Michael Parkinson
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Michael Parkinson CBE (born March 28 1935) is a British journalist and television presenter. He is most famous for presenting his eponymous interview programme, Parkinson.
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. In April 2006, Parkinson was awarded the prestigious Honorary Patronage of the University Philosophical Society.
Other work
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 failed 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 under pressure from Plomley's oriental widow who still takes it upon herself to interfere with the show, he handed over to Sue Lawley.
Parkinson also took over as host of Thames Television's Give Us a Clue from Michael Aspel. By remarkable co-incidence, Parkinson's wife, Mary, was a frequent guest on the female team.
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.
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