The AIOTM (aiotm) vibe continued today as I got up at 6.15am to attempt to get the script finished (the team needed it by 11.30 at the latest). I could have had another hour in bed as I sent it off at 10.30 and it felt like somehow (and magic elves may have once again been involved) I'd managed to knock together a good show.
I had a bit of time to kill so watched "Holy Flying Circus" which I had recorded the other night. I thought it was excellent - some amazing performances (especially from the guy playing Palin), but also an inventive script which not only told the story but looked at the nature of offence and tried to break some taboos itself. The Pythons were my absolute heroes when I was growing up and Michael Palin remains someone whose career I admire and envy and I became a teenage fanboy again. A few people had tweeted me about the references to Joey Deacon and the use of the word "mong" expecting me to be furious (because, I presume they haven't read or understood anything I've been saying). Both these instances were uttered by people we weren't meant to like, who were idiots. They made dramatic sense. And neither character tried to pretend he had meant something else afterwards.
I then watched the original episode of "Friday Night, Saturday Morning" on iPlayer. In reality the Pythons were more jovial and talkative and funny than the drama had portrayed them, though the nervousness and simmering anger were there. The bishop and Malcolm Muggeridge were probably even bigger gasbags in reality, failing to listen, probably drunk and kayaking down a stream of consciousness that often made little sense. They kept talking about the 14 year old boy who would watch this film with no knowledge of the gospels and I felt aggrieved, because at the time I was a 14 year old boy (or thereabouts) and I knew a lot about the gospels. If I had seen it at the time it would just have confirmed that all my thoughts about organised religion were wrong. Cleese and Palin were a little deferential to these men and amazingly polite and courteous (it was PC gone mad) and absolutely correct about everything. I chose the correct heroes. Very enjoyable stuff.
Then I was off to the BBC myself to record my own show. I doubt there will be a drama about this one in 2041, but you never know. I felt very tired and a bit nervous, partly about the script, but also about meeting Lucy Pinder. This was a brave and difficult thing she was about to do, come and take part in a show that was going to be at least a little critical of her chosen profession in front of an audience of people who were likely to disapprove. Even as a comedian it's daunting to get up on a stage without knowing what you're going to say or do, so this was potentially humiliating. What if she felt the show was one-sided and didn't want to take part? What if she froze or became defensive? To add to my worries Emma Kennedy had also bet me £20 that I couldn't last the whole evening looking Lucy in the face at all times. If my eyeline even went below her neck for a second I would have to shell out. Was it worth £20 to have a quick look anyway?
I needn't have worried. The show zinged along (after another slightly quiet start) and I managed to ad lib a fair bit. And the interview with Lucy was great - she was articulate, funny and confounded the glamour model stereotype entirely. She is a businesswoman of some intelligence, (although I did pick her up on her decision to sell those bookmarks) and she defended her corner well. There were a few pockets in the audience who I think might have disapproved of her line of work, but her modesty and charm won most people round. And I managed to look her in the face for the entire time, so Emma Kennedy ended up paying for my cab home! Result.
I think almost anywhere in the country other than the BBC Radio Theatre the audience would have been buzzing with excitement, but my favourite moment of the night was when my producer Tilusha revealed that the guest for the last show is Alexei Sayle. There was an audible ooooh of excitement, that there hadn't been for Lucy. You have to love the Radio 4 audience.
But overall it felt like another strong show - which given the state it was in (or rather wasn't in) on Saturday and even Sunday this was a surprise.
Emma and me had also been honoured earlier in the evening when Radio 4's Corrie Corfield asked us to come up to the Radio 4 control hub to put on
"The Slanket of Con", which has been worn by many of the greats who have appeared on this station (and also Jon Holmes... ha ha, I am funny). So it was flattering to be part of this insane tradition, but I was also up in the place where Radio 4 is broadcast from and had I made a mad lunge at the desk could have prevented the 6 o clock news going to air. Whilst wearing a leopard-skin slanket. The addition of the little hat and the arrogant stance perhaps makes me look like someone who is hoping to take over the government of Libya. Well I can't be any worse than the last bloke. Whatever happened to him?
And how like the Radio 4 audience I am - posting a picture of me in the slanket rather than me with Lucy Pinder. Ah well, I am proud of the idiot that I am.
