Sir Michael Parkinson CBE (born March 28, 1935) is an English broadcaster and journalist. He is most famous for presenting his eponymous interview programme, Parkinson, which was broadcast from 1971 to 2007. The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions; in decreasing order of seniority, these are Knight Grand Cross or Dame Grand Cross (GBE) Knight Commander... is the 87th day of the year (88th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1935 (MCMXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar). ... Cudworth is a village in the metropolitan borough of Barnsley in South Yorkshire, England. ... For other uses, see Barnsley (disambiguation). ... South Yorkshire is a metropolitan and ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and the Humber Government Office Region of England, in the United Kingdom. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Journalist (disambiguation). ... The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions; in decreasing order of seniority, these are Knight Grand Cross or Dame Grand Cross (GBE) Knight Commander... is the 87th day of the year (88th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1935 (MCMXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar). ... This article is about the English as an ethnic group and nation. ... For other uses, see Journalist (disambiguation). ... Parkinson is a British television chat show presented by Michael Parkinson. ...

Early life

Parkinson, or "Parky" as he is familiarly known, was born in Cudworth near Barnsley, South Yorkshire. The son of a miner, he was educated at Barnsley Grammar School and passed two O-Levels: in Art and English Language. He was an enthusiastic club cricketer, and both he and his opening partner at Barnsley Cricket Club, Dickie Bird, had trials for Yorkshire together with Geoffrey Boycott. Parkinson began as a journalist on local newspapers, and his carefully maintained Yorkshire background and accent remain an important part of his appeal. He then worked as a reporter on the Manchester Guardian and later on the Daily Express in London. He also did National Service as Britain's youngest army captain^[1] and was involved in the Suez Operation. Cudworth is a village in the metropolitan borough of Barnsley in South Yorkshire, England. ... Barnsley is a large town in South Yorkshire, England, lying on the River Dearne, approximately twenty kilometres north of Sheffield. ... South Yorkshire is a metropolitan and ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and the Humber Government Office Region of England, in the United Kingdom. ... The General Certificate of Education or GCE is a secondary-level academic qualification, which is used in Britain as well as in some former British colonies. ... Harold Dennis Bird (born April 19, 1933) is a retired cricket umpire, probably the best known and loved the sport has seen. ... Yorkshire County Cricket Club, who represent the historic county of Yorkshire, are one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English domestic cricket structure. ... Geoffrey Boycott OBE (born October 21, 1940) is a former Yorkshire and England cricketer. ... The Guardian was also the name of a U.S. television series. ... For other uses, see Daily Express (disambiguation). ... National service is a common name for compulsory or voluntary military service programs. ... A Captain in armies, air forces and marine forces, is a rank with a NATO rank code of OF-2. ... Combatants Israel United Kingdom France Egypt Commanders Moshe Dayan Charles Keightley Pierre Barjot Gamal Abdel Nasser Abdel Hakim Amer Strength 175,000 Israeli 45,000 British 34,000 French 70,000 Casualties 197 Israeli KIA 56 British KIA 91 British WIA 10 French KIA 43 French WIA 650 KIA[1...

Career

Television

During the 1960s, Parkinson moved into television, working on current affairs programmes for both the BBC and Manchester-based Granada Television and then followed a long career. The British Film Institute has an extensive overview and filmography of Parkinson's work. Parkinson holds a prolific 451 credits as a presenter on his own and teamed with others. For other uses, see BBC (disambiguation). ... This article is about the City of Manchester in England. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

From 1969, he presented Cinema, a late-night film review programme,^[1] before moving on in 1971 to become an interviewer and a household name in the United Kingdom.

Parkinson is best known for hosting his successful chat show, Parkinson, broadcast from 1971 until 1982 and then from 1998 until December 2007. It featured many of the most prominent celebrities, but generally avoided posing confrontational or controversial questions. By his own reckoning, Parkinson interviewed over 2,000 of the world's most famous people.^[2] He said that he only suffered from celebrity shock once: when he interviewed his childhood hero, Keith Miller on the show.^{[citation needed]} In October 2003, Parkinson had a controversial interview with Meg Ryan on his talk show, whilst she was in the United Kingdom to promote In the Cut. He later commented that it was his most difficult television moment.^[3] His one professional regret was that he never interviewed Frank Sinatra. In its heyday, Parkinson was a flagship of the BBC's prime time schedule, attracting top names in the days before the chat show circuit was established as a part of the promotional mill. Parkinson interviewed the notoriously reticent Marlon Brando, he was able to sympathetically interview wartime variety stars while attracting (then) up-and-coming comedians such as Billy Connolly, and was not afraid to allow an interviewee time to be themselves, sometimes (as with Sir Paul McCartney) devoting an entire programme to a single guest. Parkinson is a British television chat show presented by Michael Parkinson. ... Keith Ross Miller (born 28 November 1919, died 11 October 2004, Melbourne, Australia) was a famous Australian Test cricketer and World War II pilot. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Meg Ryan (born November 19, 1961) is an American actress who specializes in romantic comedies but has also worked in other film genres. ... In the Cut is a 2003 American/British/Australian crime/erotic thriller film written and directed by New Zealand director Jane Campion. ... Sinatra redirects here. ... Prime time is the block of programming on television during the middle of the evening. ... Marlon Brando, Jr. ... A variety show is a show with a variety of acts, often including music and comedy skits, especially on television. ... Dr William Billy Connolly, CBE, (born 24 November 1942) is a Scottish comedian, musician, presenter, and actor. ... Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer-songwriter, composer, multi-instrumentalist, poet, entrepreneur, painter, record producer, film producer, and animal-rights activist. ...

He was one of the original line-up of TV-am, together with Angela Rippon, Anna Ford and Robert Kee, who were all eventually replaced with younger talent. He also took over as host of Thames Television's Give Us a Clue from Michael Aspel. TV-am was a breakfast television station that broadcast in the United Kingdom from 1983 to 1992. ... Angela Rippon, OBE (born October 12, 1944) is a well-known British television journalist and lesbian. ... Anna Ford (born 2 October 1943 in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire) is a retired British television presenter, best known as a newsreader. ... Robert Kee (born 1919) is a British journalist and writer, known for his historical works on World War II and on Ireland. ... Thames Television was a franchise holder of the British ITV television network, serving London on weekdays between 1968 and 1992. ... Give Us A Clue is a televised version of charades hosted at different times by Michael Aspel and Michael Parkinson, with two teams: one captained by Lionel Blair and the other by Una Stubbs. ... Michael Aspel (b. ...

In 1992, Parkinson appeared as himself in the television drama Ghostwatch. He was the studio link during a fictional, apparently live, paranormal investigation. However, the cinéma vérité style in which it was shot led to many complaints from BBC viewers, who believed it had depicted real events. From 1995 to 1999, he hosted the popular BBC One daytime programme Going for a Song. He again played himself in Richard Curtis' 2003 romantic comedy, Love Actually, interviewing the character Billy Mack, who is played by Bill Nighy. From 31 January to 3 February 2007, Parkinson presented "Symphony at the Movies" at the Sydney Opera House, where he shared stories about his interviews with movie stars, and introduced music from some of his favourite films. For the fictional programme within Doctor Who, see Army of Ghosts#Outside references. ... Paranormal is an umbrella term used to describe a wide variety of reported anomalous phenomena. ... This article is about filmmaking. ... Richard Curtis in London, 1999 Richard Curtis CBE, (born 8 November 1956), is a New Zealand-born British screenwriter, best known for the TV programmes Blackadder and The Vicar of Dibley as well as movies such as Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill, and Love Actually. ... Love Actually is a romantic comedy first released in cinemas in October and November 2003. ... Bill Nighy (IPA: ; born December 12, 1949) is a Golden Globe and BAFTA-award winning English actor. ... is the 31st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 34th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Parkinson announced his retirement on 26 June 2007:^[4] is the 177th day of the year (178th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ...

In 2007, Parkinson appeared in the Australian soap Neighbours as himself. Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is the sixth-largest country in the world, the only country to occupy an entire continent, and the largest in the region of Australasia/Oceania. ... This article is about the Australian soap opera. ...

On 24 November 2007, during the recording of the final regular edition of his ITV chat show, broadcast on 16 December, Parkinson fought back tears as he was given a standing ovation.^[5] The last artist to perform on his show was Jamie Cullum. is the 328th day of the year (329th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 350th day of the year (351st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Jamie Cullum (born August 20, 1979) is an English jazz/pop pianist and singer-songwriter. ...

Radio

Parkinson took over BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs in 1985, after the death of its creator, Roy Plomley. He stayed for three years until handing over to Sue Lawley. Between 1994 and 1996 he hosted Parkinson on Sport on BBC Radio Five Live. Between 1996 and 2007, he presented a Sunday morning show on BBC Radio 2 called Parkinson's Sunday Supplement; it featured newspaper and entertainment summaries (with the help of various journalists) and a lengthy interview with a media personality. These were interspersed with music that demonstrated his penchant for jazz and big-band arrangements. In October 2007, a few months after announcing his retirement from his television series, Parkinson revealed that his radio show would also end.^[6] The last programme was broadcast on Sunday 2 December 2007. As an interim arrangement Clive Anderson presented the programme during December/January and Eammon Holmes during February and Fiona Bruce during March, until a suitable successor is found. It seems however that this arrangement of rotating presenters on a monthly basis may become a long term fixture for the show. old Radio 4 logo BBC Radio 4 is a UK domestic radio station which broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes including news, drama, comedy, science and history. ... Desert Island Discs is a long-running BBC Radio 4 programme. ... Roy Plomley (January 20, 1914 - May 28, 1985) was an English radio broadcaster. ... Sue Lawley (born 14 July 1946) is an English broadcaster. ... BBC Radio Five Live is the BBCs radio service providing live BBC News, phone-ins, and sports commentaries. ... BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBCs national radio stations and the most popular station in the UK. As well as having most listeners nationally, it ranks first in all regions above local radio stations. ... is the 336th day of the year (337th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Clive Anderson (born 10 December 1952) is a former practising barrister turned successful comedy writer as well as a television and radio presenter in the United Kingdom. ... Eamonn Holmes on Sky News Eamonn Holmes (b. ...

In the past Parkinson presented a mid-morning programme on London's LBC Newstalk 97.3FM. He was responsible for "discovering" jazz pianist Jamie Cullum, among others. LBC Radio (originally the London Broadcasting Company) operates two London-based radio stations, with news and talk formats. ... Jamie Cullum (born August 20, 1979) is an English jazz/pop pianist and singer-songwriter. ...

Writing

In 1967 The Sunday Times invited Parkinson to write a regular sports column, which became very popular, drawing especially on characters he'd come across in his own active days in cricket and soccer.^{[citation needed]} For other uses, see The Sunday Times (disambiguation). ...

In the 1960s, Parkinson wrote a series of children's books called The Woofits about a family of anthropomorphic dog-like creatures who lived in the fictional Yorkshire coal-mining village of Grimeworth. The books led to a TV series, which he narrated. Childrens books redirects here. ... The Woofits were a series of childrens books written in the 1980s by the British television and radio personality Michael Parkinson, best known for his TV chat shows. ... Anthropomorphism, also referred to as personification or prosopopeia, is the attribution of human characteristics to inanimate objects, animals, forces of nature, and others. ...

He previously wrote a sports column for the Daily Telegraph and is currently President of the Sports Journalists' Association of Great Britain.^[7] This article deals with The Daily Telegraph in Britain, see The Daily Telegraph (Australia) for the Australian publication The Daily Telegraph is a British broadsheet newspaper founded in 1855. ...

Personal life

In 1959 he married Mary Heneghan. Mary Parkinson herself presented the long-running Thames TV daytime show Good Afternoon, and briefly presented Parkinson in the 1970s. They have three children, Andrew, Nick and Mike, and eight grandchildren, Laura, James, Emma, Georgina, Ben, Felix, Sofia and Honey. In the 1970s he campaigned in support of birth control. He is a keen cricket fan, and in 1990 hosted a World XI team against Yorkshire. Parkinson and his wife live in Bray, Berkshire,^[8] and met his friend Michel Roux when rowing down the River Thames on a Sunday to his then pub, the Waterside Inn.^[9]. He is also a keen bee-keeper. Thames Television was an British television production company and between 1968 and 1992 was the weekday ITV company serving London from 9 :25 a. ... This article is about the sport. ... This article is about the year. ... St. ... Michel Roux (born 1941) is a French-born restaurateur working in Britain. ... This article is about the River Thames in southern England. ... Situated in Bray, Berkshire. ...

Honours and awards

In 1999 he was the recipient of an honorary doctorate from the University of Lincolnshire and Humberside. He was invested as a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) by Prince Charles in November 2000 for "services to broadcasting".^[10] Parkinson was made a Knight Bachelor in the 2008 New Year's Honours List; he jokingly remarked that he thought that he was "not the type to get a knighthood" coming as he did "from Barnsley. They give it to anyone nowadays."^[11] Events of 2008: (EMILY) Me Lesley and MIley are going to China! This article is about the year. ... The University of Lincolnshire and Humberside was the name between 1996 and 2001 of the higher education institution previously known as the University of Humberside and now known as the University of Lincoln. ... The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions; in decreasing order of seniority, these are Knight Grand Cross or Dame Grand Cross (GBE) Knight Commander... “Prince Charles” redirects here. ... The dignity of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. ...

Parkinson was ranked 8th^[12] in a list of the 100 Greatest British Television Programmes drawn up by the British Film Institute in 2000, voted for by industry professionals. In April 2006, Parkinson was awarded the prestigious Honorary Patronage of the University Philosophical Society (Trinity College, Dublin). He was also voted number 20 in ITV's "TV's 50 Greatest Stars". 100 Greatest British Television Programmes was a list compiled in 2000 by the British Film Institute (BFI) chosen by a poll of industry professionals, to determine what were the greatest British television programmes of any genre ever to have been screened. ... The British Film Institute (BFI) is a charitable organisation established by Royal Charter to encourage the development of the arts of film, television and the moving image throughout the United Kingdom, to promote their use as a record of contemporary life and manners, to promote education about film, television and... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The University Philosophical Society (commonly known as The Phil) was founded in 1853, although it claims two predecessor societies. ... For other institutions named Trinity College, see Trinity College. ... For other uses, see ITV (disambiguation). ...

In popular culture

His presenting techniques were spoofed by Alistair McGowan on the show Big Impression and by Jon Culshaw on the comedy show Dead Ringers, in which Culshaw portrays Parkinson interviewing members of the general public at bus stops and other everyday locations. The Kenny Everett character Cupid Stunt was "interviewed" by a cardboard cut-out Michael Parkinson in all of "her" sketches. He is one of the figures on the cover of the Wings album Band on the Run. In 2005, Parkinson made a guest appearance with comedian Peter Kay on the music video of the re-released "Is This the Way to Amarillo" for Comic Relief, which subsequently became a No. 1 single. Parkinson was also featured in Irregular Webcomic! No. 1697.^[13] Alistair McGowan (born November 24, 1964) is a British impressionist and actor. ... Big Impression is a British comedy sketch show. ... Jonathan Peter Culshaw (born 2 June 1968 in Ormskirk, Lancashire) is a British impressionist and comedian. ... Dead Ringers is a UK radio and television comedy impressions show broadcast on BBC Radio 4 and BBC Two. ... Kenny Everett (born Maurice Cole in Crosby, Merseyside, 25 December 1944, died 4 April 1995), was a popular English radio DJ and television entertainer. ... Band on the Run is an album by Wings, released in 1973. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... A music video is a short film or video that accompanies a complete piece of music, most commonly a song. ... Is This the Way to Amarillo is a song written by Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield, referring to Amarillo, Texas. ... For the origin of the term, see comic relief. ... Irregular Webcomic! is a webcomic created by David Morgan-Mar, an Australian physicist. ...

Notes

BBC News website in June 2007. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... is the 328th day of the year (329th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 226th day of the year (227th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 286th day of the year (287th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Michael Parkinson and the MBC's Encyclopedia of Television
• Michael Parkinson on BBC Radio 2
• Michael Parkinson at the Internet Movie Database