Graham Norton Show

[Piggyoioi]

Anyone else watch this? Prob the most embarrassing thing I do, and I do it religiously.

I find celebrity watching fascinating. Who will manage to keep their narcissistic persona in that safe window of self-deprecating chit chat without revealing their true money-hungry mongoloid nature to the nation?

Did anyone glimpse Madonna's 'im still relevant, just look at meh tits' expose to the nation last season, if you're into cringe it's a well worth 30 minutes of desperation and unconscious insecurity. This is the future of comedy, for me, superiorly gleaming at the more successful, cackling at the injustice and absurdity of their wealth and how it brings them no pleasure gives me a sense of a german word that im sure means being a twat.

[petril]

I like it when he has the Scotch guests or those Irish rowers so they can do the Overseas Guest Can't Understand gag

[Brundle-Fly]

Anyone else watch this? Prob the most embarrassing thing I do, and I do it religiously.

I find celebrity watching fascinating. Who will manage to keep their narcissistic persona in that safe window of self-deprecating chit chat without revealing their true money-hungry mongoloid nature to the nation?

Did anyone glimpse Madonna's 'im still relevant, just look at meh tits' expose to the nation last season, if you're into cringe it's a well worth 30 minutes of desperation and unconscious insecurity. This is the future of comedy, for me, superiorly gleaming at the more successful, cackling at the injustice and absurdity of their wealth and how it brings them no pleasure gives me a sense of a german word that im sure means being a twat.

Future of comedy? Do us a favour.

Simon Dee was hawking this irreverent, skewering celebs on telly chat show schtick over a half a century ago.

And even he nicked that idea from earlier U.S. talk show formats.

[Piggyoioi]

Future of comedy? Do us a favour.

Simon Dee was hawking this irreverent, skewering celebs on telly chat show schtick over a half a century ago.

And even he nicked that idea from earlier U.S. talk show formats.

You got me wrong, Graham Norton is pure establishment these days, though I still regard him as the best chat show host in the English speaking world.. I don't know who Simon Dee is, but in this day and age its impossible to have a host that isn't in cahoots with his guests (perhaps early Eric Andre show?) - some of those, like when Tom Cruise pops up, is the most defcon-3-play-it-safe-as-can-be that I find the most cringe inducing content.
i'm only talking about myself, grimacing vicariously from my own sofa, judging anyone that sits on the red sofa to peddle whatever film they've got to sell like its the 11th commandment and everyone pretending that it isn't a pile of shit. Comedy gold.

[Utter Shit]

Perfectly serviceable Friday night fodder when you just want to crash out in front of the TV.

[Brundle-Fly]

You got me wrong, Graham Norton is pure establishment these days, though I still regard him as the best chat show host in the English speaking world.. I don't know who Simon Dee is, but in this day and age its impossible to have a host that isn't in cahoots with his guests (perhaps early Eric Andre show?) - some of those, like when Tom Cruise pops up, is the most defcon-3-play-it-safe-as-can-be that I find the most cringe inducing content.
i'm only talking about myself, grimacing vicariously from my own sofa, judging anyone that sits on the red sofa to peddle whatever film they've got to sell like its the 11th commandment and everyone pretending that it isn't a pile of shit. Comedy gold.

I'm not having a pop, but you say 'in this day and age' as if celebrities plugging their product on a chat show is somehow a recent development when most of them have been operating like this for decades.

Also sometimes I want to hear about what so and so has been up to. If guests didn't have something new to talk about we'd probably have to hear the same old anecdotes year in year out.   What I find far more cringe inducing is often the way guests on Norton or Wossy's shows reveal very intimate personal stuff like defecating in their trousers on public transport or getting stung on the anus by a wasp whilst having sex on a beach. You'd never get Robert Morley dining out on those stories on Parky.

[phantom_power]

It is enjoyable as a chance for celebs to show they can be funny, or expose their weirdness or inability to not get pissed on TV or that they are just a bit dull

[Phil_A]

You got me wrong, Graham Norton is pure establishment these days, though I still regard him as the best chat show host in the English speaking world.. I don't know who Simon Dee is, but in this day and age its impossible to have a host that isn't in cahoots with his guests (perhaps early Eric Andre show?) - some of those, like when Tom Cruise pops up, is the most defcon-3-play-it-safe-as-can-be that I find the most cringe inducing content.
i'm only talking about myself, grimacing vicariously from my own sofa, judging anyone that sits on the red sofa to peddle whatever film they've got to sell like its the 11th commandment and everyone pretending that it isn't a pile of shit. Comedy gold.

Yeah that's the point isn't it, these kind of shows now have completely moved away from the Dee model and have become "we're all mates here on the comfy sofa, come on tell a funny story and do that impression you do".

It's fascinating watching old talkshow clips now just to see how the calibre of discussion has declined. I know it wasn't all like Gore Vidal and Norman Mailer sparring on the Cavett Show, but even a lightweight interviewer like Wogan could occasionally ask some probing questions.

[Schnapple]

Don't enjoy it as much as Friday Night with Jonathon Ross at it's peak, but it's a good, easy watch, and far better than Ross' diabolically terrible ITV equivalent. Could do without the 'chair' stuff. I like it when they bring a guest on late as they clearly can't be arsed to participate in the whole thing.

[Noodle Lizard]

I know an American who loves Alan Carr's show.  Thinks it's ace.  That's really weird.

[Neomod]

The Graham Norton show once sent round a motorcycle courier to pick up some £1.99 Twin Peaks fridge magnets we were selling on ebay.

True story.

[Stone Cold Steve Austin]

John Kearns line about realising he was getting old because he saw a trail for Graham Norton and thought 'that's a strong lineup' is probably the resonant bit of the decade to me

[thelittlemango]

Graham Norton aka Grazzer Noz aka 'Graznos and Perestroika'? Don't mind if I do!

Also tended to put his show in the 'morsel of mirth' category, good to snack on, especially on Friday nights.

[keir]

I'm not having a pop, but you say 'in this day and age' as if celebrities plugging their product on a chat show is somehow a recent development when most of them have been operating like this for decades.

Also sometimes I want to hear about what so and so has been up to. If guests didn't have something new to talk about we'd probably have to hear the same old anecdotes year in year out.   What I find far more cringe inducing is often the way guests on Norton or Wossy's shows reveal very intimate personal stuff like defecating in their trousers on public transport or getting stung on the anus by a wasp whilst having sex on a beach. You'd never get Robert Morley dining out on those stories on Parky.

I used to enjoy Norton in the olden days, even when the guests of his 'chat show' started to be something squeezed in at the end, but I have been put off even trying his more recent show because the BBC is always posting clips on YouTube with titles like "John Actor talks about when someone saw his arse" and that's not gonna sell it to me, it's just going to make me think it's not for me, if that's the selling point.

[the science eel]

He's a prick.

[Lisa Jesusandmarychain]

It's a load of shit, and he's an unfunny cunt.

[BlodwynPig]

Perfectly serviceable Friday night fodder when you just want to crash out in front of the TV.

Wrong forum, friend

[Jockice]

Ooh, look at me, I'm camp. A true original.

[WestHill]

John Kearns line about realising he was getting old because he saw a trail for Graham Norton and thought 'that's a strong lineup' is probably the resonant bit of the decade to me

"I like the look of that line up"

Yeah that hit home!

[poodlefaker]

Perfectly serviceable Friday night fodder when you just want to crash out in front of the TV.

Nah, it's better watched on a grim Tuesday evening when you feel like death. Watching it on a Friday night is saaaaad, like watching Hootenanny on New Year's Eve.

[Neomod]

He wrote for the Telegraph for 12 years?!

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2019/oct/07/toxic-telegraph-made-me-feel-nauseous-says-graham-norton

and that paper never said anything cunty until now. Hmmm.

Last line of the article.

The Telegraph has since found a replacement for Norton as its agony aunt: Richard Madeley.

[Ambient Sheep]

Yeah, and it was pretty good.  He made for a very warm, witty and sensible agony aunt.  I hope he restarts it somewhere else.

Even my Mum (whose Telegraphs they were; she was pretty apolitical but bought it because Dad always had: he bought it mainly for the crossword, the Bridge column, and the cricket coverage) liked him, and said so repeatedly, praising what lovely common-sense advice he gave.  "I don't know who he is but he writes so well."  His column was her favourite bit of the Saturday paper and she looked forward to it every week.


In the last eight years I was exposed to the Telegraph whilst living with her I too saw the change in it.  For the first few years it was, providing you steered clear of the op-ed and letters pages, quite a good paper for the most part.  Yes, occasionally there'd be a twisted headline that made my blood boil, but that was rare and often its coverage was far superior to the Guardian's, especially when it came to science matters.

But then, a few years ago, it started to change, then changed very rapidly.  The quality of the reporting suffered and the tone got markedly more nasty and extreme-right-wing.  I stopped bothering to read it about two years before Norton gave up on it... and it got to the point where I felt dirty just picking it up off the mat for her.

Readers of Private Eye will know the reasons for the drop in quality (basically sacking dozens of their subs and journalists), but I'm not quite sure why they had to turn fascist at the same time.


Having said that, I always did wonder a bit how someone like Graham Norton ended up writing for it.  Was quite a surprise the first time I saw his column (matron!).

[Bennett Brauer]

Dear Graham

Our brother died suddenly yesterday in hospital after he suffered a heart attack during treatment for other complications. We have been inseparable since we were children.
Is there any advice you can give that can help us to cope with the shock of losing him so unexpectedly? He was only 53.

Yours sincerely
Barry and Robin Gibb

Dear Barry and Robin

I bet his heart monitor was singing the tune to Stayin' Alive!

Love
Graham

[does annoying false laugh]

[gilbertharding]

Yeah, and it was pretty good.  He made for a very warm, witty and sensible agony aunt.  I hope he restarts it somewhere else.

Even my Mum (whose Telegraphs they were; she was pretty apolitical but bought it because Dad always had: he bought it mainly for the crossword, the Bridge column, and the cricket coverage) liked him, and said so repeatedly, praising what lovely common-sense advice he gave.  "I don't know who he is but he writes so well."  His column was her favourite bit of the Saturday paper and she looked forward to it every week.


In the eight years I was exposed to the Telegraph whilst living with her I too saw the change in it.  For the first few years it was, providing you steered clear of the op-ed and letters pages, quite a good paper for the most part.  Yes, occasionally there'd be a twisted headline that made my blood boil, but that was rare and often its coverage was far superior to the Guardian's, especially when it came to science matters.

But then, a few years ago, it started to change, then changed very rapidly.  The quality of the reporting suffered and the tone got markedly more nasty and extreme-right-wing.  I stopped bothering to read it about two years before Norton gave up on it... and it got to the point where I felt dirty just picking it up off the mat for her.

Readers of Private Eye will know the reasons for the drop in quality (basically sacking dozens of their subs and journalists), but I'm not quite sure why they had to turn fascist at the same time.


Having said that, I always did wonder a bit how someone like Graham Norton ended up writing for it.  Was quite a surprise the first time I saw his column (matron!).

This is another thread, but *all* the papers are shit now, even if they weren't before. We used to get the Saturday Graun, and the Observer. We still get the Obs (Mrs Harding likes it for some reason), but I don't look at it. I read the sports section online, and look at whatever comments they allow to be published below the articles (ie never Nick Cohen, or any of their Glendas - whatever else they are, they're not that stupid).

Funnily I used to follow the current Telegraph sketchwriter on twitter before he was anyone - he seemed funny and quite right-on. I was amazed when he got a blue tick and a byline on that.

[Bennett Brauer]

Remember when Lloyd Bentsen said to him "You're no Jack Docherty"?