The Rest Is Entertainment - Can You Cheat On 'Phone A Friend'?

Episode Date: May 29, 2024

What are the secrets behind filming PMQs? How does phoning a friend on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire actually work? Is there a show bible to track character traits when shows have many different writers? Those questions plus tips on if you're thinking of becoming a background artist from Richard and Marina. Twitter: @restisents Instagram: @restisentertainment YouTube: @therestisentertainment Email: [e-mail] Producers: Neil Fearn + Joey McCarthy Executive Producers: Tony Pastor + Jack Davenport + Tom Whiter Recommendations: Marina - Final Cut: Art, Money and EGO in the Making of "Heaven's Gate" by Steven Bach (Read) Richard - Glow Up (iPlayer) 🌏 Get our exclusive NordVPN deal here ➼ https://nordvpn.com/trie It’s risk-free with Nord’s 30-day money-back guarantee! ✅ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Because the Skip app saves you so much time by delivering stuff like your favorite cool treats, groceries, and bevies, you get more time to have the best summer ever. Like riding roller coasters, learning to water ski, applying sunscreen to your dad's back. Yup, definitely the best summer ever. Squeeze more Summer Out of Summer with Skip. Did somebody say skip?

Everyone's got a thirst, a drive to be the next big thing, to put the world on notice. If you answer when your thirst calls, Sprites for you. Sprites for the makers and creators, the visionaries putting in the work to build their dreams. Whether you're shooting a cinematic masterpiece on your phone, filling notebooks with sketches, or up all night turning your bedroom into the booth, thirst is everything. Obey your thirst.

Sprite. Earn the points. Share the journey. With the TD AeroPlan Visa Infinite Card, earn up to 50,000 Aeroplan points. Conditions apply. Offer ends June 3rd, 2024. Visit tdaeroplan.com for details. Hello and welcome to another edition of the Rest is Entertainment Questions edition. Questions and Answers edition. I'm Richard Osmond. And I am Marina Hyde.

I think that might be the best we've done. It's almost too professional. Too slick. Yeah. Now, have you got a question for me? Do you think? Yeah, yeah, maybe. Yeah. Well, I don't have a question for you, but I tell you somebody does. John Alexander has a question for you.

Okay, get me with it, John. He says, I've just signed up with a background artist agency and was wondering if you have any tips to be a good background artist, what we used to call an extra. Extra, yes. Sometimes called essays, supporting artists. I've spoken to quite a few First ADs about this because I think it is interesting. It's amazing how many of them say, please be on time. So many people aren't on time and because it's so expensive and everyone has to stand around, the amount of times one of the crews or one of the PAs will have to be pulled on to do it is enormous. A First AD is the first assistant director and they're sort of in charge of

everything on set. They are in charge. It's incredibly stressful. It's an incredibly stressful job. They run the set. Someone once said to me that they have a huge pension pot but it's very rarely claimed because it's such a stressful job. Yeah, I mean it's bleak isn't it? But yeah, it is so you have to hold all the stress in you and obviously keep everyone from the actors to the director to everyone, so you're managing all of that. Now, they also said don't feel the need to introduce us after the cast and crew when you arrive on set and don't push to the front of the frame because you want to be in the thing. Some of these things are basic but people do it. Think about what you're going to be doing because if you're

hired to be in an extra in a funeral scene or whatever it. Think about what you're going to be doing, because if you're hired to be in an extra in a funeral scene or whatever, you will know what you were going to do that day. Have a think about it, because then you will take the direction of the first AD quicker. Do everything that they say. Don't feel the need to freelance.

But you are essential, because without you, scenes would look ridiculous. I mean, try and imagine everyone on a train and then there's no one else on, there's only Tom Cruise sitting in the train. It would look ridiculous. They need you there. Having said that, sometimes you run the risk of making a film look ridiculous.

A director told me that there was one scene in their movie, they had 1500 extras. It was an enormous undertaking. It's a massive tracking shot. And they suddenly noticed when they did the edit that one woman had like run along and tried to, and is in it like five times. Painting that out is very, very expensive and very annoying. So please try to just be in it once if you're in a crowd scene rather than again, hang on, if I run really quickly around the back there, I can get in it twice. There are some hilarious ones. There's one that I think it's gone viral because that's how I must have seen it. Because

I don't think I noticed it at the time, but once you've noticed it, never unseen. Benedict Cumberbatch in a scene in the second Doctor Strange, the Multiverse of Madness, two and a half hours, I will never get back in my life. But he's at a wedding and there's a woman behind him, who's just another random wedding guest. She is hamming it up so enormously. She is chewing all the scenery,

chewing Cumberbatch effectively. It's brilliant. Have a look at that one, that's a good one. There was a brilliant interview actually, a filmmaker called Anthony Ng and he found out about this woman who's the most, world's most prolific background artist. She's had a 60 year career. Anyway, she's called Jill Goldston and she's been in so many films and he put together an 18 minute sort of artistic film that I think they showed at the Berlin Film Festival of all of her little appearances over the years and she's done this for so many years. I've seen

it, it's really mesmerizing and it's really interesting and so I would recommend that but just do what the first AD says and be on time. Those are the big starting points. It's true, it's one of those gigs, it's interesting, because you do have to subsume yourself, you have to subsume your ego. But being part of a film or a big TV show in any way is often fascinating. And you do feel like you're part of a big gang, there's great catering buses,

and just being amongst the buzz of being on a production, you're not gonna be treated amazingly well, but most people aren't, because everyone's working their socks off all day, and they need you to be in a certain place at a certain time so no one's gonna kind of lead you by the hand but if it's a job that you enjoy and you and you know you're amongst other people as well it's a really nice gig to do you get to go fascinating places do interesting things

meet lots of interesting people you know there's huge groups of supporting artists who keep in touch with each other and it's a job they're very professional at and also every single time anyone watches a television program, because of the way we watch things now, people are always looking at the people in the background. Oh my god, people freeze-framing is everything now. You know, people are looking at, you know, and actually if you ever spot someone sort of having it up like this woman in that Doctor Strange clip, you're mesmerised by them. You're like, where are they now? How bad are they being now? You're like constantly looking.

But please don't do that. Don't, please don't do that. Jill Goldstone actually said, I realized that it would be, it was so much more fun pretending to be a waitress and more lucrative pretending to be a waitress than actually being a waitress. So I didn't mind that I was in the background. And I really recommend that Guardian interview with her because I think it's a 60 year career and that's pretty fascinating. It's also one of those gigs where if you do cause no trouble, you're just good at your job and you get to know some of the people who cast supporting artists, suddenly you get slightly more stuff to do and you'll put slightly nearer to the actor or maybe you're giving something to hold or maybe you're giving an action to do.

You know, over the years, you sort of gradually bit more and more, you move forward on the screen. Yes, absolutely. And you are going to be on screen. There's another interesting thing that people don't talk about very often, the stand ins. Now stand ins, when you rehearse a scene on a film or a TV show that you'll do it once and then the cast will be taken off set and their stand ins who look a bit like them are put there so that everyone can, all the crew can light it and do all the things they need to do around them. Those people aren't even on screen, but they are absolutely vital and they spend a huge amount of time doing the standing around for the actors. When you're on one of these sets, you realise that absolutely everyone that

is a cross person is involved in a big, big thing. There's none of those things where in some things, and I often actually think in politics, if this person was sacked tomorrow, I'm pretty sure the country would carry on running as exactly as normal. But with this, if anyone is pulled out of this process, I think suddenly the whole machine doesn't work. Yeah. And you are part of that machine and it can be great fun. That's so true. Even on a TV show,

if someone is late or if there's traffic or someone's ill, it genuinely you can't do the show. It's not one of those ones where you go, oh, listen, it's fine. Everybody you think, of course, we can't do the show without that person. I always like it when they have to get a standing for me. If we're off doing something else and they're doing lights. They have to find someone my height because lights, you've got a light for somebody six foot seven. Yeah. And it's quite hard to do that. So sometimes

you see people on cushions. Well some actors become very friendly with their standards and try and get them the jobs, you know, to the jobs they move in. Many people have really great relations with their standards. I also, it's kind of an interesting idea for maybe a drama or comedy or something like that. It's just a sort of interesting relationship but anyway. But good luck as well. I also thought it was kind of an interesting idea for maybe a drama or comedy or something like that. It's just a sort of interesting relationship but anyway. But good luck as well. Yes and good luck with that. And it will be, it's a lot of fun. Really hard work being on a film set but can be a lot of fun as well. Yes definitely one for you here from Alan Briggs Richard. I've always wondered exactly where the friend is when a contestant decides to phone a friend. Jeremy

Clarkson always says can I just check that there's someone from the program with you to make sure you're not Googling an answer. So where is that person? Well, I can tell you because I was a phone a friend. Oh my gosh, you would 100% be mine. There's no question. I've been a phone a friend. When I was on Millionaire, I didn't use my phone of friends. I was knocked out. I was knocked out because I thought, you know, I wanted to go all the way. So I didn't. I had Sean Williamson, Barry from East Enders, who's one of my phone of friends, because he's the only person who's one pointless four times,

and a guy called Alan Connor, who was the question editor on Only Connect, now is the the big sort of head honcho on House of Games for questions there, writes amazing books about crosswords and stuff. So two of the smartest people I know, but I was too, I just thought, no, I really want to save them. So I went out on 125,000 because I asked Jeremy rather than asking the two cleverest people I know, which goes to show how clever I am. So I was the phone a friend for Alexander Armstrong when he was on it. And it's pretty horrible having to be the phone of friend and you nominate three phone of friends

so it could well be that you're not going to get chosen so my phone of friends, I can't remember who my third one was, it would have been someone young that's for sure, maybe it was my daughter or something I can't remember. So you're sitting there you think well I might not be used but yeah they send someone down from the production, almost like a security guard. To your house? To your house. Oh, God. Yeah, exactly that.

So it's quite realistic. Yeah, yeah. It's for real. And you say, oh, look, come and have a cup of tea. And they go, no, I need to sit and I'll be out in the car and I'll, you know, and you go, okay. But you're sitting there and your phone is tested a couple of times. And then, because obviously the show is not on, it's not live.

So you don't, you have no idea where it is during the, you know, the production. So you're just sitting around doing what you're doing anyway. And then suddenly the guy knocks on the door and comes in and says, oh, you might get a call in a few minutes. He said, oh no. So I got called by Zander. And so he said, Hi Richard Zander, I've got this question. I can't get the answer. Well, no, Jeremy says it first. So you're literally on your phone at home. To Clarkson. Yeah, in Clarkson, which doesn't always happen. And he's saying, hi Richard, Jeremy here,

I've got Alexander Armstrong with you, he's got a question, he's having trouble with it. The next voice here will be his, you've got 15 seconds or whatever it is. So you're sitting in your living room with a security guard next to you, thinking, oh my god, this is awful. Can I read you the question because I got it wrong? Yes. Well, I didn't get it wrong. I didn't know the answer. So let's see if you would have been a better phone a friend for Zander than I was.

So this was the question. Which of these famous fictional spaceships features in a film by Stanley Kubrick? Is it A. Nostromo? B. Spacecraft Discovery 1, C. Imperial Star Destroyer or D. The Milano? Is it Nostromo? Nostromo, well I said Nostromo as well. Nostromo was from Alien, yeah, and it was actually very well done. Anyone at home from 2001, it was Spacecraft Discovery 1. I should have just guessed it because I thought that was gonna be it.

And then I thought, no, hang on, Nostromo. And then of course I realized I've got it for the wrong one. So yes, I would also let down Xander Armstrong. To be fair, I didn't say, I said, look, I absolutely don't know. It's not a film. I was not cognizant of 2001 really. I certainly didn't know the name.

So I felt terrible, but there it is. And then I think he used up all his other lifelines on that question. He did get through and got onto the next question. That was for 16 grand. Oh my god. So how long from when the guy knocks on your front door and says, I'm going to sit outside. No, I don't want to socialize with you at all. To when that question came how many four hours? I was a long time. So you're aware of someone outside your house. Yeah. And you're kind of and you constantly cut. You're sure. Can I not bring you in?

They got their business. Yeah, it's a weird thing are you sure, can I not bring you? And they go, they got their business. It's a weird thing. So it's nice to be asked. You don't know if you're gonna answer it, but yes, someone comes in and is literally sitting with you. So there's no, you couldn't have looked at anything. It's absolutely impossible. So it's absolutely all above board.

Okay, here's one for you from Al Park, or possibly the way it's written, AI Park. Yes, possibly. Maybe this could, might be our first AI. Thank you,'s written AI Park. Yes, possibly. Maybe this could might be our first AI. Thank you, thank you AI Park. And it's if I'm gonna do this in the voice of Scarlett Johansson. No, I went AI Park says,

I have always wondered how long running shows such as Death in Paradise or Midsummer Murders are able to ensure continuity when there are presumably numerous writers over the years. Is there a big book of character information, including a record of all the traits revealed in previous episodes? By the way, exactly the sort of question an AI bot would ask. It's essentially saying, is there anyway an enormous book of information about some TV programs that I could have?

And can you feed it to me and then I'll know the answer? I love information. Now there is always a sort of inherited show memory and there are always enough people who've worked on the show for it sort of to be passed down. If it's to do with the personality thing an actor will say I just don't think my character would do this. In terms of things that have already happened it's part of the job of something like a script supervisor to work out that sort of thing. But I do remember a friend of mine said he once saw an episode of My Family, in fact he's seen two episodes of My Family, where one of the characters was

robbed, and then he saw another episode where the same character was robbed and behaved totally differently. That I think is a much greater sin than thinking, well hang on, that's happened in Midsommar before. It's when you're doing something to fit the plot. So that in a way is a sort of, I think that's where it's gone really wrong. But in general, these things are kind of, you can go through the archive and work out what's supposed to happen in people. And there's always an inherited memory.

And most shows have a thing called a Bible as well. And the Bible will be everything that's ever happened. It's the same in books actually. Now I'm on book one, about to start book five of Thursday Murder Club. I've got a brilliant copy, it is called Donna Poppy. Because you write so much and the books are so long, sometimes you forget that, oh don't

forget the joy says she's been to Spain before. And so it's amazing having somebody with that sort of encyclopedic knowledge who would just occasionally go, oh that is something we have done or that's something that we've definitely said we can't do. And yeah, TV shows have the same thing, these people whose job is to be across the universe. And as it's happening, the script supervisor is covering those sort of things. Because also, by the way, if you have one of these things, and that's what you've chart, then it's too late, you can't really go back. Yes. So that is the answer to that. There are sorts of Bibles, really.

Yeah. Shall we go for a break? Let's do that. Or to a break, probably is the right word. Is that the same text? I'm infecting you with my professionalism. Let's go for a break, everyone. I'm infecting you with my poor profession. Let's go for a break, everyone. Hello listeners, it's Anita Arnith here from the Goalhanger Sister Podcast Empire, which I host along with

me, William Dalrymple, and we are here to tell you about our new series on the founding fathers, the men who made America. We wanted to look at the men who actually founded the country, who dreamt the dream, who wrote the words upon which a country would be born. What were they like? What made them do what they did? What did they actually believe in and how did they come to play the role that they did in the American Revolution and the creation of America? What really interested me about this was the contradictions. I mean, we expect these men to be great figures.

We've seen the portraits in the galleries. We know the faces from the banknotes. But they're deeply complex figures. But in that, and in that blend of contradiction and intellectual power and writing genius and curiosity and raw ability lies the nuance of complexity that allows us to understand them. And the United States is in many ways a reflection of them.

Their beliefs, their experiences. These are the men who wrote the Constitution. These are the men who created the federal system. In every way, they are totally fundamental to what American politics looks like today. It all goes back to this extraordinary group of men. Yeah, and they have rip-roaring yarns as well, let me tell you. So if you want to know why America is the way it is and who the men were who made it, you can listen by searching Empire wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome back everybody. We're going to go straight into a question from Emma Inglis

about Murder and Success Phil. With all three seasons of Murder and Success Phil being added to Netflix recently. I'd love to know any behind the scenes info from Richard. How was the experience of filming the show? If people don't know Murder and Successville, it's an amazing, one of those shows I thought, I have no idea how they got it made, but it's Tom Davis, the wonderful Tom Davis,

who I love, who's the same height as me, doesn't happen all the time. It's a sort of improvised murder mystery set in a world where everyone is a celebrity, set in the city of Successville. There's sort of gritty noir, they sort of film it through neon lights and rain and Tom is D.I. Sleet, I think. Such a mad idea. Yeah. Three seasons, very good.

And a celebrity comes into that environment, is taken into various scenes where people are playing celebrities and at the end they have to solve a murder. So I had to solve a murder that involved Hillary Clinton, Arsene Wenger, Zayn Malik from One Direction all played, like Jamie Demutri playing Zayn Malik and you know. How have I not seen your episode of this? Okay, I need to go back for this. Ellie Whiter's Buick. And it's such a passion project for Tom Davis, Andy Brereton, who was the producer, and James DeFront, who directed it, who were all brilliant. And they loved it so much. So what you would do, you turn up in an industrial estate in like Peck, Dagenham, I think it

was. So you go there, there's this enormous sort of complex of buildings, and you're kind of kept in a dressing room while there's lots of stuff going on elsewhere. It's a bit like Taskmaster in that regard and then you walk into a room and you're in and you're in an improvised scene and you know the first scene is Sleet kind of you know talking to you and you're the new rookie cop and you're dressed in a cop's uniform which is really cool. You know then someone comes in as Gordon Ramsay and starts saying, this is the case, someone's been murdered in an art gallery, in my case. So they've sort of got a light script.

You are entirely improvised. There's a lot of setups they have to do during the day, but I love Tom. And so I would continue the improvisation like way too long. To that point, I could really see him with his eyes just going, come on, man, we've got to get out of this. And I'm going, what does your dad think about you being a cop? How is that? How's that relationship? And he's just going, well I think probably we need to get it. Well I don't, do we? Do we need to go now?

Sleep? I wonder, you know, it's very important I think that relationship. I think if you're a cop, the sort of that kind of, you know, where does it come from? That authority? Well listen, time for that later. We've got to get down to the warehouse. Anyway, so I would, I would- The unmanageable guest. Much more. Exactly.

Well, I was really enjoying it. And I've just been in the dressing room for an hour doing nothing. So yeah, then you go into a warehouse and Jamie Dimitri, who is Zane Manic, and he's got some clues he's given you. Then we did an art class. And you know, because I just knew exactly what was going to happen. They go, okay, you're in an art class and a model is gonna come out and I thought well, that's gonna be Tom Davis naked. Okay. I know it is I know for a fact that's what's gonna happen. There's a screen

I know it's to be fair. He's wearing a tiny pair of briefs. But other than that, he was completely naked and You know again you improv and you draw a picture and Carrie Adloy was playing Hillary Clinton and it's just a joy. It's an absolute joy from start to finish. They take such care over it. I loved going in and mucking about, but I really, really, really wanted to solve the crime as well because people rarely do on that show.

I think because it's so mental and you're enjoying yourself so much. So if there was ever any break in filming, I'd be like looking through little clues and just looking in Hillary Clinton's bag and stuff like that. And then at the very end in our episode, oh, I shouldn't tell you what happens,

people should watch it, but you can watch all of them. But at the end, me and Tom are painted as statues were like Roman busts. And we have to, you have to decide who the killer was and whether you got it right or you didn't get it right. So it's an absolutely ridiculous show, a million percent the sort of show that wouldn't get commission now. Yeah, but it'd be wonderful if it does good numbers on Netflix if someone has another go at it.

But Tom Davis, I love so much. He's such a lovely fella. So I love doing it and there's episodes Chris Kamara does one, Jamie Lange does one, Lorraine Kelly does one. I mean there's some really really funny episodes. It sounds nuts but if you watch one and enjoy it I suspect you'll enjoy all of them. Here's a question for you Marina about Prime Minister's Questions. It's from Alfie Bryce Clegg who may be AI Park and has worked at, hold on I shouldn't call myself AI Park, what's her name? Alfie Bryce Clegg. It's a name that a Restless Entertainment questioner would have, the sort of name. That's an absolute textbook Alfie. Alfie says, I've been watching PMQ's camera operator

kept cutting back to Jeremy Hunt's dictating answers to Rishi Sunak as Starmer was speaking. And essentially Alfie is asking, is there a gallery that covers Parliament and are there shot choices that are being made? Is there any editorializing in the shooting of Prime Minister's questions? Right Alfie, this is an absolute can of worms. I want you to understand that in terms of MPs thinking about how they're covered and filmed and Parliament thinking about,

there are animal Hollywood agents who have thought less about this. It's unbelievable, okay. So cameras came in 1989 and there was a lot of suspicion resistance to them anyway. It is actually quite interesting how they alight and how they do it. The central principle is that you focus on the person speaking and you can do cutaways only to other people. This is like all by law, it's absolutely hilarious.

Only to cutaways to other people mentioned in the speech. Head and shoulders only, not close-ups, okay, and wide shots are only allowed during breaks and proceedings. It's so like, I mean genuinely like the agents do not even do this. They partly want you to focus on the person who's speaking as it's an archive. They want a proper recording of proceedings. So it's almost like a visual hands-on. Yeah, they don't, they're not going for the BAFTA for best drama or comedy, but obviously the broadcasters have to show it. They used to have eight, first of all they used to have eight cameras

which were fixed position and they are controlled in a gallery right remotely up in a studio in Millbant which is like down the road. And the director chooses the shots, but that director is not employed by any of the broadcasters, a company employed by parliament. Really? Yeah. I mean, the level of control of this is absolutely amazing.

Anyway, these Fitz camera positions provided really unflattering angles. And the men were like, all our balls bought a show. And the women said, this dress is actually quite decent, but it's so I've got a cleavage shot. If you're a back bencher, it's almost head on. So they look quite normal. But if you're on the front bench, it's such an angle down to you. And also it looks really weird. And the broadcasters were like, look, I'm sorry, this is not engaging at this angle. And it would be good if people wanted to watch this and it didn't look completely mad. So they went to parliament in 2012 and all the

broadcasters made lots of representations. And they had a whole huge committee series of hearings about this. It was absolutely mad and the broadcasters said look can we have reaction shots and they were like no you can't we don't want it and then they then they said well we would like to be able to film the public gallery and the broadcasters said it's pretty good if people think that this isn't this kind of hermetically sealed out of touch West like literally the Westminster bubble and then the MPs were like, no, we don't want you to film anyone in the public.

Because they said, look, it's quite good to show that people come in every day and also to show the intimacy, so they said no. And then the broadcasters said, why can't we see the divisions, because this is like watching a Shakespeare play where everything's happening off stage. It's like watching traitors basically when you don't have the round table.

So the divisions is when they go out to vote. When they go out to vote. So they said, please can we record the divisions because otherwise it's like the most, the big, all the action is have like watch traitors and then someone say we're not going to show you the round table we'll just tell you what happened in it. And then the MPs even said no to that because they said that sometimes I like to grab one of the ministers in the lobbies which is the place where you get to vote yes or no and I like to have my, that's where I get my special time and I don't get it any other time. And the only thing they would agree to was that you could film one as a mock-up

with not real people for your educational purposes. But after all these hearings, the only thing they did agree to is because of the sort of vanity of those really high angled shots that look weird, is that they said, okay, we can have a fixed camera position behind the speaker's chair and some on the table on the sort of dispatch box near the dispatch box and that's why you get

to see those things now the reason that you maybe saw Jeremy Hunt in those kind of cutaways is because Starmor would have been talking I didn't so I haven't seen this particular moment of joy from the chamber but Starmor would have been talking I haven't seen any of this series at all I'm saving the box set for Armageddon when we're all in the catacombs. Then I'll watch PMQs, but otherwise no. And so you'll see Starmer, and if Hunt is passing him things behind, then that will inevitably be in the shot. But otherwise it is incredibly tightly controlled and they are so obdurate about changing it at all. And the only reason they changed that is because they felt it was physically unflattering to them.

But some MPs as well will also know who's been picked to ask a question. Yes. And if you sit beside that person or behind that person, you will be seen. Yeah, then you don't have to go in for three weeks. On camera, yeah, because you're just like, oh, that was good. Yeah, absolutely. And also, another reason they didn't want to have the lobbies, the divisions, the voting shown is because people would, they thought people would watch and say, well,

where's my MP? They're not there. So when you see those wide shots of the chamber, which in many ways are the most sort of corrosive, and it's unfair because you see those wide shots and people are like, there's absolutely nobody there and they're discussing really something really important, like, I don't know, post office compensation or something like that and it's really empty. Sometimes they show those wide shots, people are actually voting, but other times they are doing other things but because they've refused to allow other types of coverage,

people have this impression that they've kind of turned up for their salary and then they don't go in, they're never there, there's no one there at these important moments. So in a way I do think that they should adapt but you know they were so slow to get cameras and they've always been very very suspicious of them. It's like those restaurants you go to where the kitchen is open and you can see the chefs. You just think oh I don't want to be watched but listen. But you always feel very, when you can see the chef you feel that's, you feel positive about it and you feel that you know. Because normally you only see chefs behind the restaurant having a fag, don't you? Yeah.

When you're walking by. If you can see the kitchen, you're like, well, this is going to be pretty good. There's nothing to hide here. So I think that they should adapt to it. And I do think that the broadcasters were right in terms of, you don't have to make it super dramatic, like planning shots and extreme close-ups. Having said that, there was years where people watched it with all the Brexit shenanigans you know my children could do a John Burco impression I'll never

forgive the Conservative government for that at that moment would not be able to go division Peter Boone yeah Mr Peter Boone but you but you had you know there were so many nights where I had to watch it because some other thing that I've completely forgotten what they all were now indicative votes meaningful votes we I mean it was just a mess for three years but I had to watch it because some other thing that I've completely forgotten what they all were now, indicative votes, meaningful votes, I mean it was just a mess for three years but you had to watch it so it became quite obvious to people then it's like is this how they actually shoot it? I mean you know it's getting bigger ratings than a lot of shows currently and so yeah I think they should adapt it. The music? No, nothing. I mean, it's just some incidental music. Credits. Starring. Like Dallas as the opening credits.

There's not a half way house. I'm not suggesting a halfway house, but even a 16th way house, they could make it better and they could make it more engaging. And I think they should. Sorry, that's a really long answer. But as I was like you say, you know, they really care about this and they protect their image rights beyond all like all Hollywood agents. Well, they're worth a fortune the image rights. Yeah, you know, Grant Schapp's image rights. I mean, he makes millions. Yeah, you've got you've got to be. That's where he's making most of his money. Yeah, t-shirts. Speaking of Rod's Made for Ones In Back, Richard, you have been teasing us since last week with your top three cartoon mice.

Please can you share with me and the listeners your top three cartoon mice. Please can you share with me and the listeners your top three cartoon mice? Well only because I want people to ask us for our top three something so I think it's interesting so this is proof of concept. Alright, fair enough. Let's see if it works. Yeah. Top three cartoon mice. I tell you who's not in the top three cartoon mice, Mickey Mouse. No. How has Mickey Mouse been like launched an entire empire? A shit mouse. I mean, if you were to say, what's the best way over the years to make like $400 billion? I tell you how, this mouse, he didn't do anything.

He literally just got a squeaky voice. Tell me his character. He's got a character in one movie, Fantasia. And he's got like Minnie Mouse. Do you think Minnie Mouse at least has got a bow in her hair? At least it's something. Anyway, so not Mickey, even though he's not- It's not Jerry, who is a complete psychopath. He is a psycho. I mean, genuinely, it's abuse.

Yeah, it's really horrible. A lot of the stuff that Jerry gets up to. I like Tuffy, the white mouse in Tom and Jerry, the little white mouse, he's a sort of baby, he's rather sweet. Yeah, sort of the scrappy-doo who came in, but a useful scrappy-doo. Yeah. So number three, I'm going to say, because based on Jerry, but itchy, itchy and scratchy, because at least he's supposed to be a psychopath. Yeah. You know, it's like taking it to the nth degree. Number two, speedy Gonzalez, because he used to say underlay, underlay all the time. And that's I remember saying it, but number one, there is any number there is anyone isn't

there the greatest cartoon mouse of all time? Danger Mouse. Very good. He was originally David Jason and then became Alexander Armstrong. Yes, The guy who was so recently let down by his phone a friend on He Wants to Be a Millionaire. And I recently found out, I can't remember what show I was on, I found out what animal Penfold is. Yes, what is he? He's like a little mole. What is he? People think he's a mole.

He's a hamster, Penfold. So if we were going to do top three cartoon hamsters, which is harder, don't send that in as a question. No. He'd probably be number one. Just name any three is too hard. But danger mouse. Alright you can ask your top three's I'll do a top three. Yes. I'll do a top three. There you go but it have to be like top three parliamentarian. I know. I hope there's been enough politicians

for this week. But yeah. Yes so send in your top three's we'd love to have more show. That's probably us done isn't it? That is. We will see you next Tuesday. See you next Tuesday.