Yorkshireman Michael Parkinson (28th March, 1935 – 16th August, 2023) was a remarkably adept television presenter, broadcaster, journalist and author. Those old enough will recognise him as the long-standing presenter of Parkinson, the one-on-one, interview-based TV program, as well as its Australian offshoot.
It was a badge of honour among celebrities to appear on the show (he interviewed more than 2,000 celebs in a career that spanned six decades). Michael’s easy going but probing manner, based on detailed research, resulted in many of these well-known names opening up publicly like they never had before. Among those he spoke with on his program were Muhammad Ali, Billy Connolly, John Lennon and Yoko Ono, Paul McCartney and Madonna. There was also David Bowie, Mick Jagger, Orson Welles, Fred Astaire, Lauren Bacall, Ingrid Bergman, Jimmy Cagney, Helen Mirren, Tom Hanks and Tom Cruise.
Parkinson was the only child of miner John, whose family had a 150-year history in the mines. According to this documentary, Parkinson’s father was a kind-hearted man. His mother, Freda, on the other hand, was quite fiery, although she was the driving force at home, setting the standard. She filled the house with books and took Michael to the movies four nights a week.
In fact, she was also the one who managed to secure him an apprenticeship as a journalist. He became a feature writer, interviewing celebrities at the Daily Express, a paper that was selling more than four million copies each day. Then, he was sent overseas to places like Israel (covering the Six Day War) and the Congo, as a foreign correspondent, but that path didn’t suit him.
Granada TV had just arrived in Manchester and although most people who worked there were novices, Parkinson gained a foothold. It was the Spring of 1971 when the head of variety at the BBC called Parkinson to ask whether he would be interested in hosting a new, late night TV show. And so it was that the program Parkinson was born. Before that, no interviewer had ever interrogated movie stars and other celebrities the way Parkinson had.
The documentary paints Parkinson as flirtatious, but the great love of his life was the woman who became his wife, Mary, who calls him very generous and a romantic. Still, off camera, he was comfortable in his own company, quite shy and secretive. He was also anxious before going to air, afraid that he would “muck up”. It is like he felt he never truly belonged with the talent he had in the studio.
Parky contains clips from his programs and interviews with his wife of more than 60 years and two of their three sons – the youngest and the eldest. It reflects on the good times he had in the early days of presenting Parkinson In Australia, before the ratings took a hit. There is also an instructive interview with Andrew Denton.
The doco details his down period in the UK, both personally and professionally, and that he really never got over the death of his father. Subsequently, he began drinking more and became more distressed. He wasn’t always the most attentive father, and he had a harsher side too, as was described by his personal assistant, who had the highest regard for him.
The resurrection of Parkinson in the UK took Parky back to his glory days, after analytical sports journalism saw him through a slump in fortunes. One of his children also indicates he mellowed as he got older and spent more time with his grandchildren, which brought out his softer side. It appears that for all her adoration, Parkinson’s wife also had to endure quite a lot.
Still, Parkinson’s impact on so many readers and viewers was unquestionable. He was a very talented interviewer who at the peak of his powers was extremely popular. He ended up being knighted by the queen. Written and directed by Luke Mazzaferro and Luke Cornish, with further written contribution from Karen Johnson, Parky is playing at part of the British Film Festival.
It scores a 7½ out of 10.
Alex First
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Alex First is the editor of The Blurb. Alex is a Melbourne based journalist and communications specialist. He also contributes to The Blurb on film and theatre.
