Clive James has died

[Sarah]

Clive James has died Such a shame, I really loved his show in the 80's.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-50578512

Clive James, the Australian writer and broadcaster known around the world for his dry wit, has died at the age of 80.

Diagnosed with leukaemia in 2010, the author and critic had movingly written about his terminal illness during the final years of his life.

Born Vivian James in 1939, he moved to England in 1961 and rose to prominence as a literary critic and TV columnist.

He went on to deliver wry commentary on international programming in such shows as Clive James On Television.

The show saw him introduce amusing and off-beat TV clips from around the world, most famously from the Japanese game show Endurance.

 

[Sarah]

 

[Swami]

So sad to hear this news this afternoon. For a few years he did the end of year reviews on BBC which were always brilliant.

Swami

 

[Barbara Fan]

I have to be honest, i didnt like him and i found him smug

he did used to write about Dallas in 1979 / 80 about JRs hair changing colour between shots and how Larry was fat in some scenes and bloated but the reason i put pen to paper as a 14 year old schoolgirl to complain about his crass comments
was when he said something along the lines of Dallas spins off everything to do with the show (KL had just started) and he wrote Maybe Miss Ellies missing breast will get its own spin off show too

I thought it was totally insensitive to both her and other women who had undergone surgery and wrote a letter saying this - never got a reply

 

[Sarah]

Wow I didn’t know that @Barbara Fan - find those comments inappropriate too and how dare he say that about our beloved Momma and my darling sexy man!

Good for you for writing in!!!

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

and he wrote Maybe Miss Ellies missing breast will get its own spin off show too

Ouch. Really??

 

[Ome]

I have to be honest, i didnt like him and i found him smug

I never cared for him, even more so when he bashed Blake's 7.

It doesn't surprise me reading about what he commented on Dallas and its characters.

 

[Alexis]

I have fond memories of watching his shows in the 1990s, likely when I was too young to be watching. I always found him very funny and you would always get some glamorous star on his show. I loved the end of year shows too.

 

[Alexis]

I think he was pretty critical of most shows and generally took the piss out of everything.

 

[Angela Channing]

I only ever remember him for his TV show Clive James on TV. Every week he used to take the mickey out of overseas TV shows and encourage audiences to laugh at foreigners for being tasteless, crass and desperate. The irony was that many of the foreign shows he featured and sent up as being ridiculous were eventually remade for UK television.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

I only ever remember him for his TV show Clive James on TV. Every week he used to take the mickey out of overseas TV shows and encourage audiences to laugh at foreigners for being tasteless, crass and desperate. The irony was that many of the foreign shows he featured and sent up as being ridiculous were eventually remade for UK television.

This is what I primarily think of when I hear his name. I remember watching seeing his series which was late on (I think) a Sunday evening and being horrified at these terrible Asian endurance shows that had people put in boxes with creepy crawlies or forced to eat live insects. Now I'm A Celebrity is the most watched tv series. So much for progress.

 

[Englishboy]

Like many others, I remember him for Clive James on tv in the 1980s.

Strangely enough, I thought he had died years ago.

I think I was confusing him with Alan Coren.

 

[Barbara Fan]

Ouch. Really??

yes really,- ouch as you say! have it somewhere in the collection

I had forgotten this one, doesnt feature cast but is his take on the rich and successful high society of Dallas

 

[Laurie Marr]

James was principally a writer - and a brilliant one. I’ll miss him.

 

[Swami]

James was principally a writer - and a brilliant one. I’ll miss him.

Indeed. The end of year reviews he did for BBC (six in total, end of 80s and then 1990 to 1994 inclusive) were absolutely brilliant, he was fully involved in writing the scripts, not just presenting the shows.

Swami

 

[Laurie Marr]

He was also a prolific poet, songwriter and novelist. He also produced a magnificent new translation of Dante’s The Divine Comedy a few years ago. James eschewed conventional wisdom regarding the division between low and high culture and he never condescended to his readers or viewers. Smug was the very last thing he can be accused of.

 

[Swami]

He was also a prolific poet, songwriter and novelist. He also produced a magnificent new translation of Dante’s The Divine Comedy a few years ago. James eschewed conventional wisdom regarding the division between low and high culture and he never condescended to his readers or viewers. Smug was the very last thing he can be accused of.

Indeed, I never once saw any trace of smugness about him, he was never shy at poking fun at his own expense.

Swami

 

[Kenny Coyote]

yes really,- ouch as you say! have it somewhere in the collection

I had forgotten this one, doesnt feature cast but is his take on the rich and successful high society of Dallas

I like the man interviewed in the church at around 11:35. He says: "I don't believe in a welfare state. I don't believe in hand-outs. I think every man ought to work...I don't think they ought to look to the government...I think the government can carry on a welfare program forever and at the end of the forever the people are as down and as poor and ashand-outish as they were at the beginning."

The woman at 17:05 seems almost more perfect to play Sue Ellen than the actress who played her! She's exactly like I'd picture JR's wife being like when she says: "I'm Texan, I just love it. I do love, I love Dallas"

 

[Barbara Fan]

The woman interviews around 35 mins into documentary is Nancy Brinker who is the founder member of Susan G. Komen/Komen for the cure named after her only sister Susan, to develop and help research into breast cancer which Susan died from.

I ended up buying Nancy Brinker s bio as Barbara Bel Geddes got a few mentions as she helped get the charity off the ground and lended her help and that of her co stars to fund raise. She ironically went onto develop cancer herself. I half expected to see Sue Ellen in the clips or Mark Grayson on horse back!