Si Hunt Brings Down... Parky!

[Si Hunt]

He's an institution! Today, the "King of the Chat Show" has called time on his chat show "after 25 years". The world will weep! OR WILL IT!

Am I the only one to think he's a bit of a wretch, with his Des O'Connor style fake-guffawing, crowing over his long career (so good he was off the air between '82 and '98!) and frankly lecherous swaying towards female guests.

Where did his reputation come from? It's not like he asks especially insightful or interesting questions. I think in the period he was off the telly, he aquired a reputation as a cult icon it was fun to iconise in the manner of Spangles, Orville the Duck and Space Hoppers simply because we love to bring old things back.

The chat show host that "doesn't like to pose sensitive questions", It says something that the only moment of "Parky's" career anyone can remember was having his head gobbled by a fake bird with Rod Hull's arm up its bottom.

And in no way is 71-82 and 98-07 twenty five years!

Parky: Institution... or should be in one?



Two men, shortly before having rampant sex

[Logo Polish]

He was good in his day, in the sense that he managed to get some entertaining interviews out of a lot of his guests in the 70s and 80s. I never rated the newer version so much though - often rather bland in comparison.

I'm not sure I can vote for either the options, as he's been both at different times.

[Pamela]

He's a boring old arse licker.

[Dave Lewis]

Chat shows are a load of self-serving wankery for host and guests alike. Parky will not be missed.

[Pamela]

Chat shows are a load of self-serving wankery for host and guests alike. Parky will not be missed.

Spot on. They all serve to bum up assorted Fish Mitteners.

[Paul Monk]

I agree with Si. I don't understand why he has the reputation he has. He's pretty much standard dull chat show host template as far as I'm concerned.

[Ralph]

He's well past his sell by....

[Lord President]

I'm a Parky fan! So there!

[SiHart]

He did some good stuff in the 70s, and that's what he'll be remembered for, not the turgid, dull, fawning interviews he does now. He's right to go, though really he should have gone when the BBC stopped the show.

I don't really like him much. Not a fan.

Si xx

[Alex]

Yeah, I'm not a fan either, even if there's somebody I like on the show I often find the interview to be dull and sycophantic. As much as Jonathan Ross annoys me (especially when he's in that "I'm just going to try and be funny the whole interview and not let them say much" mode), I find myself watching his show more often than Parky's.

[Si Hunt]

No-one likes the old goat! Well, that's no good. I used to be controversial!

Si.

[Dirk Gently]

He's pretty much standard dull chat show host template as far as I'm concerned.

He is, but he was the template everyone else followed. But he is past it & was only back for the nostalgia kick & has rightly called it a day. Maybe he'll take up cricket commentary?

[Logo Polish]

He still has a dinnertime radio show on Sundays, I think (or did until recently at least), and tended to be better on that (not listened to it for a while now), despite the music he played on it not usually being my sort of thing. But there'd be somebody on talking to him about what was coming up on TV that week, or what was in the Sunday papers, and there'd be a guest who'd sometimes be alright.

He also wrote a series of children's books circa 1980 called "The Woofits", which even got onto television at some stage, although not many seem to remember that.

[P-Bal]

Parky stinks.

Even P-Bal wouldn't.

[Carol Baynes]

I love him and his show, you miserable bitching gits.

[Milky Tears]

Si Hunt speaks the truth!


This Si Hunt Brings Down... series is doomed.

[Captain Tancredi]

His 1970s show produced some iconic television moments- Emu, of course, but also Mohammed Ali, Shirley Maclaine, Kenneth Williams...at the time, he was probably one of the best around at probing what made celebrities tick before the stars began to have their "people" to protect them from off-message questions. In the last decade he's begun to come across more like a prospective father-in-law figure whereas today's chat shows have the likes of Jonathan Ross and Graham Norton egging people on to be as outrageous as possible.

[Si Hunt]

Does anyone else find him a touch sinister? He seems the sort to be really dirty in bed.

Si.

[Dave Tudor]

Wasn't he the first celebrity to admit that he'd had the snip? I don't know if that's relevant or not, but it seemed an appropriate moment to mention it.

I agree with the consensus that his 70's shows were often essential viewing, although I suspect that that has a lot to do with the interviewees being far more interesting than his latter day subjects. It was probably the first time people had seen such big Hollywood legends like Orson Welles, Bette Davis, John Wayne and James Stewart on television, and Parky's skill was to allow those people to relax, talk and be themselves, something few people had probably managed before.

Nowadays, sadly I have to agree that Parkinson comes across as very fawning and sycophantic (yes, I know they both mean the same thing - don't split hairs!) with inferior celebs who generally don't warrant such attention. Perhaps, in the more media-savvy 21st century, we already know more than we probably need to know about the stars of music, film and television, and so chat show hosts like Michael Parkinson are just no longer really necessary.

[The Secretive Bus]

He was great when appearing in a sketch with Spike Milligan. But that's not really the same, is it?

I've always quite liked the man though I must admit to never having watched a full episode of Parky. I've only ever really watched the old episodes with Kenneth Williams and Peter Sellers, where he spends most of his time time laughing at their jokes. He did get into quite an interesting debate with KW once, though:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0cRolJ_hIw

He really gets a bit irate 4 minutes 16 seconds in!

[P-Bal]

Parkie offended Charlotte Maria Church by asking about her sex life. As she so wisely descibed it after, it was disgusting that kind of talk coming from someone "old enough to be your granddad".

He's manky.

[Si Hunt]

That's what I mean about him being a bit creepy now. When Dolly went on there the old letch hinted at the old rumour about her having a lesbian affair with her personal assistant. I'm sure I saw a bit of foam erupt from the corners of his mouth.

Si.

[Si Hunt]

That youtube clip is fun, but it leads us to a far greater treat.

Si.

[Andrew Curnow]

I agree with all the people who've said he was great in the 70s, but not so good now. His interview with David Tennant was just so bland, it was awful.

[Pip Madeley]

15-2 in favour of Elderly Letch. Si's lost his edge.