Sir Michael Parkinson has died

I wasnt keen on him I thought he was boring. He didnt say much he let the guest do the talking which is a good thing but I thought he was bit creepy with the young women especially lovely Helen Mirren back in the day.

Graham's novels are rather good too!

That's a good way of putting it, Aveline. I think he's lovely but his chat show needs shaking up.

I agree. Graham is the most entertaining part of his show.

I really like Graham Norton, but there are far too many film stars on his show, promoting their latest film. I wish he would mix it up a bit more.
No-one comes anywhere near Parky.

They don’t make chat show guests like that any more either

Yes, we tuned in all those years ago to watch ‘Parkinson’, not to see him as such, but to see his guests.

Nowadays, it’s just the usual round of celebrities, who also appear on game shows, quizzes, challenge contests, cookery shows…..

Anything to keep them in the public eye.

The little section on the Parky at 80 compilation of Peter Ustinov and Dudley Moore was just fantastic. So funny and clever and on the spur of the moment. They don't make chat show guests like that any more either.

I was so sorry to hear this. I used to love Parky back in the day. He, together with Paul O'grady (another much missed gentleman), hosted the only chat shows I ever watched. Parky had some of the greats on, and he (AFAIC) always showed great respect and was charming, polite and engaging.

Ramblingrose22 Sadly, I can't really think of anyone who's a good interviewer these days.....
Everyone seems to forget Piers Morgan. Whatever you think of him, he does a very good interview and really gets his guests to open up. There are 13 seasons of 'Piers Morgan's Life Stories' and 107 episodes, available online. Now taken over by Kate Garraway. Some amazing interviews there, far too many to mention.

Parky was 'of his day' as has been said. Ross was years later and lessons should have been learned. Ross didn't learn them.

Well Foxygloves, we all "appreciate" different things and have different expectations.
There is no " right" or "wrong" about our tastes in interviewers any more than there are rights or wrongs about our different tastes in foods that we prefer.
His shows provided a lot of entertainment to a lot of people but it's a tired format IMHO so I don't watch chat shows anymore.

I don’t think you appreciate ramblingrose that it is a good interviewer who makes for a good or entertaining or perceptive interview.
Parkinson was that. A journalist to his teeth he was the consummate professional, very much more than a “chat show host”
Not as intrusive as John Freeman of Face to Face, or excoriating as Paxo in his heyday, but equally gifted at guiding the conversation so that we, the viewers, saw into the essence of his subject.
His programmes provided some wonderful laughs too.
Who could forget that attack by Emu? (Parky looked close to losing it, and certainly earned his fee that night)
Or this wonderful performance by Kenneth Williams of “Ma Crepe Suzette”

m.youtube.com/watch?v=6MbZjzIg5w8

I don't disagree Rambling Rose, I used to watch chat shows but have gone off celebrity culture I too find them quite boring, although I do like Graham Norton I haven't watched him of late. Michael Parkinson certainly had a certain amount of gravitas compared with Jonathan Ross say who was prone to making all manner of lascivious, crass remarks to female guests, that was when he wasn't interrupting with anecdotes about his own domestic set up especially as regards to his dogs in particular. MP was undoubtedly far more professional and I did enjoy some of his interviews but I think there was a detectable amount of subliminal sexism going on when he interviewed younger female personalities. I hated the way Charlotte Church's emergence from childhood to teen years, when she was still so, so young, was put under scrutiny by the media per se, so I would have expected him to swerve that quite honestly. Who would want that time of their life picked over when like many of one's peer group, you are on a learning curve and sometimes lacking in sound judgement. I'm glad she's managed to build a life for herself away from the spotlight.

Chat shows are often a platform for guests to promote their new film, record, book, which I imagine is a contractual obligation rather than a pleasure as demonstrated by a sometimes sour faced actor or two. There have been guests on MP who have been really good raconteurs, aside from the wonderfully funny, Billy Connelly I would include Tom Hanks and the off the wall and sadly missed Robin Williams.

Surprised you saw any of the interviews Ramblingrose22 after your first sentence. I don’t watch things that I think are boring. Why would you?

I watched Parky at 50 last night on bbc1 and laughed so much, I had forgotten how much I missed his shows and some of the funniest people he interviewed.
He was a presenter of his time and a good one.

I am going to make myself very unpopular but firstly I think chat shows are boring and the genre should be consigned to history. I also wonder what the celebrities get paid for having a bit of a laugh and publicising their next film or book, etc. No doubt some ridiculous amount that as a licence payer I am subsidising.

I was staggered to see the recent headlines referring to Michael Parkinson as though he was the most sublime interviewer who ever walked the earth. Yes, his interviews with Muhammed Ali were very good but that was because of Muhammed Ali, not because of Michael Parkinson.

To be clear, I do realise that many people liked him so he performed a good service for them but I was never one of them.

I'm very glad I didn't see his interviews where he leered or made sexist remarks to Helen Mirren and Charlotte Church. It goes to show that how unprofessional he was - just a man with the usual mens' weaknesses, not some kind of patron saint of the interview. This is exactly how Jonathan Ross treated Helen Mirren on his own show and he was never a brilliant interviewer either.

Maybe I am in a minority among women but I find it distasteful and disrespectful to them to watch men leering and fawning over the women they interview, work with or fancy and I for one can live without it. What happened to subtlety and wit?

Returning to Michael Parkinson can we please keep things in proportion? He may have been the best interviewer of celebrities in his day and his shows may have been entertaining to many but he wasn't some kind of god who will never be surpassed. He got the idea of the chat show genre from America and once he had finally persuaded a TV channel to run with it with him as the front man it took off and he must have made a fortune out of it.

Sadly, I can't really think of anyone who's a good interviewer these days. Maybe Andrew Neil as politicians seem to be afraid to be interviewed by him. Victoria Derbyshire is not bad on Newsnight and I loved Emma Barnett but she seems to have disapeared.

The best interview I ever saw was David Frost interviewing Anna Raeburn. He was completely hopeless. He just couldn't cope with her swift answers and fierce challenges to his patronising notion of women and womanhood. She not only put him in his place but she absolutely wiped the floor with him. Brilliant!

I loved his chat with Muhamed Ali talking about Joe Frazier.

He as has been said “ of his time “ like a lot of us he wouldnt fit now

Wasn't he just the best? Always a great watch, he was just SO good at his job. A great loss.😥

Michael Parkinson was so genial. Looking back on my life I realise that a bit more geniality on my part could have gone a long way to improving working relationships.

In the ‘80’s my 12 year old daughter’s school choir used to regularly attend the BBC to record radio programmes for schools, and were allowed to use the BBC canteen. One day she saw a familiar face and asked the man if he would sign a paper serviette for her. Taking it from her he smiled and asked “so, who am I?” “Des O’Conner”, she said and the Canteen erupted with laughter! But Parky signed it for her anyway🤣🤣

I did enjoy some of his programmes but felt uncomfortable when he was interviewing 'lovely ladies! Actually preferred Terry Wogan's interviews.

RIP Parky

What a man, a wonderful journalist and I think Parky was the best show host ever, I loved him.

The mould has been broken with his passing
No one presently on TV compares with his skill as an interviewer

He was a great interviewer. So many memorable guests, especially Billy Connolly. I never tire of re-watching his interviews with Billy. Some of his interviews with women are uncomfortable to watch now but they were very much of their time. It's shocking to look back on such sexism. Thank goodness attitudes have changed since then.