I think everyone loved Michael Parkinson who died recently at the age of 88. He had a long and happy marriage with his wife Mary, had three sons and was the son, grandson and great grandson of Yorkshire miners. He was such an ordinary chap - never lost his Yorkshire accent, never put on 'airs and graces'. Eddie Izzard called him 'the king of the intelligent interview' and as Nick Robinson of Radio 4 said, "He was the greatest interviewer of our age, who owned Saturday night TV for year after year'. Two years junior to me he looked an old man in recent photographs and of course I immediately was pulled up short knowing that is how I must look to friends who haven't grown up alongside me.
I was touched by what his lifelong friend Dickie Bird of cricket fame said of him. Dickie was for a short time totally overcome.
There was a clip on TV Breakfast of Michael speaking of his Dad who had a dream that Michael might one day play cricket for Yorkshire (both he and his dad were cricket fans). Apparently his Dad spoke to him along the lines of how he had become so well known and had 'earned a bob or two without breaking swet' but how he still wished he could have played for Yorkshire.
We shall no doubt now get to see many of those interviews from the past and I for one look forward to every one of them they choose to show us again. He offended Helen Mirren by referring to her 'equipment' and whether it had hindered her career and he lost his temper with Meg Ryan when she kept giving one word answers. But really he didn't interview - he just liked a good, friendly chat. As he said himself 'I doubt I could do an interview these days without being sent off'.
Rest in peace Michael.
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24 comments:
He must have been wonderful and a treat to watch as he interviewed famous folks. Enjoy the re-runs!
Hugs!
I've got the theme music in my head now, and the title sequence that zoomed out from tiles on interviewees to his image. Wogan and Harty were also good, but Parkinson showed them now.
A lovely tribute Pat to Michael Parkinson. I remember he had a difficult time at his interview with Rod Hull and Emu. He was 'attacked' by Emu and fell out of his chair.
I don't know who he is but I would have loved to meet him because your tribute is so wonderful to read
We talked about him at a family lunch yesterday with a great deal of fondness. He was always welcomed with much affection in his visits to Australia. According to a relative yesterday, Michael was quite cross with Rod Hull and the Emu incident. He felt he had gone too far. - Pam.
During one university summer holiday I had a rather strange job selling carpet and upholstery cleaning services door to door. My boss was the son of cinematographer Geoffrey Unsworth who had just finished filming “Tess” directed by the notorious Roman Polanski and starring Natasha Kinski (daughter of Klaus) as the eponymous heroine. Anyway back to the job and we were taken by car to very salubrious areas and one sunny day I found myself knocking on the door of a house in Bray, a pretty village on the banks of the Thames, and Michael Parkinson opened the door. He was charming and invited me in and we talked about work and university and earning a living. My summer jobs always funded the next year at university - no student debt in those days of grants - I received the minimum grant hence the need to work but we really did lead charmed lives despite it being 1980. Of course Michael agreed to having his carpets cleaned, not by me I hasten to add! I loved that job, in fact I can truthfully say I have loved every single job I have ever had. Sarah in Sussex
Someone asked him once how he would like to be remembered: he replied, very firmly, 'as long as it's not with that bl--dy Emu'!!!
I remember watching that interview and I don't know how he managed to get through it without punching Rod Hull. I admired how he kept a smile on his face - just! It was pretty obvious that he was angry and I bet there were 'words' between them afterwards.
RIP Michael. You will be missed greatly.
Good interviewing on TV is a rarity. MP sounds brilliant and very capable of interviewing anyone and making the exchange interesting for viewers. I'll look for MP online as I am always interested in highly skilled and capable people. RIP MP.
He was very much a part of my growing-up. Who could ever forget Rod Hull, Mohamed Ali, et al. The perfect tutor for future interviewers.
Well it is sad his dying but he must have been way past my bedtime, or I have never really watched much television. But I love the clips from the past, was watching Dave Allen yesterday so maybe I will catch up with Parkinson as well.
What struck me was that everyone who spoke about him said the same things - he set them at ease and he seemed genuinely interested in listening to them. They had a phone-in on radio 5 where people who'd met him by chance spoke and their opinion was much the same as what the great and good said about him.
I loved watching him when I was growing up and when I married a Yorkshire man (whose mother knew Parky when they were kids) I always secretly hoped that we would bump into him at a Yorkshire cricket match and he would ask me something, ANYTHING, so that I could tell people that I had been 'interviewed' by the man who had chatted so entertainingly to the great and the good.
I have no doubt in the world that he was a good man as you say because 99% of people are good people and it is only a small percentage of the overall population who are not. Some of the comments left puzzle me particularly Cro's who lived abroad for over 40 years and would have been long gone by the time Parkingson started. But that is nothing to do with me. I never had a tv set during the 70s and 80s and after that had one but never watched late night chat shows on a Saturday night. The elderly US film star guests would have been unknown to me at the time anyway. The only interview I ever heard about was Rod Hull and Emu which was talked about. I was amused after your post about the News that when the BBC News came on after Pointless two nights ago and I was about to change channels I saw it started with the death of a tv personality, no other news worth starting with huh! Finally, I was surprised at your post on Parkinson because I would not have put you down as a watcher of his shows.
Pat watching and enjoying Parkinson does not surprise me at all, it is clear that a large percentage of people currently over 60, thoroughly enjoyed watching his expertise as a master interviewer who got amazing results from often reluctant celebrities.
Last night the BBC gave 25 mins of it's 30 min news slot to the harrowing details of the Lucy Letby crimes, would you also dismiss that with a "no other news worth starting with huh"
Thanks everyone. He was definitely a 'one off'. I hate watching 'interviews' and I hate watching 'chat shows'. I never watch either. But to me he never fell into either category. He was just an ordinary chap sitting and talking to another person and he had the ability to bring out the very best and most interesting things about them.You know how often I say -when something I write about on here gets a lot of fascinating replies - how I would love to have us all sitting around discussing the subject as we had a drink and chatted - imagine that scenario with him there to direct the proceedings.
Rachel - I just assumed that Cro could get Parkinson on his TV when he was in France.
The quip about the News Derek was meant as an amusing anecdote after Weave's News post which it was. Try not to rip everything apart in what I say to Weaver, she is well able to deal with me herself if needs be.
Yes Pat, I'd love to be part of such a discussion, it'd be fun.
I am always surprised at how Dickie Bird becomes so emotional so quickly, but I don't really know him that well. They were both very Yorkshire.
I must be the only one here who had no idea who Michael Parkinson was, or that he‘d died recently. I do watch British TV but not all the time, so maybe it is not surprising.
But I love Eddie Izzard - and Helen Mirren. Not keen on Meg Ryan.
Tom - I think we have this idea that men are not as openly emotional as woman and I don't think it is so. It is just that boys were taught that it was just not manly to show emotion in public. Luckily that attitude is disappearing.
Derek - Definitely it was and should have been the Headline news but today it is front page news and also takes up several pages inside. I am not sure that both were necessary to that degree - there was also a programme about the terrible crime later in the evening. I feel that perhaps they overdid it. If God forbid I was a parent of one of the children involvednin that unspeakable crime - I am not sure I would be able to resist reading it all but the terrible grief would just all be brought back. I have very mixed feelings about newskill.
As regards having Parky to a discussion - all my responders would not fit into my sitting room - it would be a real crush - so it is a good thing everyone would not wish to be there. We are all entitled to our opinions as I am sure you agree.
I moved to Yorkshire in 1968 and stayed for 7 wonderful years. Michael Parkinson was a delightful man and his interviews were like listening to a friend chat and I let out a deep sigh to hear of his death. He was part of my young married years. And as my 2nd son was born in Harrogate, we often wondered if HE would one day play Cricket for Yorkshire. Didn't happen!
Pat, you're right in respect that the Lucy Letby stuff then went on to become very much overkill but the initial news bulletin was necessary.
I'm a great believer in us all having our various opinions and I'm happy to accept other people's ones, but one or two people do find that difficult. Thankfully you maintain an open mind.
Thanks everyone. Derek - I take the rough with the smooth. At my age I just can't be bothered to argue - we all have our opinions and that is as it should be.
I think you handle all responses with great aplomb. Good word that.
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