This was the very first edition of the relaunched Parkinson show on BBC One. The original run ran from 1971 until 1982, then Parkinson went off to the ill-fated launch of TV AM in 1983, and after a few interview like shows on ITV Parkinson came back in 1998 with Paul Merton as the first guest of the relaunched show.
I remember Parkinson used to be recorded in the fantastic Studio TC8 at BBC Television Centre in London. It was an amazing studio, perfect for talk shows and comedies. I loved being in the studio when I visited it, and sadly it is no more now in May 2019.
I remember watching this when it was first broadcast. I think Paul had got to know Parky a bit, when he appeared on an edition of HIGNFY(in 1997), also Parky appear on Room 101 when Paul took over.
20 YEARS LATER he is still at the helm of HIGNFY so tremendous achievement though I notice he isn't particularly generous to other Comedians on the show. I know he does " Deadpan" as an Art Form but he seems deliberately to be the only one that does not laugh at their jokes.
Isleofskye partly I think he's meant to be the funny one who makes others laugh, so if he laughs then suddenly he's lost his role; and partly there is a group of celebrities who think they have to be pretty selfish to keep the limelight etc
Paul is one of the most generous comedians on radio and television today. His role as a regular panellist on Radio 4's Just A MInute is very different from that on HIGNFY. In retrospective discussions with the chairman Nicholas Parsons as they introduce episodes on CD releases he talks about how he takes up the slack if less experienced panellists are struggling but pulls back when others are doing well.
