Question Time: now that's entertainment!
Friday, December 12, 2014 at 13:34 I remember when Question Time was essential viewing for anyone with the slightest interest in politics.
Invitations to sit in the audience were highly prized too.
The first time I took part was in 1984. The ASI's Madsen Pirie was on the panel and he was allowed to invite some 'supporters' to what I think was a church hall in South London where the programme was recorded.
Half a dozen of us turned up and every time Madsen opened his mouth we applauded as loudly as we could.
Later, when I watched the programme on TV, you could clearly hear us even though we were massively outnumbered by local Labour party activists.
In the Eighties there was hardly a week when I didn't recognise at least one face in the audience, often more.
On one occasion a member of the audience complained that people were far too quick to criticise. QT, he suggested, had become "a knocking shop".
Sharp as ever the late great Robin Day responded, "Whatever else Question Time is, it cannot be accused of being a knocking shop."
It got a big laugh and the member of the audience (grinning from ear to ear) was my old friend Gary Ling!
I haven't seen Madsen on the programme for years – probably because of his insistence on giving extremely succinct answers in stark contrast to the long-winded drivel that passes for political 'debate' today.
Sadly QT is a shadow of its former self and I rarely watch it. Last night however, for a few brief minutes, it was like the old days.
With one exception (The Times' Camilla Cavendish) the panellists were ordinary (Penny Mordaunt, Mary Creagh, Nigel Farage) or dire (Russell Brand), but for sheer entertainment the programme was unbeatable.
If you didn't see it I recommend this article – What happened when Nigel Farage and Russell Brand were on Question Time together? (New Statesman) – but there are many more online.
If you get a chance watch it on iPlayer. I can't remember the last time I laughed out loud during a TV programme, and certainly not Question Time.
Reader Comments (4)
You are spot on in your summing up of QT Simon - unfortunately I do still watch it week after week in the hope that it will return to the 'good ol' days' And week after week I have to fend off my wife's remarks about it, such as "Oh no, not that again" and then me having to prod her every now and then, with "Wake up, this is getting good" But last night there was no prodding and pleading from me, Frances watched it all the way through and said that she thoroughly enjoyed it.
So even if Nigel doesn't make it into full time politics there is still hope for him as the new presenter maybe of QT?
Back in the late 1990s, I was a member of the QT audience with my mum who had booked it and asked me to drive her to Nottingham where it was filmed. The only panel member I remember was Peter Mandelson who wore bright red socks.
I had a question that I wanted to submit but we were late arriving due to me getting lost. It was something along the lines of : "Do nab-thy-neighbour type schemes divide nor unite communities?" Social inclusion was the alleged aim of bringing communities together back then but there was also talk of anti-social behaviour and urging people to report their neighbours if they had a dispute.
I hoped that maybe I'd get a chance to ask the question in another way if I was chosen to speak after holding up my hand for some time but sadly, because my mum was in a wheelchair, we were seated right at the edge of the audience on the front row and most questions were taken from the centre block.
My mother was a very religious woman but I don't think she would have been impressed by today's new Messiah in the guise of a comedic actor. As a Labour supporter then, however, I recall she wasn't very impressed with Mandelson.
Brand preached. The Labour Shadow Minister was a bit lost and concentrated upon projecting the Labour line. The Tory woman prattled. The Journalist was quite solid, but she did not represent the MSM. Nige smiled and hit the buttons.
What are the buttons?
Infrastructure.
What was really entertaining was Nigel Farage on the GoggleBox posh couple's show on ch4 last night. It was hilarious.
Farage said he doesn't drink inside pubs so much these days as outside and he cannot understand why a room cannot be made available inside for smokers. Posh bloke Dom, who also smoked, entirely agreed it was the civilised thing to do.
#WeSmokeWeVote #LibDemsDeadPartyWalking
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/steph-and-dom-meet-nigel-farage/on-demand/59671-001