I mean, I know he is so funny I’ve almost wet my pants watching his show, and he so loves women that I want him as my best girlfriend, and he is so wicked I want his to sit by to me at my next staff meeting, just to keep me entertained, but what does it mean that his show is called So Graham Norton? Is it some sort of British code, or am I making too much of this?
Here’s what I know. Graham Norton is Irish, but I get the distinct feeling he won’t be returning to Dublin soon, he’s a snappy dresser, he has a talk show which is now showing on BBC America, he’s gay, he has a speaker phone hidden inside a stuffed dog (it’s ears move when people talk), his audience is almost as crazy as he is, and he’s the funniest thing I’ve seen in years. I’ve seen two episodes, and part of a third, and, if I had a social life, I would re-arrange it so I will never miss this show again.
Is he very famous in Britain? Is he just a talk show host, or did he make his fame as something else (an actor, a comic, etc) and then get his own show? Please, somebody, tell me more about this guy. I so hate being in love with a stranger!
Graham is from Ireland, Cork to be exact. He has said he didn’t have a great time growing up for several reasons.
He’s gay.
He’s middle class
and he’s a protestant.
So he was the brunt of a lot of piss-taking/bullying as a boy.
The first time I saw him was in a classic comedy series called Father Ted. This comedy series is a absolute classic. If you haven’t seen it I would recommend you source out a copy or two you won’t regret it. Graham played a recurring bit part (about twice per series IIRC) as Father Noel Furlong a really annoying priest who had a group of real nerdy young people in tow, very funny.
He’s also a very good stand-up comedian. I’ve seen him once and he nearly killed me.
No, it’s not British code. Your last sentence answers your own question – he’s just So Graham Norton. When last I heard he was going to start making a version of his show in America rather than just exporting his Channel Four show via BBC America.
Futile got it. There are expressions such as ‘So not my kind of thing’ and ‘So up for it’ and ‘So eighties and who cares’. Generally uttered in a rather camp, over-dramatic kind of way. The idea is that GN’s show is so unique and undefinable any other way, the only thing you can say is it’s so Graham Norton.
I think he’s a lot smarter, savvy and intelligent than the show might suggest. He got his first TV breaks on the early days of UK’s Channel 5, which was at the time very much a minority / low ratings kind of channel. But he did well enough to parlay his success there into bigger and better things, and now he’s very popular, very highly-paid, and very much in demand. Not my cup of tea, but all credit to him. And he was brilliant in Father Ted, but then again just about everything about that series was superb.
Absolutely. He did a documentary a couple of years ago when he went to Japan. It was quite insightful, despite the fact he came away with the conclusion that he didn’t understand Japanese society at all.
Then he goes back to do his chat show, and does a bit about websites that celebrate “man-tits”. I still shudder to remember it… “Absolutely vile”, I think was his description.
Thanks for the info–BBC America also carries Father Ted so I’ll keep my eyes open for Graham Norton’s character.
Yes–I think it shows up mostly in digital cable packages, or at least as part of premium packages. I don’t think it’s been available long, but I’m certainly enjoying it!
I think the show indicates a very intelligent, savvy individual. He is so obviously poking fun at so many things at once–even the most obvious stuff contains elements of tongue-in-cheek (okay, sometimes he’s just silly, but silly does not mean unintelligent).
“Absolutely vile”, I think was his description.