Richard Herring's Leicester Square Podcast Thread 2017 + Edition

[mjwilson]

I'm now wondering if the good episodes are generally the first recorded, as doing two in one night sounds exhausting.

I saw him at the Lowry and he was half-arsing it during the Jimmy Cricket one, then perked up for the Sarah Millican one (which was second).

[Tony Tony Tony]

I saw him at the Lowry and he was half-arsing it during the Jimmy Cricket one, then perked up for the Sarah Millican one (which was second).

Curiously I felt it was the other way around, at least in terms of the entertainment value of the actual audio versions of the podcast.

As has been said elsewhere on this thread the old school guests, for the most part, know how to work a crowd and can often be quality despite Herrings best efforts at sabotaging his own thing.

Although it may be obvious the choice of guest will inevitably affect the outcome, not every single one will hit home for everyone. Even the likes of legendary interviewers like Michael Parkinson had off days (Meg Ryan comes to mind).

I guess what I am trying to say is it is horses for courses in that some will enjoy what others don't. I recall one RHLSTP when the issue of tastes in comedy came up (i cant recall which one or ones) where the discussion centered on why when someone doesn't get a particular comic they brand their entire output as shite. You wouldn't do that with many other forms of entertainment, just because I dislike say Mull of Kintyre or the Frog Chorus I shouldn't condemn the whole of Wings (AKA The Band the Beatles Could Have Been) output.

If Herring wanted to be the next Parkinson (and I am not sure he does) he could do worse than heed the advice given in the last bit of this... https://shipmonk.co.uk/2018/05/03/sir-michael-parkinson-reveals-his-best-and-worst-interviews-ever-ahead-of-his-guest-spot-on-two-cunard-ships/           

[McFlymo]

What appealed to me (all those years ago) when I first heard RHLSTP, was how there were no airs or graces with Herring, he talked about himself as much as his guest talked, so it was a conversation and he wasn't sucking up to them, and I like that he's obnoxious and cheeky at times. I even don't mind the Emergency Questions from time to time. [and the theme tune is grand]

Several years on, I still enjoy those quirky qualities to RHLSTP, but Herring has never changed his tune or updated his schtick, so while it's fine for his guest and maybe some of the audience present, for fans who've invested in the show for years, we're hearing the same tired shit over and over again.

[sutin]

What appealed to me (all those years ago) when I first heard RHLSTP, was how there were no airs or graces with Herring, he talked about himself as much as his guest talked, so it was a conversation and he wasn't sucking up to them, and I like that he's obnoxious and cheeky at times. I even don't mind the Emergency Questions from time to time. [and the theme tune is grand]

Several years on, I still enjoy those quirky qualities to RHLSTP, but Herring has never changed his tune or updated his schtick, so while it's fine for his guest and maybe some of the audience present, for fans who've invested in the show for years, we're hearing the same tired shit over and over again.

I loved the emergency questions in the early days (except "have you ever sucked your own cock?", that was never funny) because he'd ask the same ones each week and it was fun to compare answers from different guests. When he has a book of them and asks random ones out of a 1000, it's pointless and dull.

[lankyguy95]

I loved the emergency questions in the early days (except "have you ever sucked your own cock?", that was never funny).

I take it you never listened to the Nick Frost episode?

[sutin]

I take it you never listened to the Nick Frost episode?

I've listened to them all, i'll relisten to his.

[Rolf Lundgren]

Listened to the Russell Howard one and thought there were a couple of eggy moments. Rich getting some abuse for his stone clearing podcast for example. Russell generally seemed a bit fed up, possibly because he said this was one of the last things he was doing before having time off to get married. Either way I thought Rich did a good job with a guest dragging his feet.

[beanheadmcginty]

The Canadian bloke in the latest one occasionally sounds like Seinfeld. But only occasionally.

[lankyguy95]

Caroline Quentin is on this week's.

[Tony Tony Tony]

Listened to the Caroline Quentin episode yesterday.

She came across as very likable and not phased by Herring's more outre emergency questions. Also I wasn't really aware of what a varied career she had. Going from end of the peer hoofer to potential national treasure actor via 'overnight' telly stardom.

I was a tad disappointed that there was very little mention of her marriage to Paul Merton. I don't recall he mentioned it either during his RHLSTP. Maybe they don't like talking about it in public and my appetite for potentially salacious gossip needs sating elsewhere.       

[Tony Yeboah]

Yes I enjoyed the Quentin chat. It's not a laugh-out-loud episode but I do like interviews where they go through the C.V. I'm genuinely interested to hear about her playing a traffic warden in Mr Bean and not many other interviewers would discuss that. It was Quentin who brought up Paul Merton at one point, but it would seem impolite for Herring to ask about a failed marriage unless she particularly wanted to talk about it.

[Ponty Mython]

I'm genuinely interested to hear about her playing a traffic warden in Mr Bean and not many other interviewers would discuss that.

Fill yer boots... https://youtu.be/qhk052z56dk

[Rolf Lundgren]

Caroline Quentin was good value. A bit luvvie at times but charming with it. I forgot how varied her career had been and there was a lot to talk about. Could have gone on for another hour really as they don't manage to scratch the surface of a lot of things.

A warning that it's very Emergency Questions heavy at the end although there were different ones rather than the usual.

[lankyguy95]

I was a tad disappointed that there was very little mention of her marriage to Paul Merton. I don't recall he mentioned it either during his RHLSTP. Maybe they don't like talking about it in public and my appetite for potentially salacious gossip needs sating elsewhere.     

I got the sense, maybe wrongly, that Herring was edging towards it when he brought up the Comedy Store players, trying to see if it might be something she'd be willing to talk about. He maybe dismissed it when she just name-checked Merton alongside the other members. She did bring him up later on but I guess he didn't want to press her on it, probably rightly.

[vainsharpdad]

He didn't ask Merton about Quentin either  did he?

[WestHill]

When I was little I knocked on Merton/Quentin's house and asked them if they wanted their car washed for £5. Merton answered the door as Quentin simultaneously answered on the intercom. Merton politely declined and seemed very nice.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

New episode with Barry Shaun Williamson is up. He's clearly a practiced anecdotalist, a solid pro, which is good as it means all Rich has to do is sit back and tee him up for another fairly amusing story. Seems like a nice fella.

However, there's an awkward moment early on when he mentions his teenage dream of joining the navy to be like Prince Andrew. The audience laugh, for obvious reasons, but Williamson doesn't get it. Classic Barry. 

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

Quite an interesting episode, that. Williamson is a sharp, pleasant, self-aware guy who's humble without overdoing it. He's also
commendably honest and quite critical about the quality-sapping pressures of churning out soap episodes like sausage meat. Hats off to him for praising the genuinely talented soap actors who don't get enough credit for their work.

However, it does contain a few uncomfortable moments. Apart from the one I mentioned, he sort of half-heartedly praises Life's Too Short on the basis that it managed to cram as many dwarf jokes into its initial six episodes as possible - a statement met with polite silence by Rich and the audience - and I get the impression that the 'Barry from Eastenders' typecasting gag is something he's happy to go along with up to a point, but it probably does piss him off a bit sometimes. Understandable.

Anyway. He's a jobbing entertainer, he's never out of work, and he seems quite happy. A nice man. Good.

[sutin]

I enjoyed Shaun Williamson too. With Caroline Quentin last week and Vic Reeves coming up, he's got a good run of guests on the go right now.

[godber]

I enjoyed Shaun Williamson too.

Ditto. He mentioned a sitcom with Spencer Jones due to come out in October - presume this must've been recorded a few months ago - but there's no sign of it and I can only find it mentioned in online stories from last October. Anyone know any more? Really enjoyed Spencer Jones's show at Edinburgh.

[Utter Shit]

However, there's an awkward moment early on when he mentions his teenage dream of joining the navy to be like Prince Andrew. The audience laugh, for obvious reasons, but Williamson doesn't get it. Classic Barry. 

Oh God yes. Horrible.

[bobloblaw]

Ditto. He mentioned a sitcom with Spencer Jones due to come out in October - presume this must've been recorded a few months ago - but there's no sign of it and I can only find it mentioned in online stories from last October. Anyone know any more? Really enjoyed Spencer Jones's show at Edinburgh.

this one? https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m0007lk3/the-mind-of-herbert-clunkerdunk

[godber]

this one? https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m0007lk3/the-mind-of-herbert-clunkerdunk

Thanks but no, the one Barry off Eastenders spoke about was something else - sounded like a more traditional sitcom.

[Tony Tony Tony]

Think he meant this one.... https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/mister_winner/cast_crew/

And there are further and better particulars here...   https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2017/mister-winner-series-commissioned   

[Rolf Lundgren]

However, it does contain a few uncomfortable moments. Apart from the one I mentioned, he sort of half-heartedly praises Life's Too Short on the basis that it managed to cram as many dwarf jokes into its initial six episodes as possible - a statement met with polite silence by Rich and the audience

I don't think he was expecting the audience and Richard to be so quiet when he was talking about working with Gervais in general. It was very much a Richard Herring audience in that respect.

I'm enjoying this recent trend of Richard chatting to actors about their careers. We're getting some good stories and Richard doesn't seem to feel the need to one-up them in the way he sometimes does with comedians (and they do with him).

[Tony Tony Tony]

Just listened to the Jim Moir/Vic Revees one. It was a tad disappointing from my perspective. I guess I was hoping for something a little more raucous and Moir did seem to be reticent on his past career as Herring (or Herrings as Moir referred to him -  a back reference to Collings and Herrin?) tried his new tack of going through the guests CV. Although this worked well with the likes of Caroline Quinten, Moir seemed either to have forgotten most of what he did or was unwilling to open up?

Overall the chat did seem to reinforce what I have suspected for a while, that in the Reeves and Mortimer partnership, Vic is the creative ideas one and Bob is the genuinely funny one. Put together they turn out to be more than the sum of their parts.

Still deffo worth a listen and another to add to the recent good run of guests.   

[beanheadmcginty]

Vic's JFK gag was superb.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

Just listened to the Jim Moir/Vic Revees one. It was a tad disappointing from my perspective. I guess I was hoping for something a little more raucous and Moir did seem to be reticent on his past career as Herring (or Herrings as Moir referred to him -  a back reference to Collings and Herrin?) tried his new tack of going through the guests CV. Although this worked well with the likes of Caroline Quinten, Moir seemed either to have forgotten most of what he did or was unwilling to open up?

Overall the chat did seem to reinforce what I have suspected for a while, that in the Reeves and Mortimer partnership, Vic is the creative ideas one and Bob is the genuinely funny one. Put together they turn out to be more than the sum of their parts.

He's just a fairly shy, eccentric bloke who never seems entirely comfortable in these scenarios. I don't think you can glean much insight into Vic & Bob's working relationship based on Vic's rare unscripted public appearances, they aren't indicative of the way he is in private (especially when interacting with a close friend and comedy partner he's known for over 30 years).

No, he's not an effortlessly hilarious storyteller a la Bob, few people are, but they're both brilliant comedians

Anyway, I really enjoyed his TOTP anecdote. Here he is, all drunk and confused, singing into some washing machines.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNr3_1f2p7k

[The Bumlord]

I suspect Vic was 'forgetful' as he was clearly pissed out of his head.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

I suspect Vic was 'forgetful' as he was clearly pissed out of his head.

He was. It's always disappointing when a guest turns up pissed on this show, it creates a weird, awkward atmosphere.

As I say, Vic isn't very comfortable with this sort of thing at the best of times, but the booze really didn't help here. He was rambly, sluggish and struggled to keep up with the sober Herring (who tried the best he could, but we all know what it's like when you're trying to keep a pissed person on track).