October 20, 2005
NEWS UPDATE
NEWS UPDATE 20th OCTOBER 2005
I got my first letter from someone who had looked at this site today. It was hand written and there was no foul language or blood or other bodily fluids on it so I was very pleased. It made me feel bad that my web resolve deserted me so quickly though and I never even finished my Edinburgh diary. Things got a lot busier in the last couple of weeks and it just got away from me. I am however going to finish it off, just for the sake of completism and from then on I’m going to try and update things a little more regularly. OK, more news!
KEN KORDA NEWS
Tonight I will be appearing on [The Last Word], a topical discussion show on the new More 4 channel which digital and satellite viewers will find on channel 165, just after E4. I will not be one of the panel of cakes they get in to deliver rehearsed monologues on the pressing issues (or de-pressing issues if you prefer), I will instead be tucked away at the rear of the show as Ken Korda who will be talking about working with Jim Jarmusch on the film Broken Flowers starring Bill Murray. The segment is called Ken: Inside Movies and it’s a brilliant, ground breaking way of reviewing new releases whilst behaving like a lavatory. I did one the week before about Lord Of War and next week I’ll be doing Battle In Heaven.
One of the top people at More 4 was unhappy with the wig I use for Ken so this week they got me a ‘more real looking one’. See what you think. In the old days I would have been quite queeny about the whole thing and possibly refused to do the piece unless I could stick with my wig, but I think it’s time I started listening to people older and wiser than myself. Plus no one is going to be watching so who cares? I’m very glad and grateful they’ve given me the opportunity to do the pieces though. It’s great fun being Ken again, I always thought he was a good character even if no one else did.
ARMANDO IANNUCCI NEWS
I hope to start work on a new show with Armando Iannucci in the next few weeks but I’m not sure how much I’m supposed to say about it so I’ll hold off for a little while. Suffice to say I’m very excited as well as nervous about not being up to the job, but we’ll see.
I.T. CROWD NEWS
Last week I finished filming my scenes for Graham Linehan’s new sitcom, the I.T. Crowd, which is being produced by The Office’s Ash Attala for Channel 4 and should hit your screens sometime in February/March next year. Graham is writing and directing. I appear in episode 4 as a sleazy man who goes on a bad date with the main female character Jen with hilarious consequences! That sounded ironic but wasn’t supposed to. The consequences really are hilarious. It’s a very funny show and right up there with Graham’s best stuff (Black Books series 1 and Father Ted being the most successful but Big Train series 1 is my personal fave).
The main cast includes Richard Ayoade from Garth Merengue, Katherine Parkinson who’s work I don’t know at all but she’s done a lot of theatre (which is why I don’t know it) and Chris O’Dowd who was in Festival, the film about the Edinburgh Festival that I haven’t seen yet but want to see. Anyway, they’re all great in this show.
Chris O’Dowd is going to be a big star I think and Katherine too is a very funny, talented actress who I can imagine doing a lot of good stuff in the future. Richard Ayoade is especially funny and has a very weird delivery that takes a little getting used to but ends up making the show feel pleasingly unusual. OK, that’s enough thesbian gushing.
XFM NEWS
Joe and I continue to host a 2 hour show on Xfm (104.9 fm) from 1 – 3pm every Saturday. It’s more fun doing it than it’s ever been but I’m not sure how much longer we’re going to be able to continue as Joe is going to be busy with a couple of shows he’s directing next year and I hope I’ll be working hard with Armando so we may have to call it a day at Christmas. We will, once again, see.
I’d miss it though. I’d even miss the occasional abuse we get from various listeners. I no longer hear much of it as I switch off my computer monitor at the start of each show and concentrate on pushing the buttons (which I still find taxing.) Joe reads all the e-mails and texts because he has a thicker hide than I, but he can’t resist reading out especially horrible ones when they come in and it always bums me out.
Last week there was a very angry message from this girl in Bristol who took offence at my comments about a dreadful show called Brush With Fame. Here’s more less the gist of what I said:
Brush With Fame is another in a series of increasingly desperate Pop Idol style elimination shows, (Political Idol? Did I imagine that one?) this one attempting to find a competent portrait painter and award them “£10,000 and an exclusive publishing deal”. Is that really why most people pick up a brush? Cue ‘art experts’ wandering around disagreeing hilariously with eachother and offering such golden critical insights as:
- “You’ve made the eyes watery like, like eyes.”
- “Well, I always think once you’ve got the eyes right, the rest just falls into place.”
- “Yes, well they say the eyes are the window to the soul.”
Thanks for clearing that up. More elimination shows that would please:
- WANK KING – points awarded for technique, flair and stamina.
- TOP DOCS – the quest to find the bright young surgeons of tomorrow. The winner is awarded paid tuition at medical school and a post in a top private hospital.
- MAKE ME AN AID WORKER – A search for the most sparky, attractive yet committed aid worker in the UK. Winner gets a year’s worth of free medical supplies and a guaranteed job at the site of the next major environmental disaster. (SATIRE!!!)
Anyway this girl was furious first of all that I said the show was on BBC1 when it is in fact on ITV. She said she had taken part in the show and had done so in an attempt to ‘improve her life’. She made the point that not all portrait painters are professionals who would turn their nose up at this kind of show, the way that not all comedians are good enough to be on TV or something. I think she was getting at us. She called me ‘needle dick’ which made me think she was possibly Australian or wanted to be Australian. Don’t know why, I just got that feeling. I felt bad that I had belittled her efforts. I was really just riffing on the worthlessness of the show and the desperation of the twats that came up with it, rather than the people taking part. I do think it’s an odd way to improve your life, but it’s certainly not my business. I don’t imagine she’ll be visitng this site any time soon but for what it’s worth, I apologise. My dick is bigger than a needle though. Much bigger, honestly.
I’ll get back to you if anything else newsworthy occurs.
Until then,
I love you, bye.
Adam