Research Paper On Michael Parkinson
A Study of Michael Parkinson
At the age of 16, Michael Parkinson was fresh out of Barnsley Grammer School with the hopes of becoming a professional cricketer. However his hopes and dreams crashed when he was rejected by Yorkshire Country Club. With the feeling of disappointment Michael then turned to journalism. He is now one of the most successful journalists in Britain today.
In 1971, BBC decided to give Michael Parkinson, a relatively young broadcaster, his own evening chat show, "Parkinson”. Parkinson was a breath of fresh air and over the following 11 years he interviewed many of the leading celebrities of the time. The program established him as one of the best known faces on television.
Parkinson's chat show was axed in 1982. He …show more content…
then moved to ITV and became part of the Famous Five that launched TV AM. In 1998 the BBC resurrected "Parkinson" and the ageing presenter found himself back on prime-time. ''Parkinson'' aired its last show in 2007.
Within this essay, the manner in which Michael Parkinson interviews his guests will be explored. References towards the David Tennant and occasionally Jeremy Paxman interview will be constituted.
The rapport that Michael Parkinson established with David Tennant was well-built. This is first depicted in the way in which Parkinson introduces David.
‘Parkinson: ... First up a Time lord, or as one female critic dubbed him, the first Timephwoar! The latest Doctor who, David Tennant’
Parkinson has exhibited here that he apprehends as to who his interviewee is and has researched him as well as being familiar with his work by stating small phrases such as ‘time lord’ and ‘the latest doctor who’. This tells one that he is aware of David Tennant’s recent successes. He also included a small amount of humour by adding ‘first Timephwoar’ which displays that there may be some personal understanding between them. This was well received by his audience as they applauded him.
During the interview, further development of the rapport occurs between Parkinson and his interviewee. ‘Michael: Well I’m glad we could help. His hands are strange and go in strange posters. David Tennant: I think a screwdriver goes there, a sonic screwdriver. Michael: Do you know the thing I’d like is a sonic screwdriver David Tennant: We’ll get you one.’
One can notice that Parkinson is having his own small conversation with David Tennant directed for himself rather than the audience. This is confirmed by the usage of words and phrases such as ‘I’d’ and responses such as ‘we’ll get you one’. Michael Parkinson appears to do this in other interviews as well such as the Jeremy Paxman interview in which he said ‘now Jeremy I want a full confession’, again here he has used the word ‘I’ to create a personal conversation.
Whilst advancing into the interview, the rapport that Parkinson had constituted from the introduction of the guest progressively advances and Parkinson and David Tennant seem to get more personal. ‘Parkinson: ... Now that part you had to bed fifteen women David Tennant: Yeah, it’s tough! Parkinson: Did you get training for it?’
Parkinson has further researched or is genuinely aware of David Tennant’s work besides Doctor who such as Cassanova. In this movie, Parkinson is aware that David had to ‘bed fifteen women’. He then proceeded to asking David if he had ‘training for it’. This may have been perceived as a personal question and Parkinson stated it in manner of humour, and being an interviewer he must have felt it would not make David Tennant uncomfortable to answer. This shows that they have a strong rapport.
Through the way Parkinson questions the interviewee, one can recognise how he extracts the information he wants. ‘Parkinson: Then you’ve got a Christmas special and it ends with a big bag. David Tennant: Have I?
Parkinson: in the series, it’s hinted at
David Tennant: Well you see you go back to the sixties and the doctor travelled round with his granddaughter so it’s all in there.
Parkinson: But then. The worst one of all, that big head you had, ‘there is another time lord.’ Is that the big thing?’
It is very easy to identify that Parkinson is searching for answers here. He starts off by stating that there is a ‘Christmas Special’ and that it ends with a ‘big bang’. David simply replies by saying ‘oh yeah’. It’s plain to see that Parkinson was seeking a more explanatory answer so he pressed by saying ‘See there’s mysteries out there. Because you’ve got a son, haven’t you?’ Again David answer was short. This leads Parkinson to say ‘In the series, it’s hinted at’ and finally gets a longer answer that he was looking for.
The structure of the interview that Parkinson has shaped is well deliberated. Michael Parkinson has pre-planned questions but to insure that there is a good rhythmic flow to the interview he has included spontaneous queries.
Parkinson: Don’t get them and more excited than they already are for god’s sake! And also these dolls we’ve got here look. In fact, am I right in saying you got the idea of the look for Doctor who from watching this show didn’t …show more content…
you?’
Here, one can see that in the beginning, Parkinson is clearly leading off something David Tennant had said because he starts to refer to the audience by instructing Tennant not to get them ‘more excited than they already are’. Subsequently to this it is fairly simple to distinguish the pre-planned question that Parkinson asks as there is a subject leap from talking about the audience, to a doll and how the ‘idea of the look for doctor who’ was created. From this, one can acknowledge that he is keeping his tone very conversational but also has a structure and an organised interview. This is something that Parkinson has made a habit of as one can see it as a technique he uses in the Jeremy Paxman interview as well. He questions Paxman by asking him ‘Did you worry about Michael Howard?’ It is obvious that this was a pre-planned question, but he then also adds that rhythmic flow by including a second party that is present during the interview by stating ‘Stephan thinks this is a great piece of comedy, don’t you’.
Like most interviewers, Parkinson has the power of open and closed questions. One may be seen as a closed question, but Parkinson gets a very detailed reply which he expects. ‘Parkinson: When Russel T Davis said you’d got the part you said yes straight away?’
Tennant: No I didn’t actually.
Because it was something that I’d loved for a long time and I’d joked in the past that I’d like that pat but it’s like be careful what you wish for. Suddenly it wasn’t a fantasy, it was actually being offered to me…’
When first coming across the question asked, it is easy to identify that it is a closed one. However, on seeing Tennant’s very detailed reply one can suspect that the question was pre-panned and the answer was researched by Parkinson. It seems that Parkinson realized that there was a story to be heard behind the question, there for he proposes it as a closed question but intends it to unravel something of a greater context. This also occurs in the Jeremy Paxman interview. Parkinson asks, ‘did you worry about Michael Howard?’ and receives a very detailed reply.
One can depict that whilst Parkinson progresses into the interview with David Tennant, he recognises the need for promoting the Doctor Who show. ‘Tennant: … Is that vaguely normal? Parkinson: Let’s have a look at an episode that goes out in two week’s time.’
Here Tennant was articulating about the intimate scenes in his movie, Cassanova. Parkinson realized that there wasn’t much reference to the show being made and that they were running out of time and somewhat jumped to talking about Doctor Who instead of replying to Tennant’s question about
Cassanova.
To conclude, after studying Michael Parkinson, one can identify that his interviewing styles are epic. He establishes an early rapport with his guest to insure some comfort. The structures of his interviews are perfectly made but yet he has room space to add in a conversational touch. He promotes the guests projects and is very enthusiastic and has a positive energy. It is crystal to see that Parkinson is a legendry journalist and his work makes him one of the most well recognized interviewers of time.
At the age of 16, Michael Parkinson was fresh out of Barnsley Grammer School with the hopes of becoming a professional cricketer. However his hopes and dreams crashed when he was rejected by Yorkshire Country Club. With the feeling of disappointment Michael then turned to journalism. He is now one of the most successful journalists in Britain today.
In 1971, BBC decided to give Michael Parkinson, a relatively young broadcaster, his own evening chat show, "Parkinson”. Parkinson was a breath of fresh air and over the following 11 years he interviewed many of the leading celebrities of the time. The program established him as one of the best known faces on television.
Parkinson's chat show was axed in 1982. He …show more content…
then moved to ITV and became part of the Famous Five that launched TV AM. In 1998 the BBC resurrected "Parkinson" and the ageing presenter found himself back on prime-time. ''Parkinson'' aired its last show in 2007.
Within this essay, the manner in which Michael Parkinson interviews his guests will be explored. References towards the David Tennant and occasionally Jeremy Paxman interview will be constituted.
The rapport that Michael Parkinson established with David Tennant was well-built. This is first depicted in the way in which Parkinson introduces David.
‘Parkinson: ... First up a Time lord, or as one female critic dubbed him, the first Timephwoar! The latest Doctor who, David Tennant’
Parkinson has exhibited here that he apprehends as to who his interviewee is and has researched him as well as being familiar with his work by stating small phrases such as ‘time lord’ and ‘the latest doctor who’. This tells one that he is aware of David Tennant’s recent successes. He also included a small amount of humour by adding ‘first Timephwoar’ which displays that there may be some personal understanding between them. This was well received by his audience as they applauded him.
During the interview, further development of the rapport occurs between Parkinson and his interviewee. ‘Michael: Well I’m glad we could help. His hands are strange and go in strange posters. David Tennant: I think a screwdriver goes there, a sonic screwdriver. Michael: Do you know the thing I’d like is a sonic screwdriver David Tennant: We’ll get you one.’
One can notice that Parkinson is having his own small conversation with David Tennant directed for himself rather than the audience. This is confirmed by the usage of words and phrases such as ‘I’d’ and responses such as ‘we’ll get you one’. Michael Parkinson appears to do this in other interviews as well such as the Jeremy Paxman interview in which he said ‘now Jeremy I want a full confession’, again here he has used the word ‘I’ to create a personal conversation.
Whilst advancing into the interview, the rapport that Parkinson had constituted from the introduction of the guest progressively advances and Parkinson and David Tennant seem to get more personal. ‘Parkinson: ... Now that part you had to bed fifteen women David Tennant: Yeah, it’s tough! Parkinson: Did you get training for it?’
Parkinson has further researched or is genuinely aware of David Tennant’s work besides Doctor who such as Cassanova. In this movie, Parkinson is aware that David had to ‘bed fifteen women’. He then proceeded to asking David if he had ‘training for it’. This may have been perceived as a personal question and Parkinson stated it in manner of humour, and being an interviewer he must have felt it would not make David Tennant uncomfortable to answer. This shows that they have a strong rapport.
Through the way Parkinson questions the interviewee, one can recognise how he extracts the information he wants. ‘Parkinson: Then you’ve got a Christmas special and it ends with a big bag. David Tennant: Have I?
Parkinson: in the series, it’s hinted at
David Tennant: Well you see you go back to the sixties and the doctor travelled round with his granddaughter so it’s all in there.
Parkinson: But then. The worst one of all, that big head you had, ‘there is another time lord.’ Is that the big thing?’
It is very easy to identify that Parkinson is searching for answers here. He starts off by stating that there is a ‘Christmas Special’ and that it ends with a ‘big bang’. David simply replies by saying ‘oh yeah’. It’s plain to see that Parkinson was seeking a more explanatory answer so he pressed by saying ‘See there’s mysteries out there. Because you’ve got a son, haven’t you?’ Again David answer was short. This leads Parkinson to say ‘In the series, it’s hinted at’ and finally gets a longer answer that he was looking for.
The structure of the interview that Parkinson has shaped is well deliberated. Michael Parkinson has pre-planned questions but to insure that there is a good rhythmic flow to the interview he has included spontaneous queries.
Parkinson: Don’t get them and more excited than they already are for god’s sake! And also these dolls we’ve got here look. In fact, am I right in saying you got the idea of the look for Doctor who from watching this show didn’t …show more content…
you?’
Here, one can see that in the beginning, Parkinson is clearly leading off something David Tennant had said because he starts to refer to the audience by instructing Tennant not to get them ‘more excited than they already are’. Subsequently to this it is fairly simple to distinguish the pre-planned question that Parkinson asks as there is a subject leap from talking about the audience, to a doll and how the ‘idea of the look for doctor who’ was created. From this, one can acknowledge that he is keeping his tone very conversational but also has a structure and an organised interview. This is something that Parkinson has made a habit of as one can see it as a technique he uses in the Jeremy Paxman interview as well. He questions Paxman by asking him ‘Did you worry about Michael Howard?’ It is obvious that this was a pre-planned question, but he then also adds that rhythmic flow by including a second party that is present during the interview by stating ‘Stephan thinks this is a great piece of comedy, don’t you’.
Like most interviewers, Parkinson has the power of open and closed questions. One may be seen as a closed question, but Parkinson gets a very detailed reply which he expects. ‘Parkinson: When Russel T Davis said you’d got the part you said yes straight away?’
Tennant: No I didn’t actually.
Because it was something that I’d loved for a long time and I’d joked in the past that I’d like that pat but it’s like be careful what you wish for. Suddenly it wasn’t a fantasy, it was actually being offered to me…’
When first coming across the question asked, it is easy to identify that it is a closed one. However, on seeing Tennant’s very detailed reply one can suspect that the question was pre-panned and the answer was researched by Parkinson. It seems that Parkinson realized that there was a story to be heard behind the question, there for he proposes it as a closed question but intends it to unravel something of a greater context. This also occurs in the Jeremy Paxman interview. Parkinson asks, ‘did you worry about Michael Howard?’ and receives a very detailed reply.
One can depict that whilst Parkinson progresses into the interview with David Tennant, he recognises the need for promoting the Doctor Who show. ‘Tennant: … Is that vaguely normal? Parkinson: Let’s have a look at an episode that goes out in two week’s time.’
Here Tennant was articulating about the intimate scenes in his movie, Cassanova. Parkinson realized that there wasn’t much reference to the show being made and that they were running out of time and somewhat jumped to talking about Doctor Who instead of replying to Tennant’s question about
Cassanova.
To conclude, after studying Michael Parkinson, one can identify that his interviewing styles are epic. He establishes an early rapport with his guest to insure some comfort. The structures of his interviews are perfectly made but yet he has room space to add in a conversational touch. He promotes the guests projects and is very enthusiastic and has a positive energy. It is crystal to see that Parkinson is a legendry journalist and his work makes him one of the most well recognized interviewers of time.