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We don't often get a chance to talk about the impacts of television (apart from news articles about the 'dangers'), so this was a refreshing read - a television equivalent of Acaster's "Perfect Sound Whatever". The Simpsons and I’m Alan Partridge: These chapters are essentially songs of praise about the brilliance of 1990s TV comedy. I’m a few years younger than Josh and I didn’t watch as much TV as he did (it sounds like no one watched as much TV as he did) but I remembered most of the shows and other content. Much-loved comedian Josh Widdicombe tells the story of a strange rural childhood, the kind of childhood he only realised was weird when he left home and started telling people about it. From only having four people in his year at school, to living in a family home where they didn't just not bother locking the front door, they didn't even have a key.
There are no chapters on Baywatch, Hollyoaks, The Darling Buds of May, Friends, Byker Grove, South Park or Sweet Valley High either. It will discuss everything from the BBC convincing him that Michael Parkinson had been possessed by a ghost, to Josh’s belief that Mr Blobby is one of the great comic characters, to what it’s like being the only vegetarian child west of Bristol.
It tells the story of the end of an era, the last time when watching television was a shared experience for the family and the nation, before the internet meant everyone watched different things at different times on different devices, headphones on to make absolutely sure no one else could watch it with them. I respect the fact that is the main focus but if you start the book talking about growing up and how shows effected you growing up and sort of autobiographical it should continue like that and not sore of fizzle out. Josh's frustrations are still bubbling over, from his overflowing shower to his contactless card via a night train back from Edinburgh. They decided to start a podcast, Lockdown Parenting Hell, which meant they could go upstairs, leave the children for a while, and moan about the difficulties of being a dad, which over 2 million people a month started listening to! I can only imagine how much people will love it now they can read our moaning in book form rather than having to hear it coming from our annoying accents.
Obviously Josh couldn't include everything, but one glaring omission for me was the Doctor Who TV movie on '96. This pretty much features all the recognisable shows of that decade, whilst other televised events like the Euro '96 tournament and the funeral of Diana. Recorded at London’s Hammersmith Apollo, viewers of this tale twisting perfectionist can expect an insight into Josh’s everyday annoyances and gripes. I’ve sent the extra copy to the lovely friend who introduced me to the podcast in the first place to say thank you for the hours of free entertainment I’ve benefitted from.
I loved reading the references to things I had entirely forgotten about (You Bet, the theme tune to Big Break, the Martins in Neighbours). And on points of factual accuracy: nobody ever died of a drug overdose on Grange Hill (Zammo, the school heroin addict never died while Danny Kendall’s death in the series was not drug-related). From only having four people in his year at school, to living in a family home where they didn't just not bother to lock the front door, they didn't even have a key. This year he launched his brand-new hit Dave show Hypothetical which he hosts with James Acaster and created with his comedy pals Tom Craine and Matthew Crosby as well as being a huge hit on Sky One’s A League Of Their Own Rally.
I didn't ever get into TFI Friday but I can now understand what the appeal was - I just wasn't at that point in life! Throughout there is a few great points where it refers to how television shows shaped his childhood and also some facts about some of those shows you may not even remember. C.’ would be absent because “he’s on his holidays today” (translation: he’s in the washing machine). It will discuss everything from the dangers of recreating Gladiators in your front room, to Josh's belief that Mr Blobby is one of the great comic characters, to being the only vegetarian child west of Bristol.The Big Breakfast, Nightmare, the twins from Funhouse who ruined our chances of every bagging the boys in our year.
Josh Widdecombe is the funniest comedian I have seen live, both times I cried with laughter but unfortunately the book didn't do it for me, maybe if you're more into football it would resonate more. I can definitely associate with that as the amount I watched as a teen easily surpasses time spent now. Come down the travelators, exit Sainsbury's, turn right and follow the pedestrianised walkway to Crown Walk and turn right - and Coles will be right in front of you. It also includes major TV events such as Princess Diana’s funeral, Euro 96 and the 97 election coverage, while featuring topics such as lad culture, Britpop, eclipse fever, adverts, teletext and the impending Millennium. At any rate, as with the solar eclipse of August 1999, I suspect the south-west got the best of it here.It's one of those books that will make you want to chat to the person nearest to you to discuss what you've just read and ask if they also remember Get Your Own Back or Knightmare. It is obvious from the start that he has a strong interest in the nineties and relives it in extreme detail that any fan of nostalgia will love. Ostensibly a quickfire quiz, The Guessing Game is really a show that pushes facts aside in favour of flights of fancy and rewards the funniest, luckiest and most bizarre guesses. Using a different TV show of the time as its starting point for each chapter, it discusses everything from Josh's strange, rural childhood, to the BBC convincing him that Michael Parkinson had been possessed by a ghost, to Josh's belief that Mr Blobby is one of the great comic characters, to what it's like being the only vegetarian child west of Bristol.
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