Michael Parkinson
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| Born: | 28 March 1935 Image:Flag of England (bordered).svg Cudworth, Yorks., England |
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| Occupation: | Journalist and television personality
<tr><th style="text-align: right;">Spouse:</th><td>Mary Heneghan</td></tr><tr><th style="text-align: right;">Children:</th><td>Andrew, Nicholas and Michael</td></tr><tr><th style="text-align: right;">Website:</th><td>Parkinson</td></tr> |
Michael Parkinson CBE (born 28 March, 1935) is a British journalist and television presenter. He is most famous for presenting his eponymous interview programme, Parkinson.
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[edit] Background
Parkinson, or "Parky" as he is familiarly known, was born in Cudworth near Barnsley, Yorkshire. The son of a miner, he was educated at Barnsley Grammar School. He began as a journalist on local newspapers, and his Yorkshire background and accent remain an important part of his appeal. He also worked as a reporter on the Manchester Guardian and later on the Daily Express in London.
During the 1960s, he moved into television, working on current affairs programmes for both the BBC and Manchester-based Granada Television. From 1969, he introduced a film review programme, before moving on to become a chat show host and a household name in the UK.
Parkinson was made a CBE in the 2000 Queen's Birthday Honours List. He is married to Mary, who herself briefly presented Parkinson in the 1970s. In a list of the 100 Greatest British Television Programmes drawn up by the British Film Institute in 2000, voted for by industry professionals, Parkinson was placed 8th <ref>Steve Bryant, "8: Parkinson", 2000, at BFI.org.uk; last accessed October 13, 2006.</ref>. In April 2006, Parkinson was awarded the prestigious Honorary Patronage of the University Philosophical Society.
[edit] Other work
- The British Film Institute has a comprehensive overview and filmography of probably the majority of Parkinson's work. Parkinson holds a prolific 451 credits as a presenter along with various others.
- Parkinson also presents a Sunday morning show on BBC Radio 2, which features a newspaper and entertainment round-up (with the help of various journalists) and a lengthy interview with a media personality. These are interpersed with music that demonstrates his penchant for jazz and big-band arrangements. In the past he has presented a mid-morning programme on London's LBC Newstalk 97.3FM. He was responsible for "discovering" jazz pianist Jamie Cullum, among others.
- In the 1980s, 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.
- 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.
- The presenter 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.
- Parkinson also took over as host of Thames Television's Give Us a Clue from Michael Aspel.
- 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 plays himself in Richard Curtis' 2003 romantic comedy, Love Actually, interviewing the character Billy Mack, who is played by Bill Nighy.
- Parkinson is one of the figures on the cover of the Wings album Band on the Run.
- He is a keen cricket fan, and in 1990 hosted a World XI team against Yorkshire [1]. His other involvements in sport include writing a column for the Daily Telegraph and hosting a discussion programme on BBC Radio Five Live.
- He was voted #20 in ITV's "TV's 50 Greatest Stars"
- He has said that he only suffered from celebrity shock once: when he interviewed his childhood hero, Keith Miller.[citation needed]
[edit] Notes
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