Tim Minchin’s remarkable year
Tim Minchin returned for what was becoming an annual pre-Christmas visit. He looked back on playing Judas in the arena production of Jesus Christ Superstar, a role he had wanted for years and persuaded Andrew Lloyd Webber to consider him for over lunch. He had expected working with Mel C to feel intimidating after her years as a Spice Girl, but found her warm and down to earth. Touring with her and Chris Moyles made the experience even more enjoyable.
His music for Matilda the Musical had won Olivier Awards, while part of his summer had been spent in Los Angeles filming Californication with David Duchovny. Tim played rock star Atticus Fetch, a character even less moral than Duchovny’s Hank Moody and one who spent a considerable amount of time without clothes. He had repeatedly flown back from California at weekends for British festival appearances, making the year exciting but exhausting.
Tim was beginning to develop another stage musical based on a film from the late 1980s or early 1990s. He would not identify it, although Scott’s guesses included Ghostbusters and The Mighty Ducks. Tim thought the latter was a genuinely good suggestion because its underdog story had something in common with Matilda, but he would only say that Ghostbusters was close in terms of some of the people involved.
White Wine in the Sun
Tim had finally recorded a studio version of “White Wine in the Sun”, six years after writing it for his daughter when she was three weeks old. The song had previously existed mainly as live recordings with audience noise. He wanted a version people could play quietly at dinner, beginning with a more folk-like arrangement before expanding into strings and horns.
Although Tim joked that his own singing prevented him from enjoying any of his records, he was proud that the non-religious song had become meaningful to families who did not connect with traditional carols. Money from sales that month would go to the National Autistic Society. He was returning to Australia for his sister’s wedding and described the odd mixture of European decorations, songs about snow and shopping-centre Santas wearing full suits in temperatures which could reach the forties.
Scott explained that his team were also making a Christmas record, built from every ingredient contributors such as Noddy Holder said a festive hit required. Tim suggested that Pink or Ed Sheeran would be appealing artists to write for, but admitted that producing a deliberately commercial perennial was easier to imagine than to achieve.
Reggie Yates plays Innuendo Bingo
Reggie Yates arrived nervous for his first Innuendo Bingo, although he had already supplied the feature with several accidental remarks from his own broadcasts. Scott urged him not to be restrained and reminded him that hands could not be used to stop the water. Reggie soon understood why the most committed guests aimed directly at Chris.
Vanessa Feltz began by advising listeners to enhance their front entrance until it whispered a seductive invitation to visitors. Gary Barlow needed to touch wood quickly, a Radio 2 guest used his muscles to swing a large bell, and rugby commentary questioned whether officials would pull off a particularly fit player after a little poke. An antiques expert admired a Victorian object’s nice shaft before another cook prepared a vegetable “come relish”.
The stronger final run involved a Cash in the Attic presenter hoping a gentleman’s ring would catch somebody’s eye and Jamie Oliver advising against going too deep, instead remaining shallow near the tip of the chopper. Reggie’s own interview with Vernon Kay then supplied the episode’s title as he predicted a good day for “fannage”. Alexandra Burke’s familiar description of being dropped off before somebody grabbed her completed the game. Reggie lost his glasses and finished with water dripping from his nose, but made an enthusiastic debut.
The Only Way Is Essex goes live
Scott regretted deciding not to record the live edition of The Only Way Is Essex. He had assumed there was no point watching it later once the novelty of live transmission had passed, but the clips convinced him he had missed an acting masterclass. The cast were not professional actors, yet the format required them to behave as if cameras had entered conversations already in progress.
One scene began with several seconds of silence until somebody off camera called “Lauren Pope” and prompted the cast to speak. In another argument, a participant used the wrong character’s name before continuing with the scene. Scott imagined the high-energy ITV2 meeting in which executives compared the idea with live episodes of ER, EastEnders, The West Wing and 30 Rock, without anybody pausing to question whether TOWIE might present different challenges. He was delighted they had gone ahead.
Real or No Real
There really was no conventional word which could be typed using only the bottom row of a keyboard. The ladder had not been invented by a conveniently named Christopher Staircase, but the average person really did have three to five best friends while disliking somebody else in their wider social group. That fact immediately made Chris wonder whether he was the disliked member of his own circle.
Banana splits had not been made with courgettes or carrots during a supposed 1958 shortage, and the Weather Channel had not spent a nine-month strike in 2002 broadcasting repeats. Scott admitted that he might still have watched because he had once spent five hours fascinated by America’s continuous weather coverage. He finished the game with 40 points.
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