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Officially I am not really working this month, but I got offered a radio quiz show last week and I can’t resist the chance to lose in another quiz, so I headed into London this this afternoon to appear on Gaby’s Talking Pictures - a new Radio 4 quiz about films.
I didn’t know everyone who was going to be on, but walked into the dressing room to be greeted with a cavalcade of familiar faces - some recent podcast guests: Ellie Taylor and Rachel Paris, actor Stephen Tompkinson, who I had wanted to tweet about his amazing turn as Eddie Braben (though was able to tell him in person) and Fist of Fun alumni Ronni Ancona, Alistair McGowan and John Thomson. People born on July 12th were represented by me and Gaby Roslin, and the only two cast members who were in both You Can Choose Your Friends and Relativity (i.e. me and Gordon Kennedy) were also present. Terrifying I had somehow managed to conjure up from the depths of my imagination, my best friend and enemy, Emma Kennedy. I had walked down to the studio from Kings Cross and passed by the student venue where we’d recorded one of the series of That Was Then This Is Now and had been thinking about a massive argument and falling out (that lasted about an hour) that I had had with Emma before one of the recordings. For about 60 minutes in about 2002 it had looked like we would never talk to each other again. But then we stopped being idiots and got over ourselves. And that’s what 30 year friendships are about.
I had no idea she was on this show though and I don’t think she was going to be until I called up her evil spirit. She was on the opposing team and already showing off about her many quiz trophies and my total lack of victories. But I would show her.
We’d been called in way too early and so went to get some food. John, Emma and I ended up in a German restaurant/bar called Herman ze German where we ate big sausages and I drank a beer (John hasn’t drunk for 11 years and Emma is having a dry January). What a pleasure to see these two old friends again - well not so much Emma obviously. How lucky to have a job where you get paid (I mean barely) to mess around with friends old and new.
Emma and I were in the second of the two recordings, so we watched the first one and it’s a lovely format for a radio show - there are some clever impressions and some messing about, but also some enjoyable and challenging film questions. Stephen Tompkinson proved to be quite a whizz, but I was pleased with how many questions I was getting right. Emma was doing OK, but I definitely won the battle in the non-broadcast contest between me and her. So obviously I’d win the recorded one too. That’s just common sense. And even if Emma knew the answers she’d presumably pretend not to in order to give me just one quiz show victory before my untimely death.
I think you know what happened. But you’ll have to wait until broadcast to find out. My brain was slow and baby-addled though, to the extent that I couldn’t remember the name of the lead actress in Pitch Perfect, even though we’d just seen the third film and Catie and me had had a long conversation about how amazing she was. I am not a competitive person, as you know, but I was annoyed by my stupid old brain’s inability to call up basic info.
But the real winner tonight was cinema and definitely not Emma Kennedy.
Some super exciting RHLSTP news to give you soon. Badgers and Dripsters know already. But one of my dream guests has just confirmed for 12th March.
