Michael Parkinson

Has died after a short illness aged 88.
RIP!

I really liked his show at one time but it went off a bit for me the longer it went on.

It was party of Saturday nights for me, get home from the pub, watch him and Match of the Day.

I might be misremembering it a bit but in my mind Parkinson was on after MOTD but I see others say it was before?

Maybe it was both, at one time after it, then some seasons later it was switched to before it perhaps?

Times change as the years went on and I guess the way celebs promoted themselves (and whatever it was that they were promoting!) moved away from having to be on Parkinson?

Still he was required viewing for me at one time.

RIP

RIP

Loved Parky. Here he is with Dame Edith Evans, and the wonderful Catherine Bramwell-Booth

Enjoyed his main tv show very much but his sunlife adverts were a bloody pain. They keep banging on about him in them today and he’s not even in them!

boltonbonce wrote:Loved Parky. Here he is with Dame Edith Evans, and the wonderful Catherine Bramwell-Booth

Yes they were brilliant Bonce and to be honest although everybody goes on about his interviews with the likes of Ali and other famous folk it was the lesser known individuals that I liked best because you knew little or nothing of these people before they appeared. He was without doubt the best interviewer of his type of all time. RIP Michael.

Whitesince63 wrote:
Yes they were brilliant Bonce and to be honest although everybody goes on about his interviews with the likes of Ali and other famous folk it was the lesser known individuals that I liked best because you knew little or nothing of these people before they appeared. He was without doubt the best interviewer of his type of all time. RIP Michael.

Rarely had books or movies to sell, and what's more he allowed them to talk. He knew we weren't tuning in to listen to him.
Ben Travers, of the Ben Travers Farce fame, was pushing 90 when he appeared, and was hilarious. First time I ever saw Billy Connolly was on Parky.
So many great talkers, David Niven, orson Wells, Alec Guinness, Kenneth Williams, John Betjeman, the list is endless.
Speaking of David Niven.......

Ben Travers is a perfect example Bonce of people you’d likely never heard of who appeared on Parkys show and for me they were the most interesting because we often found out how many things they’d been responsible for that we never knew they’d a part in. If you created a list of his guests over the years you’d probably be amazed at how many were far from household names at the time yet presented amazing television. Most importantly as you say, it was about them and Parky was really the bit player and that was what made the programmes so special. Now Parkys gone but certainly won’t be forgotten, if only the BBC would rerun some of those series I’m sure it would be better than much of the garbage new stuff they insult us with today.

Whitesince63 wrote:Ben Travers is a perfect example Bonce of people you’d likely never heard of who appeared on Parkys show and for me they were the most interesting because we often found out how many things they’d been responsible for that we never knew they’d a part in. If you created a list of his guests over the years you’d probably be amazed at how many were far from household names at the time yet presented amazing television. Most importantly as you say, it was about them and Parky was really the bit player and that was what made the programmes so special. Now Parkys gone but certainly won’t be forgotten, if only the BBC would rerun some of those series I’m sure it would be better than much of the garbage new stuff they insult us with today.

Travers told when, during the first world war, they were experimenting with parachutes, and rather than risk men, they used teddy bears.
Makes you proud to be British.

I fear we won't see his like again.

Parky set the bar, and his successors have spent 30 years walking under it, with room to spare.

I always used to enjoy reading Parky in the Sunday Times. Does anyone remember newspapers?

Anyway one of the articles was reproduced in Table Tennis News in November 1974 by kind permission of the ST's Editor Harold Evans. Its about 'a girl with grey eyes' and Parky's 'memories of athletic ambition and sexual stirrings'.

You'll find it here if interested:

https://tte-online-document-archive.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/Table%20Tennis%20News%20magazines%20(scanned%20by%20Graham%20Frankel)/1970s/1974-75/Nov%201974.pdf

P.S. Table Tennis news was edited by Boltonian, George Yates

https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/6090132.table-tennis-league-supremo-dies/