Parkinson

[ems27]

I think i'm alone on this one but does anyone else agree that Michael Parkinson is overrated. He seems like a very sweet man and i have nothing against him but he is regarded as a national treasure and considered to be the best interviewer around. I agree he has great guests and staying power but i find his questions predictable and his interview technique quite dull. For example the other night i watched him ask Olivia Newton John how she felt when she was diagnosed with cancer or was it hard for her when her marriage ended. Everytime i watch i find myself cringing at these lame questions. I don't get the hype ?

[pilchard]

I totally agree, it's about time he considered retirement. He is so dull and predictable, paint drying would be more exciting on a Saturday night.

[Ric.ror]

I agree when he first started he had the huge stars of the day on his show but now he has anyone wanting to plug anything - and I think he knows it too.  he is good with quality guests though - Judi Dench or Stephan Fry and that calibre of artist but then who would n't be

[Dudley]

Unfortunately Parky is in the mould of most interviewers. It is frustrating when they fail to challenge or follow up on the answers they get. They're too determined to get the next question in and miss opportunities when on the rare occasions, the celebrity says something interesting which should be explored.I agree Jonathan Ross is the exception though.

[Mattk]

ive really gone off him in recent years and now refuse to watch his shows.he makes it blatantly obvious if he doesnt like the celeb and just focuses on their bad points

[Mattk]

....what kind of fool says u cant chat after football so moves to itv where youve got to stop chatting for ads ?!!!!

[gerry]

Personally i think it has something to do with the type of guests he has on the show.His interviews with Peter Kay,Samuel L Jackson,Ewan McGregor & Billy Connoly i found entertaining.

[Jazzy]

Yes I totally agree.  He let Meg Ryan get away with it and he seems to have no cutting edge to his interviews.

[littleoldme]

I get the distinct feeling that Parky is treading water - going through the motions in the twilight of his career. In his heyday (the 70s), some of his shows were classics. Those old, much repeated encounters with Billy Connolly, Muhammed Ali, even Rod Hull & Emu are still able to raise a laugh today because they were damn good entertainment. Now, although he still has some good guests, there seems to be a "waiting for the carriage clock" mentality about Parky himself.

As for Jonathan Ross, I'm in two minds about him. On the one hand, he's not so sycophantic to celebrity (than goodness). Any gushing comment about loving someone's work is usually a precursor to some barbed witticism or, in the case of a female celebrity, smutty innuendo - did you see how uncomfortable poor Nicole Kidman looked last night? On the other hand, I can't help thinking he's a bit long in the tooth for such schoolboy humour now, and I'm not keen on the wholesale "Lettermanisation" of British chat shows, of which Ross is a major culprit.

Oh, and if Shirley Ghostman is the future of British comedy, I think I'll stick with the past, thanks. The phrase "lead balloon" springs to mind.

[graemer]

Ems 27 totally agree. I remember Nigella lawson coming on the first series of this latest incarnation and i thought if we revisit the dying husband while her star was rising scenario, I'll scream. Sure enough.... haven't seen the Olivia interview mentioned above but it reeks of the same thing. I thing the show is always entertaining but like I posted elsewhere I think the Meg Ryan interview showed Parky and his producers past their best. Andy is so right.