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Topic: Parbuckle

Message 1 / 2
jeremy_keensOct 16, 2007
 

 
Hi

Just drove into work and listened to this episode - what a beauty

Episode 272

It is the four regulars of the time in fine form - arguing with each
other, some wonderful William's madness <as an aside, I must agree
with Linda Smith's comment in the tele program that when you know a
bit about KW's history [I have read the diaries] you do have to
wonder about the underlying anger and depression>, terrific barbs at
Nick (including a chant of sack him and that Iam M could keep the
score). Two other stand out parts - nick telling KW he buzzed to
change the talker, KW writing too slowly for clement on Berlioz'
compositions. Peter Jones (which they all had, but PJ seemed to stand
out as he often talked less) mordant wit - the 38 breasts not being
odd, for instance.

All in all a ripper episode that might knock of one from Dean's
suggestion list.

Speaking of which, thanks again - but a question that I might ask a
panel member was raised by Tommy Trinder who said something along the
lines of 'You don't like each other much do you'. It would be
interesting to know how much was truly felt. Some hints are Paul's
comment in the TV program that there wasn't any obvious distress at
KW's death (could be British reserve). The main indicator from the
Diary is KW's comment about taking the JAM job but having to work
with that Nicholas Parsons.

Another observation - does anyone find some of PJ final outings a bit
sad? His absentmindednes sliding into something more serious? But
then every now and then he re-fired.

Jeremy

 
<<<<   1394   >>>>

Topic: Re: Parbuckle

Message 2 / 2
Dean BedfordOct 16, 2007
 

 
Lots of good talking points here.

272 is a very good ep and is heavily mined of course for the Silver
Minutes shows. I always love this round - one of my very favourite
rounds in the whole series. I'll put it at the bottom of my spiel.

On how the panellists felt about each other - I think the only pair that
could be called close personal friends are Clement and Derek - they used
to regularly go to the races together, and for a while co-owned a
racehorse. I get the feeling that Derek was possibly the friendliest -
there are tales of him hosting the others to dinner and so on. I reckon
they did all respect the other in the end - In the book written about
Kenneth a year after his death, Clement goes out of hs way to defend
Kenneth and say there's no way he could have killed himself. That was
before publication of the diaries where I think it becomes clearer it
was a suicide. Clement expresses himself very strongly - "I knew
Kenneth - there's no way he would have left his mother alone, he was
fundamentally a brave man who knew what his responsibilities were." I
felt on reading it that it showed Clement really admired - and indeed
liked Kenneth and felt he needed defending.

But of course having someone like Kenneth in a social group must have
been unsettling. Derek describes Kenneth coming into the room and
telling Peter he looked ill, telling Derek his show was going badly,
telling Clement the Liberals were doing badly and he would lose hs
seat - reading the diaries, it's all too easy to imagine Kenneth doing
just that. I'm sure Clement, Derek and Peter admired Kenneth's genius -
but he can't always have been easy to live with.

On Peter - I think I've mentioned before that about a year before his
death, Clement made a public remark to a newspaper that Peter was being
kept on "as a sort of golden oldie" who was no longer actually any good
at the game. There's clearly something in that. But there are still a
few great Peter Jones lines in any show, which makes him worthwhile I
think.



NICHOLAS PARSONS: Kenneth it’s your turn to begin and the subject is the
most extraordinary person I have ever met. That’s the subject, 60
seconds, starting now.

KENNETH WILLIAMS: The most extraordinary person I ever met was actually
covered in... don’t do that! He’s doing it deliberately!

BUZZ

NP: Peter Jones has challenged.

KW: He’s just...

PETER JONES: Hesitation!

KW: No I wasn’t hesitating, I said don’t do that. He’s just sitting
there, looking at me and making funny faces and trying to put me off.

PJ: Well I know! And he succeeded!

KW: Ah that’s not in the rules, the rules of the game state that you
should be allowed to proceed...

CLEMENT FREUD: No, no, no!

KW: It does!

NP: There’s nothing about being allowed to proceed!

DEREK NIMMO: According to Nicholas Parsons...

KW: It does! It says in the book without let or hindrance! It’s in the
book!

NP: Now there’s a book about it! You’re making up new rules as you go
along! Kenneth I do believe that you were obstructed and...

KW: Thank you!

NP: ... I don’t think that’s fair play!

KW: Thank you, yes.

NP: And I said before I like to see fair play. So I’m not going to allow
the challenge and you keep the subject, you have 53 seconds on the most
extraordinary person I have ever met starting now.

KW: She was on this pier and was actually covered in hair. I know that
sounds fantastic but you see it was the most extraordinary person I have
ever met. And a certain slushing sound came out on every sibilant (makes
slushing sounds)

BUZZ

NP: Clement Freud has challenged.

CF: Repetition of (slushing sound)

KW: Don’t be absurd! That’s not repetition! That’s not, don’t be absurd,
I said (slushing sounds)

NP: Yes! You did! You repeated (slushing sound)

KW: In that case then the sound of I and T which reoccurs in a sentence
could also be called repetition! That’s rid... Thank you! Thank you!

NP: Kenneth...

KW: The audience is with me and they’re obviously...

NP: The I and T is part of a word. You made a definite noise, (slushing
sound)

KW: Don’t be absurd, I said on the sibilants there was a slushing sound
and then illustrated it. If you’re going to tell me you can’t illustrate
it...

PJ: You illustrated it...

KW: ... you might as well say oh consonants are in the line as well, so
are vowels!

NP: Well Kenneth if I was taking you literally you could go through the
whole of that with only (slushing sounds) for 60 seconds.

KW: If I say (slushing sounds) s(slush)ee a s(slush)tranger
across(slush) a crowded room, that’s not repetition! That’s not
repetition! Well I mean I’m always being unfairly used!

NP: Kenneth you’re...

KW: They try to make a butt of me!

NP: Kenneth you’re not unfairly used, I give you a tremendous amount of
rope and you invariably hang with yourself with it! But I’ll give you a
bonus point for your brilliant demonstration but I disagree entirely.
And Clement Freud has the subject after repetition and there are 37
seconds left, the most extraordinary person I have ever met starting now.

CF: The most extraordinary person I have ever met was hanging from a
parbuckle and looked like a cylindrical object! He swung backwards and
forwards in the high wind. And investigating the appearance carefully,
it was none other than Nicholas Parsons our chairman. About time, the
people said as they were walking by...

NP: Kenneth you challenged!

KW: Oh did I?

NP: Yes!

KW: What was the basis?

NP: Nicholas Parsons, repetition.

KW: Oh that’s right, he said it before!

NP: And we don’t want too much of him in this show, do we! So Kenneth
you get the subject back and there are 17 seconds on the most
extraordinary person I’ve ever met starting now.

KW: He was entirely black and on the upper berth of a train which...

BUZZ

NP: Derek Nimmo challenged.

DN: Deviation, he’s already established that th most extraordinary
person he’s ever met was covered with hair and was a lady.

NP: Yes I’m afraid you did!

KW: Haven’t you ever heard of a sex change? You great fool! It’s
happening all the time!

NP: Kenneth, actually it was a brilliant attempt. I’m tempted to give
youi another bonus point. But actually...

KW: Don’t be tempted, dear! Do it! Go on! Strain yourself!

NP: But even if the most extraordinary person in your world had had a
sex change, they still couldn’t have changed colour!

KW: Yes that’s right!

NP: No... that’s right yes!

KW: Haven’t you heard of blacking up?

NP: Oh blacking up! No, I’m sorry! Back to the subject, there are 13
seconds with you Derek on the most extraordinary person I have ever met
starting now.

DN: The most extraordinary person that I have ever met was a woman with
amazing measurements, 38 breasts, 22...

BUZZ

NP: Peter Jones has challenged.

PJ: No woman could have 38 breasts!

DN: I... I did establish...

KW: I know, I know, you meant bust.

DN: No!

NP: He meant bust!

DN: That’s why she was extraordinary! I mean I don’t expect a normal
woman to have 38 breasts! It was just this particular woman, that’s
why...

NP: I think you deviated far too far...

DN: The subject on the card is the most extraordinary person I have ever
met. If I saw, if you saw a woman come in here with 38 breasts, would
you not think that was a trifle odd? In fact, might you not say this was
extraordinary? That was what I was doing.

PJ: No, it’d only be odd if she had 37!

NP: By any token, I think Peter Jones deserves the subject! He’s going
to have it, he’s got his first point in this game actually. And he was
our winner recently. Ah Peter you have four seconds to take over the
subject of the most extraordinary person I have ever met starting now.

PJ: This woman wore evening dress with a cricket belt round her waist
and she had...

WHISTLE