Having just finished watching the tonight's "Tonight with Jonathan Ross" or Friday night, or whatever it's currently called I just had to write in honour of the great man. The man who I guess to some extent started the whole celebrity thing - in the sense of people who are famous for being famous.
Now that sounds really nasty about him, and as I say I really do like Rossie, but - and I think he would be the first to agree with me - what is his actual talent - and is that what he is famous for?
He's not really a comedian, he certainly can't act, and his singing voice isn't up to much. Okay he holds a chat show together pretty well and does the odd award ceremony but... why do we love him so.
As edgy as his chat show originally was, it's now all a but formulaic. A safe Hollywood star, another TV presenter releasing some merchandise that needs promoting, or one of his mates.
I think the mates phenonemum on the Jonathan Ross show is annoying, yet one of its funniest items. You know when the series is beginning to wear thin, normally about 3 or 4 into a run, when all the big stars willing to be ridiculed have been used up, and the really big stars are being saved for Christmas.
Suddenly, with nothing to promote Dale Winton turns up, or Ricky Gervais, or Trinny and Susannah, or tonight's victim, Michael Ball. All clearly mates of Rossies, and their to make up the numbers ... in the nicest possible way. I mean Ball, bless him, was just pure cannon fodder for Jonathan to reel of gag after gag, and he just sat there pretending to laugh whilst probably not really understanding them all.
Ricky Gervais is normally good at pretending he is a stranger to the interviewer, until they mention playing tennis together, or swapping pets.This side of the show, and Jonathan Ross in particular is, I believe, the true clue to his popularity.
It's the English plucky amateurish of him. The bumbling English Gentleman, as mentioned above, not very good at anyone thing (Not withstanding his Comic and Film knowledge) but willing to give it a good go. This really seems to extend to his private(ish) life which he loves to recount on the programme.
Can you imagine Parkinson showing photos of how he had dressed up his dog the week before? Or Micheal Aspel recounting how he sent off for his very own Spider-man outfit?
The other side I like about his Friday night programme, is how it always hits you unawares. When it is guests you are looking forward to, it often ends up as a damp squib. When it's people you've (Well I've) never heard of, it's normally a scream.
Case in point, Peter Kay, at the height of his powers - not very funny. Johnny Vegas, drunk with Jim Carey or Ian Mckellan - absolutely priceless. n.b. the picture at the top of this blog came up when I google image searched on "Cheesey Chat Show". Yes - I was confused as well.
Before I sign off, I'd like to throw a cracking idea at the TV planners for a future chat show.
HRH The Duke of Edinburgh.
Can you image? It would be awesome, for most of the points above, plus just to See him getting his foot in his mouth would be great.
I Baggsey being his first guest!
2 comments:
I thought Michael Ball gave Rossie a run for his money, it was just done more subtely.
Maybe so, but not as Much as Beth Ditto trying to out him ! Always good when the guest gives him a good going over !
Post a Comment