Often on a sunday afternoon at home (arf!) in the 1980's a pre teen myself would be chortling along to this LP and reading the bio text on the back. Never mind that the man died years before I was born, he was as funny to me as any of the TV stars of the day.

These rerecordings of The Lad's finest half hours sound less stilted than their TV originals plus (in the case of The Blood Donor) Hancock isn't reading them off cue cards with concussion.

What is it about this man that spoke to me down through the ages? Is it the performance and the writing which are so timeless. Is he a perfect English archtype that remains constant? Does Magna Carta mean nothing to you? Did she die in vain?'

From 5:30 mins onwards the mime sequence is sheer bliss (check out Sid James and the lady trying not to crack up)

BTW that album is charity shop favourite and well worth a quid of anyones hard earned

They've never really grabbed me before now despite the loveliness of Alison and the ooh la la stuff. But this unashamed pop song with the Van Halen 'Jump' keyboards and 80's vocals has wormed its way into my brain. Is that wrong of me?

Dr Buckles makes me feel better

and his director's commentary on 'The Mint'

Saw this at his BUG event at the NFT last week, got much laughter.

wish that Dr Sexy would come back and they would be back on the radio again. Although Collings and Herrin will be good for a few weeks.

*thought* Gawd, bet that stung a bit. Matron.

*coat - door - gone*

Kate McGarrigle has died

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/culture/neilmccormick/100006239/kate-mcgarr...

as he must have turned any honours down

Went to an audience with the great man today at the NFT. Was a mixture of thirty/fortysomethings and kids all whose childhood has been enhanced by one of our most cherished actors. From Carry On,. The Railway Children, Jackanory, The Wombles, Two Way Stretch, Fawlty Towers and of course Doctor Who he just fucking shines.

Throughout the afternoon he was funny, quick witted and unbearably sweet and kind. I now know what David Tennant meant when he said 'I would be proud if you were my father'. Brimful of anaecdotes he mused on the likelihood of Madame Cholet and Great Uncle Bulgaria getting jiggy wit it and producing new little Wombles.

He also touched on his recording career and wondered why George Martin decided on recording the Beatles rather than more with him. 'More value out of four of em for the price of one' was his conclusion

His bit was followed by the 'Dalek Invasion Of Earth' movie which is cheesy but fun. His slspstick skills in the Roboman canteen scene are still a joy to watch.

After the screening he literally skipped past my seat exclaiming 'They don't make em like that anymore!'. I understand he later appeared and signed n shook hands with everyone who waited around afterwards

A true national treasure - asked on what he put his long n sucessful career down to he said 'Being available'.

I hope I have his joi de vivre and boundless energy at 80+

“Welcome to NBC, where our new slogan is, ‘No longer just screwing up prime time.”’

There is a rumbling in the late night chat jungle atm down NBC way.

"In 2004, O'Brien negotiated a new contract with NBC. As part of the deal, O'Brien would take over The Tonight Show from Jay Leno in 2009
On Thursday, January 7, 2010, NBC executives met with Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien to discuss how to get Leno out of prime time where his ratings were lackluster, and back into late night.

A proposal was made that would see O'Brien remain as host of The Tonight Show, which would be moved to 12:05am, with Leno hosting a 30 minute show at 11:35. On January 10, NBC Universal Television Entertainment Chairman Jeff Gaspin confirmed that The Jay Leno Show will indeed be moved to 11:35 at the start of the Winter Olympics on February 12.

Sources familiar with the situation told the New York Post that O'Brien was unhappy with NBC's plan.

O'Brien released a statement on January 12 stating "I sincerely believe that delaying The Tonight Show into the next day to accommodate another comedy program will seriously damage what I consider to be the greatest franchise in the history of broadcasting. ‘The Tonight Show’ at 12:05 simply isn’t The Tonight Show."

So the war of words has been kicking off all week with Letterman also adding his 2 cents

The other night fellow chat show host Jimmy Kimmel put the boot into Leno during a live link up

Like with all the infighting and double dealing that got Leno Johnny Carson's gig over David Letterman as outlined in the rather brill 'The Late Shift' book - it's set to run and run

Shame UK TV never really gets this nasty. Wossie quitting just isn't in the same league.

Went to the 'Missing Believed Wiped' music special session at the NFT in frosty London yesterday which featured a few rare music TV clips of which the most egaerly awaited was Pink Ployd's appearance on Top Of The Pops in 1967.

In the audience seemed to be the owners of many of London's independant record shops, music nerds (yours truly), music quizmasters and Victor Lewis Smith. a friend said it was the music equivelant of religious zealots coming to view the bones of Christ.

After some other clips (see below) we got the 3 odd minutes of Barrett and co appearance from July 6th, 1967 for the first time in over 42 years. The picture rolled, slowed, warped, fizzed and went away for a while but it was undeniabley thrilling. They played it again at the end so we could enjoy Syd looking cool as hell and Waters smirking sardonically in close up.

We were warned beforehand not to film and Youtube it as this would mean that further finds like this might not get a public airing.

From the same 1967 edition was Procol Harem 'Whiter Shade', Alan Price Set 'House That Jack Built', The Turtles 'She'd Rather Be With Me' and Dave Davies (hilariously intro'd by 'Fluff' Freeman as Ray Davies) 'Death Of A Clown'

Other stuff we got to see included an 1968 ep from 'Time For Blackburn' with the cheesy old sod telling some crap jokes in between performances by Dave Dee DBM&T (Wreck Of the Antoinette) , John Walker (And I Love Her), Dave Clark 5 (Red Balloon) and The Who doing Magic Bus which some of the most pukemaking frantic vision cutting seen by man. It also featured interviews with Long John Baldry and Jonathan King at The Revolution club that proved conclusively that King always was an insufferable twat.

We also got a comp from a Midlands 70's show that I had never heard of 'Look! Hear!' which gave us Black Sabbath with Dave Walker on vocals (who he?), The Swinging Cats, Magnum, Diamond Head, The Beat and The Selecter.

Add to that a 1976 edition of TOTP with Sailor, Miss Barbara Dickson, Slik, Osibisa, Pans People doing a v raunchy dance to a cover of 'Midnight Rider' by Paul Davidson and THAT Queen video it was a poptastic night

The toss can be argued over the state of RTD's Doc True finale for Tennant's Extra but the true stinking pile of TV dung was to be found on ITV on Boxing Day.

The All Star Impressions Show

various Z list celebs n soap stars were doing 'impressions' of those slightly further up the ladder than them. Old school impressionists like Bobby 'Rock With Laughter' Davro and Les 'Mavis' Dennis made the whole thing feel like you had dropped through a time portal back to 1982.

Claire Sweeney is that one from X Factor who talks like a nutter!
David Gest is Tom Jones!
Iain Lee is Harry H Corbett!
Jerry hall is Jordan!
Some bird from Corrie is.....oh, I'm not sure

Even with ITV's illustrious history of spraying shite at the viewer this truly was the worst TV show I have ever seen. I'm sure if I had not been able to reach the remote after my brain seized up my intestines would have risen up and throttled me in self defence

Most of the shots of the audience were of them sat like they were at 'Springtime For Hitler' as uproarious canned laughter was played.

Its like punk never happpened - or something

PS The Outnumbered Xmas Special was f'kin brilliant

Know there was much love for Top cat by the Massive recently. well the man who gave him voice, Arnold Stang, died Sunday at the ripe old age of 91

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/22/arts/television/22stang.html

Went to a couple of events at the NFT yesterday as part of a tribute to Oliver Postgate. It was bloomin marvellous. A set of eps of Pingwings, Pogles' Wood, Ivor The Engine, Noggin, Clangers and Bagpuss with in between chat from Peter Firmin. Then a documentary about the great man followed by more chat n annecdote.

and the cherry on a satisfyingly Sunday afternoon cake was the presence of Emily and a certain saggy old clothcat. Seeing a room of thitysomethings and kids all get slightly flustered and grinning like nutters when he appeared was a joy.

The documentary we saw will be on BBC4 on 22nd December. I found the structure a little strange but is well worth a look

The day ended with this clip from Charlie Brooker's Screenwipe and I remember thinking at the time how very few presenters on TV speak with such passion and knowledge anymore

One of my favourite films has just started on Channel 5. So many great scenes and ensemble perormances led by Newman and Kennedy

Lord, whatever I ever done wrong, don't strike me blind for another couple of minutes

First we had him playing 'Darkness At The Edge Of Town' and 'Born To Run' in their entirety. Then he recently threw in 'Born In the USA'. But over the past two nights in NYC Springsteen has played 'The Wild, The Innocent....' and 'The River' from beginning to end.

I don't think he has ever 'just phoned it in' in his life unlike others of his vintage

and isn't Elvis looking trim these days?

what chance a full 'Nebraska'?

at the Three Kings boozer in deepest Clerkenwell a band including Robyn Hitchcock, Graham Coxon, Mark "Bedders" Bedford and the ever reliable Terry Edwards played the little known album "Abbey Road" in its entirety. It was just a joyous, hot, packed n sweaty event.

Around midnight and after a drink or three, Mr Hitchcock, Coxon, and a couple of others reconvened to busk through some Floyd, more Fabs, Kinks, Velvets which were sung along to with lusty vigor by the late drinkers. It became like the world's greatest pub jukebox as they took requests. Coxon swapped to drums to play "A Day In the Life", "What Goes On" n more

sometimes life is flippin great!

anyone going to tonights repeat set - have a good un!