RHLSTP Revived

[Tony Tony Tony]

Rather than bump the old Herring thread thought I would kick off a new one. This being prompted by his latest ep with Stephen Merchant. Have to admit that at one time being a bit of a completist I rarely missed a RHLSTP but did drop out and only listen now if the guest is of interest.

The Merchant one dropped today and I just finished a listen. Have to say it was something of a delight with the issues Herring had last time brought up almost immediately (and throughout) with plenty of comedic value wrung out of the situation. Towards the end I even guffawed a few times which makes me hanker for more Merchant. Anyone know if he has any projects coming up?

[Small Man Big Horse]

Towards the end I even guffawed a few times which makes me hanker for more Merchant. Anyone know if he has any projects coming up?

I don't, but I've noticed he's been doing stand up again recently, often on mixed bills, so he may be gearing up to a full length show / tour.

[Tony Tony Tony]

I don't, but I've noticed he's been doing stand up again recently, often on mixed bills, so he may be gearing up to a full length show / tour.

Yep he mentioned that the first time he was on  RHLSTP it was a thank you for Rich having helped him out with tips on stand up. He also mentioned that he went on last time without anything to promote and he seemed to do the same this time. Loved the Hello Ladies Merchant show/tour so another would be a treat.

[Frank Wank]

Are these on video still?

[Twilkes]

Are these on video still?

No the videos are moving.

[Twilkes]

Are these on video still?

Think you have to subscribe to see the videos, although it may also be possible to see them live and unedited. Occasionally there's a sample put on Youtube but never the whole thing any more.

[Dr Rock]

Can't afford to subscibe

[dissolute ocelot]

There doesn't seem to be any word on Outlaws season 3 or other film or TV projects, so I guess he's focusing on stand-up (he's doing the Slapstick festival in Bristol this month). There was talk on social media of him playing Jacob Rees-Mogg in something, but I think that was just based on the casting being perfect, rather than any real plans. And I don't really want Rees-Mogg to get any more publicity.

[Tony Tony Tony]

Merchant's last Telly outing as far as I remember was in Four Lives (about Stephen Port aka the Grindr Killer) which was deffo laugh free.

Merchant seems to be good at playing awkward/odd characters be it comedy or straight acting. On the latest RHLSTP he mentions Cleese as being a comedy hero specifically how awkwardness played a part in how he saw Cleese play comedy. Merchant does over egg the pudding somewhat in the podcast about being 6 feet 7 inches but I guess that's an essential part of his schtick and unavoidable when everyone you meet for the first time must mention it.

[Replies From View]

Merchant talking about his height in audio podcasts must be the non Doctor Who equivalent of Big Finish plays stating that Colin Baker isn't wearing a colourful jacket.

[lauraxsynthesis]

First time Merchant was on Rich couldn't resist getting his anger at Gervais off his chest. Justified as it was, it was still cringey and I wish Herring would be less brittle and neurotic about stuff. Including the thing he blocked me on Twitter for.

I used to do all the subscriptions and watch all the videos and go to some recordings but he kept interviewing loathsome fucking melts like Jess Phillips and I lost all enthusiasm

[Video Game Fan 2000]

steve sounds like a nice guy

i cant get used to it, can someone make him be a twat again

[Pink Gregory]

he did a great turn as a Gestapo officer in Jojo Rabbit.  Equally funny and sinister.

[selectivememory]

Good interview with Merchant. Funny hearing his perspective on that episode, given how much Rich has banged on about it over the years.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

And I still don't think Merchant was as offended by that interview as Herring seems to think. In the latest episode Merchant was clearly exaggerating his annoyance for comic effect, and I get the impression that he's slightly bemused by Herring's obsession with what was, at worst, an ever so slightly awkward encounter.

Anyway, yes, Merchant was good value on this.

Spoiler alert

I've heard him tell the story before, but there is just something so inherently amusing about Christopher Walken asking Merchant if he'd like to have some omlette.

[close]

[mobias]

Enjoyed the Stephen Merchant interview. He seems like a genuinely nice, humble and down to earth bloke. I didn't really see what the fuss was all about in their earlier encounter. I've seen and heard far more awkward interviews elsewhere.

I wonder what was so badly wrong with his Richard E Grant interview. I listened to Grants interview with Adam Buxton and he seemed like he had an easy going anything goes type attitude to the interview. Maybe that was just with Buxton though.

[Hugl]

I wonder what was so badly wrong with his Richard E Grant interview. I listened to Grants interview with Adam Buxton and he seemed like he had an easy going anything goes type attitude to the interview. Maybe that was just with Buxton though.

I assumed it was to do with not spoiling the Star Wars film he was in and was worried about Disney being annoyed. Could be wrong

[Thosworth]

Think I mentioned it here before, but he talks about it on Emily Dean's Walking The Dog podcast.

Herring: 'He hadn't won the Oscar but he'd been nominated and everyone beforehand had been saying, "He's being all giddy and playing up because he's trying to wow the people, the voters, he's just playing an act". And he said, "Yeah, that was very annoying to me because I was just enjoying this thing." 'I said, "Yeah, and if you were that good an actor you'd have won the Oscar, wouldn't you?"

Metro article here

[EggsLikeABird]

I recently listened to Shearsmith and Pemberton's one from when it first started, and the amount of times they told an anecdote and Herring had to jump in and talk about himself was shite. Does he still do this?

[lauraxsynthesis]

Herring's tendency to talk about himself would be less annoying if regular listeners didn't have to hear the same story for the 20th time. That thing Stewart Lee wrote about him I read as exasperation at how fascinating RH clearly finds his own life to be:

"In his self-serving, egomaniacal and delightful blog, the comedian Richard Herring portrays his life as a continual succession of moments so superb that the young Richard Herring would not have believed they could ever have happened."

[Twilkes]

As opposed to the self-serving and egomaniacal commentary on his own audience, without which SLee would have to write twice as much material?

Herring's blog is the least criticable of all his output, if you want to have a go at something, have a go at the puppets.

[Pranet]

iirc correctly SL follows that up with something like "in contrast my life seems to me to be a succession of embarrassments and defeats". Or similar. He wasn't really having a go at RH, they liked each other then.

[Mobbd]

Smerch was great on this and, promisingly, so was Herring. The chemistry was good and it felt like the RHLSTP of yore. The upcoming schedule of guests looks very positive as well. Fingers crossed.

[Mobbd]

I sometimes think about that time Herring sold a bunch of Histor feathers on eBay (and maybe a whole wing?) to raise money for something. Did anyone here buy a piece of Histor?

[sevendaughters]

Herring's blog is the least criticable of all his output, if you want to have a go at something, have a go at the puppets.

the stone clearing thing, fucking hell

[Twilkes]

the stone clearing thing, fucking hell

The secret to the stone clearing podcast is...... it's not about the stones.

[sevendaughters]

The secret to the stone clearing podcast is...... it's not about the stones.

yeah I mean Me 1 vs Me 2 is not about snooker but he's not really good at those subtextual things, his thing is about taking text and whacking you over the head with ultra-pedantry

[Mobbd]

the stone clearing thing, fucking hell

I remember when he first discussed that on his blog and I couldn't stop smiling. It was really funny. But then he started the podcast and quickly built this mythos crap around it. He didn't know what was funny about it. That or his workaholia demanded more, more, more from the idea even if it wrecks the simple and very funny joke at the heart of it.

The same thing happened with Hitler Mustache really. I remember struggling to hold back my GUFFAW at work while he and Collings toyed in real time with the idea of Rich growing the mustache. But then he tried to make the show "meaningful" by connecting it to politics and the BNP and Chaplin, etc. Just obvious free association that took us away from the actual joke. Crap.

[Mobbd]

But enough negativity. Sorry. This new season of RHLSTP promises to be mint.

[sutin]

Weirdly RHLSTP is one of very few long running podcasts that i've listened to every single episode. I'm always quick to criticise when it's crap but I find something very comforting about Rich's schtick. I guess that's a complement.

And although i've tried, I can't be dealing with snooker, stone clearing, puppets or any of that other shite. At least with RHLSTP i'm listening to an interview and getting to know a guest, those other pods he does give nothing.