Friday Night with Jonathan Ross
Encyclopedia
Friday Night with Jonathan Ross was a British comedy chat show presented by Jonathan Ross
. It was first broadcast on BBC One
on 2 November 2001. The programme featured Ross's take on current topics of conversation, guest interviews (usually three per show) and live music from both a guest music group and the house band. The show began its final series in January 2010, and ended on 16 July 2010.
The most frequent guests were Ricky Gervais
and Jack Dee
(8 episodes each), Eddie Izzard
(7 episodes), Jeremy Clarkson
and Jimmy Carr
(6 episodes each). Johnny Vegas
, Sir David Attenborough, Stephen Fry
and Simon Pegg
have each appeared in 5 episodes and Robbie Williams
with four episodes.
Since 2009 until its ending, the programme was broadcast in high-definition
on BBC HD
. Studio TC4 in the BBC Television Centre in London, where the show was made, was upgraded to HD, making it the third television studio in Television Centre to be upgraded to HD (others being Studios TC1 and TC8).
The show was pulled by the BBC
on 29 October 2008 when Jonathan Ross and Russell Brand
were both suspended from their TV and Radio shows, in the events after the Russell Brand Show prank telephone calls row
. The show returned on 23 January 2009, attracting 5.1 million viewers.
On Friday 12 June 2009, the show began airing in the United States on BBC America
at 8 pm EST
. In 2010, the show also started airing on the UKTV channel in Australia, just weeks after the episodes were first aired in the United Kingdom.
in London. The house band 4 Poofs and a Piano provided musical backing. The show used to be recorded on a Thursday, but after his return from the Russell Brand incident, it was recorded on a Tuesday, leading to the show having much less topical humour. (Jonathan's Saturday morning Radio 2 show was also subjected to being recorded on a Friday after previously being live on the Saturday).
The house band consisted of Stephen de Martin, Ian Parkin, David Roper, and David Wickenden. Each episode they would wear identical t-shirts featuring the face of a guest at the cente. Every time a guest enters the studio, the band will perform a segment of a song, usually involving a reference to that particular guest. At the beginning of each show Jonathan Ross, would segue
from his monologue with a homosexual innuendo about the group.
There have been a number of recurring themes on Friday Night. For instance, Ross often jokes about the age of veteran TV presenter Bruce Forsyth
. This culminated in Forsyth appearing in the opening segment of the show broadcast on 30 November 2007, to supposedly take over as the show's presenter. Ross then appeared and called Tess Daly
(Forsyth's co-host on Strictly Come Dancing
) to supervise Forsyth safely out, again alluding to his age. Ross has also often made jokes about Heather Mills, the ex-wife of Paul McCartney
. During a GMTV
interview in October 2007, Mills complained about comments made by Ross.
At the beginning of the show, between guests and during interviews Ross often recounted incidents involving his wife, children and pets. He also referred to items in the news and demonstrates amusing products. His guests were seen at the start of the show sitting in the green room
and Ross preceded the introduction of each by asking the audience "shall I get my first/next guest out?". While interviewing a guest he usually chatted with the other guests in the green room.
At the end of the show, there was a musical performance from a performer or a group. There were rare occasions where the performer(s) are interviewed as well as then going on to play their song or sometimes songs, notably all three original members of proto-punk legends The Stooges
(Iggy Pop
, Ron Asheton
and Scott Asheton
) were interviewed together on the show in June 2007 before performing "I Wanna Be Your Dog
". The American
rock band The Killers performed on the show in May 2009. Lead vocalist Brandon Flowers
previously had an interview with Ross before playing 4 songs with the band, the most that had ever been performed on the show with an interview, until Robbie Williams
performed 6 songs on 6 November 2009 after being interviewed.
, causing him to pronounce the consonant 'r' like a 'w', which has led to the British tabloid newspapers dubbing him "Wossy". He is also known for his flamboyant dress sense and regularly wins awards for being the best and worst-dressed celebrity (when he appeared on the series Room 101
, his own dress sense was one of the things he wished to banish). Whilst appearing on They Think It's All Over
, his dress sense was frequently mocked by the other panellists.
Ross was even blamed for a textile workers' strike in 1988 — David Cope, a sales director for a dyeing operation, made the claim: "Ever since that trendy Jonathan Ross started wearing his big, baggy suits on television, he set a fashion that has been extremely lucrative for the British cotton industry and now the textile workers want a share of those profits."
Ross is also well known for his distinctive long hairstyle, which creates mixed emotions in many viewers. Ross is also known for owning exotic pet
s, and is a big fan of David Bowie
, Star Trek
, Doctor Who
, anime
and comic books. Ross has even co-owned a comic shop in London
with Paul Gambaccini
. He was also the visual inspiration for the main character in the comic book Saviour.
As well as various Christmas
specials, there has also been two special editions with the whole episode devoted to just one guest. Friday Night with Ross and Parkinson aired on 14 March 2008, with the guest being Michael Parkinson
. Another, Friday Night with Streisand and Ross aired on 2 October 2009, with a world exclusive interview from actress Barbra Streisand
. It was also the first time she had performed on British television.
, Frank Skinner
, The Killers, and Alesha Dixon
. He was later given an additional 12-week suspension, and released a statement, reading:
The comedy stand-up show Live at the Apollo was shown in the 22:35 Friday night slot during Ross's absence. A new series of the popular comedy stand-up show was quickly commissioned to fill the slot, which featured films for four weeks after the suspension.
Friday Night with Jonathan Ross returned on 23 January 2009. The show's return was watched by 5.1 million viewers, and received 25 complaints (protesting the show's return), and 3 messages of support for Ross. Ironically, there were fewer than 25 complaints made about the original incident prior to its reporting in the media.
Jonathan Ross
Jonathan Ross may refer to:* Jonathan Ross , English television and radio personality* Jonathan Ross , United States Senator, Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court* Jonathon Ross , former Australian rules footballer...
. It was first broadcast on BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
on 2 November 2001. The programme featured Ross's take on current topics of conversation, guest interviews (usually three per show) and live music from both a guest music group and the house band. The show began its final series in January 2010, and ended on 16 July 2010.
The most frequent guests were Ricky Gervais
Ricky Gervais
Ricky Dene Gervais is an English comedian, actor, director, radio presenter, producer, musician, and writer.Gervais achieved mainstream fame with his television series The Office and the subsequent series Extras, both of which he co-wrote and co-directed with friend and frequent collaborator...
and Jack Dee
Jack Dee
James Andrew Innes "Jack" Dee is an English stand-up comedian, actor and writer known for his sardonic, curmudgeonly, and deadpan style.-Early life:...
(8 episodes each), Eddie Izzard
Eddie Izzard
Edward John "Eddie" Izzard is a British stand-up comedian and actor. His comedy style takes the form of rambling, whimsical monologue and self-referential pantomime...
(7 episodes), Jeremy Clarkson
Jeremy Clarkson
Jeremy Charles Robert Clarkson is an English broadcaster, journalist and writer who specialises in motoring. He is best known for his role on the BBC TV show Top Gear along with co-presenters Richard Hammond and James May...
and Jimmy Carr
Jimmy Carr
James Anthony Patrick "Jimmy" Carr is an English-Irish comedian and humourist. He is known for his deadpan delivery and dark humour. He is also a writer, actor and presenter of radio and television....
(6 episodes each). Johnny Vegas
Johnny Vegas
Johnny Vegas is an English actor and comedian. He is known for his angry rants, portly figure, high husky voice and support of St Helens rugby league club. More recently he has moved into dramatic acting.-Early life:He was born in St Helens, Lancashire, the youngest of four children of Laurence...
, Sir David Attenborough, Stephen Fry
Stephen Fry
Stephen John Fry is an English actor, screenwriter, author, playwright, journalist, poet, comedian, television presenter and film director, and a director of Norwich City Football Club. He first came to attention in the 1981 Cambridge Footlights Revue presentation "The Cellar Tapes", which also...
and Simon Pegg
Simon Pegg
Simon Pegg is an English actor, comedian, writer, film producer, and director. He is best known for having co-written and stared in various Edgar Wright features, mainly Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and the comedy series Spaced.He also portrayed Montgomery "Scotty" Scott in the 2009 Star Trek film...
have each appeared in 5 episodes and Robbie Williams
Robbie Williams
Robert Peter "Robbie" Williams is an English singer-songwriter, vocal coach and occasional actor. He is a member of the pop group Take That. Williams rose to fame in the band's first run in the early- to mid-1990s. After many disagreements with the management and certain group members, Williams...
with four episodes.
Since 2009 until its ending, the programme was broadcast in high-definition
High-definition television
High-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
on BBC HD
BBC HD
BBC HD is a high-definition television network provided by the BBC. The service was initially run as a trial from 15 May 2006 until becoming a full service on 1 December 2007...
. Studio TC4 in the BBC Television Centre in London, where the show was made, was upgraded to HD, making it the third television studio in Television Centre to be upgraded to HD (others being Studios TC1 and TC8).
The show was pulled by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
on 29 October 2008 when Jonathan Ross and Russell Brand
Russell Brand
Russell Edward Brand is an English comedian, actor, columnist, singer, author and radio/television presenter.Brand achieved mainstream fame in the UK in 2004 for his role as host of Big Brother spin-off, Big Brother's Big Mouth. His first major film role was in the 2007 film St Trinians...
were both suspended from their TV and Radio shows, in the events after the Russell Brand Show prank telephone calls row
Russell Brand Show prank telephone calls row
The Russell Brand Show prank telephone calls row concerned a series of voice messages that English entertainers Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross left on the answering machine of actor Andrew Sachs, which were labelled obscene by many media commentators and politicians...
. The show returned on 23 January 2009, attracting 5.1 million viewers.
On Friday 12 June 2009, the show began airing in the United States on BBC America
BBC America
BBC America is an American television network, owned and operated by BBC Worldwide, and available on both cable and satellite.-History:The channel launched on March 29, 1998, broadcasting comedy, drama and lifestyle programs from BBC Television and other British television broadcasters like ITV and...
at 8 pm EST
Eastern Time Zone
The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
. In 2010, the show also started airing on the UKTV channel in Australia, just weeks after the episodes were first aired in the United Kingdom.
Format
The show was usually recorded in Studio TC4 at the BBC Television CentreBBC Television Centre
BBC Television Centre at White City in West London is the headquarters of BBC Television. Officially opened on 29 June 1960, it remains one of the largest to this day; having featured over the years as backdrop to many BBC programmes, it is one of the most readily recognisable such facilities...
in London. The house band 4 Poofs and a Piano provided musical backing. The show used to be recorded on a Thursday, but after his return from the Russell Brand incident, it was recorded on a Tuesday, leading to the show having much less topical humour. (Jonathan's Saturday morning Radio 2 show was also subjected to being recorded on a Friday after previously being live on the Saturday).
The house band consisted of Stephen de Martin, Ian Parkin, David Roper, and David Wickenden. Each episode they would wear identical t-shirts featuring the face of a guest at the cente. Every time a guest enters the studio, the band will perform a segment of a song, usually involving a reference to that particular guest. At the beginning of each show Jonathan Ross, would segue
Segue
A segue is a smooth transition from one topic or section to the next.-In music:In music, segue is a direction to the performer. It means continue without a pause. It comes from the Italian "it follows". The term attacca is also used in classical music.For written music it implies a transition...
from his monologue with a homosexual innuendo about the group.
There have been a number of recurring themes on Friday Night. For instance, Ross often jokes about the age of veteran TV presenter Bruce Forsyth
Bruce Forsyth
Sir Bruce Joseph Forsyth-Johnson, CBE , commonly known as Bruce Forsyth, or Brucie, is an English TV personality...
. This culminated in Forsyth appearing in the opening segment of the show broadcast on 30 November 2007, to supposedly take over as the show's presenter. Ross then appeared and called Tess Daly
Tess Daly
Helen Elizabeth "Tess" Daly is an English television presenter. She is married to the presenter Vernon Kay.-Early life:Daly was born in Derbyshire to Vivian , who died of emphysema, and Sylvia Daly...
(Forsyth's co-host on Strictly Come Dancing
Strictly Come Dancing
Strictly Come Dancing is a British television show, featuring celebrities with professional dance partners competing in Ballroom and Latin dances. The title of the show suggests a continuation of the long-running series Come Dancing, with an allusion to the film Strictly Ballroom...
) to supervise Forsyth safely out, again alluding to his age. Ross has also often made jokes about Heather Mills, the ex-wife of Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
. During a GMTV
GMTV
GMTV was the national Channel 3 breakfast television contractor, broadcasting in the United Kingdom from 1 January 1993 to 3 September 2010. It became a wholly owned subsidiary of ITV plc. in November 2009. Shortly after, ITV plc announced the programme would end...
interview in October 2007, Mills complained about comments made by Ross.
At the beginning of the show, between guests and during interviews Ross often recounted incidents involving his wife, children and pets. He also referred to items in the news and demonstrates amusing products. His guests were seen at the start of the show sitting in the green room
Green room
In British English and American English show business lexicon, the green room is that space in a theatre, a studio, or a similar venue, which accommodates performers or speakers not yet required on stage...
and Ross preceded the introduction of each by asking the audience "shall I get my first/next guest out?". While interviewing a guest he usually chatted with the other guests in the green room.
At the end of the show, there was a musical performance from a performer or a group. There were rare occasions where the performer(s) are interviewed as well as then going on to play their song or sometimes songs, notably all three original members of proto-punk legends The Stooges
The Stooges
The Stooges are an American rock band from Ann Arbor, Michigan first active from 1967 to 1974, and later reformed in 2003...
(Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Though considered an innovator of punk rock, Pop's music has encompassed a number of styles over the years, including pop, metal, jazz and blues...
, Ron Asheton
Ron Asheton
Ronald Frank Asheton was an American guitarist and co-songwriter with Iggy Pop for the rock band The Stooges.Asheton is ranked as number 29 on Rolling Stones list of 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time....
and Scott Asheton
Scott Asheton
Scott "Rock Action" Asheton is an American musician, best known as the drummer for the rock band The Stooges...
) were interviewed together on the show in June 2007 before performing "I Wanna Be Your Dog
I Wanna Be Your Dog
"I Wanna Be Your Dog" is a 1969 song by the American rock band The Stooges. The song is featured on their self-titled debut album. Its memorable riff, composed of only three chords , is played continuously throughout the song...
". The American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rock band The Killers performed on the show in May 2009. Lead vocalist Brandon Flowers
Brandon Flowers
Brandon Richard Flowers is an American musician, best known as the frontman of the Las Vegas-based rock band The Killers. He has also released a solo album titled Flamingo.-Early life:...
previously had an interview with Ross before playing 4 songs with the band, the most that had ever been performed on the show with an interview, until Robbie Williams
Robbie Williams
Robert Peter "Robbie" Williams is an English singer-songwriter, vocal coach and occasional actor. He is a member of the pop group Take That. Williams rose to fame in the band's first run in the early- to mid-1990s. After many disagreements with the management and certain group members, Williams...
performed 6 songs on 6 November 2009 after being interviewed.
Host
Ross speaks with a rhotacismRhotacism
Rhotacism refers to several phenomena related to the usage of the consonant r :*the excessive or idiosyncratic use of the r;...
, causing him to pronounce the consonant 'r' like a 'w', which has led to the British tabloid newspapers dubbing him "Wossy". He is also known for his flamboyant dress sense and regularly wins awards for being the best and worst-dressed celebrity (when he appeared on the series Room 101
Room 101 (TV series)
Room 101 is a BBC comedy television series based on the radio series of the same name, in which celebrities were invited to discuss their pet hates and persuade the host to consign them to a fate worse than death in Room 101, named after the torture room in the novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, which is...
, his own dress sense was one of the things he wished to banish). Whilst appearing on They Think It's All Over
They Think It's All Over (TV series)
They Think It's All Over was a British comedy panel game with a sporting theme produced by Talkback Thames and shown on BBC One. The show's name is taken from Kenneth Wolstenholme's famous 1966 World Cup commentary quotation, "they think it's all over...it is now!" and the show used the phrase as...
, his dress sense was frequently mocked by the other panellists.
Ross was even blamed for a textile workers' strike in 1988 — David Cope, a sales director for a dyeing operation, made the claim: "Ever since that trendy Jonathan Ross started wearing his big, baggy suits on television, he set a fashion that has been extremely lucrative for the British cotton industry and now the textile workers want a share of those profits."
Ross is also well known for his distinctive long hairstyle, which creates mixed emotions in many viewers. Ross is also known for owning exotic pet
Exotic pet
An exotic pet is a rare or unusual animal pet, or an animal kept as a pet which is not commonly thought of as a pet.The definition is an evolving one; some rodents, reptiles, and amphibians have become firmly enough established in the world of animal fancy to no longer be considered exotic...
s, and is a big fan of David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
, Star Trek
Star Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
, Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
, anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
and comic books. Ross has even co-owned a comic shop in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
with Paul Gambaccini
Paul Gambaccini
Paul Matthew Gambaccini is a radio and television presenter in the United Kingdom...
. He was also the visual inspiration for the main character in the comic book Saviour.
Episodes
There were 274 episodes that were recorded & have been shown, with the 18th series ending on 16 July 2010.As well as various Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
specials, there has also been two special editions with the whole episode devoted to just one guest. Friday Night with Ross and Parkinson aired on 14 March 2008, with the guest being Michael Parkinson
Michael Parkinson
Sir Michael Parkinson, CBE is an English broadcaster, journalist and author. He presented his interview programme, Parkinson, from 1971 to 1982 and from 1998 to 2007.- Early life :...
. Another, Friday Night with Streisand and Ross aired on 2 October 2009, with a world exclusive interview from actress Barbra Streisand
Barbra Streisand
Barbra Joan Streisand is an American singer, actress, film producer and director. She has won two Academy Awards, eight Grammy Awards, four Emmy Awards, a Special Tony Award, an American Film Institute award, a Peabody Award, and is one of the few entertainers who have won an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy,...
. It was also the first time she had performed on British television.
Suspension
The show was suspended on 29 October 2008 by the BBC when Ross and Brand were both suspended from their TV and radio shows, in the events after the controversy. The guest lined up for the broadcast were Sir David Attenborough, Miley CyrusMiley Cyrus
Miley Ray Cyrus is an American actress and pop singer-songwriter. She achieved wide fame for her role as Miley Stewart/Hannah Montana on the Disney Channel sitcom Hannah Montana....
, Frank Skinner
Frank Skinner
Frank Skinner is a British writer, comedian and actor. He is best known for his television presenting, often alongside David Baddiel, with whom he also collaborated for the football song "Three Lions."He is a radio presenter on the Saturday morning slot on Absolute Radio.-Youth and early career...
, The Killers, and Alesha Dixon
Alesha Dixon
Alesha Anjanette Dixon is an English singer-songwriter, dancer, model and television personality. She first found fame in the all-female R&B trio Mis-Teeq, however, the trio separated in 2005 and Dixon continued pursuing her music career as a solo artist, signing to Polydor Records...
. He was later given an additional 12-week suspension, and released a statement, reading:
"I am deeply sorry and greatly regret the upset and distress that my juvenile and thoughtless remarks on the Russell Brand show have caused. I have not issued a statement previously because it was my intention and desire to offer an apology to all those offended on my Friday night programme. However, it was a stupid error of judgement on my part, and I offer a full apology."
- Jonathan Ross' apology, taken from BBC News.
The comedy stand-up show Live at the Apollo was shown in the 22:35 Friday night slot during Ross's absence. A new series of the popular comedy stand-up show was quickly commissioned to fill the slot, which featured films for four weeks after the suspension.
Friday Night with Jonathan Ross returned on 23 January 2009. The show's return was watched by 5.1 million viewers, and received 25 complaints (protesting the show's return), and 3 messages of support for Ross. Ironically, there were fewer than 25 complaints made about the original incident prior to its reporting in the media.
BAFTA TV Awards
- 2004 Best Entertainment Performance
- 2006 Best Entertainment Performance
- 2007 Best Entertainment Performance
Royal Television Society Awards
- 2003 Best Entertainment Performance
- 2004 Best Entertainment Performance