programme to a break. Anarchic chat shows included: Rod Hull and Emu attacking John Stapleton on TV-AM who loses his earpiece; John Lydon and The Sex Pistols swearing (with some goading) on regional current affairs programme Today hosted by Bill Grundy; and American community access television programme The Bleepin! Truth with guests Joe Redner and Tony Katz arguing, trading insults, Katz walks off and throws a chair at Redner. Bad Hollywood chats included: a red carpet interview with Russell Brand and a rude journalist, he leaves her with his mother; Leila McKinnon interviewing Denzel Washington for A Current Affair, but he is in a bad mood and refusing to talk about his past; and magazine website The Hollywood Reporter interviewing Jerry Lewis who is grumpy and rude, giving short answers, with long pauses. More bad chats included: Shane MacGowan drunk in a corridor with presenters; Marilyn Manson sticking a boom microphone up his bum; Billy Bob Thornton, with his band The Box Masters, refusing to talk about filmmaking on a CBC radio show; Sam Fox drunk and arguing with Steve Farrall live on the interview section of The Club; Cream drummer Ginger Baker doing a Q&A but he is miserable; Oliver Reed drunk on The Word; and lead singer of L7 pulls down her underwear live on The Word. There was also: Eamonn Holmes interviewing Alan Wen for Sky News, but almost mistaking Wen for being a woman; T4's Popworld with Alex Zane interviewing Avril Lavigne, trying to be funny, but she is cheesed off and looks away to try and get away; Judo and martial artist champion Ronda Rousey on Tru MMA Show throwing around the host Aaron Tru; Jonah Hill on Le Grand Journal having French translated, being the butt of a joke and insulted by Ornella Fleury; Costa Rica show Que Rico! experiencing a live earthquake; and New York cable show True Talk with Psychic Tita (who is supposed to hear voices) who is slightly deaf unable to hear audience questions. The last chat show moments included: The James Whale Radio Show with band The Mission lead singer Wayne Hussey who is very drunk, breaking and throwing things; Tracey Emin slurring, not making sense, admitting to being drunk and walking out on Is Painting Dead?; and Pebble Mill hosted by Gloria Hunniford, with comedian Paul Shane murdering the song "You've Lost That Loving Feeling".
I had my guesses what chat show moments would be included, the bad ones, the funny ones and the awkward ones, I always enjoy the nostalgia seeing these moments again, but it was good to learn about the serious stuff as well, some of them I had only heard a little about, overall it was a most interesting and highly watchable documentary.
Narrated by Gloria Hunniford, with contributions from Kathryn Apanowixz (Richard Whiteley's long-term partner), Helen Atkinson- Wood, Alex Beresford, Stan Boardman, Lizzie Cundy, Mark Curry, Bobby Davro, Tom Deacon, Anne Diamond, Paul Foot, Sean Fletcher, Lauren Harries, Charlotte Hawkins, Tony Hawks, Sherrie Hewson, Dominic Holland, Eamonn Holmes, Katie Hopkins, Lisa Maxwell, Kym Mazelle, Melinda Messenger, Bill Oddie, Ted Robbins, Robert Ross (British comedy historian), Celia Sawyer, Suzanne Shaw, John Stapleton, Philippa Tomson, Aaron Tru (host of Tru MMA Show), Tim Vincent, Alan Wen and James Whale. Very good!
