Comments
David Frost is seventy
2009-04-08 08:48:38
The birthday dinner, which kept me from both the Champions League and The Speaker last night, was for broadcaster David Frost. Seventy.
Any suggestion the veteran broadcaster might be slowing down was dispelled when his son Wilfred announced to the gathering at one point that first thing this morning, his Dad was due to be interviewing the Prime Minister.
What is extraordinary about Frost is that he will have woken up, even if tired
by a night's partying, with the same enthusiasm to do a good job as on the
dozens of Prime Ministerial and Presidential interviews he has done before.
Seven Presidents, almost as many Prime Ministers as the Queen, who almost
uniquely has resisted his blandishments. So far. You can bet he'll never stop
trying.
And of course, as Wilfred also pointed out very proudly, his father is now one of that small number of people immortalised on stage and in a film carrying his name in the title, whilst still alive.
Frost-Nixon is not just a good story well told. It underlines the extent to which Frost is woven into the fabric of our media history.
And if his ageless enthusiasm and passion for his work is one lesson we could learn from, his refusal to take himself too seriously is another. Even his own son made jokes about Through the Keyhole and Frost laughed with the rest.
There were plenty of well-known faces around the place, mainly from TV and showbusiness, and even if the gathering was smaller than the huge summer parties he throws, you have to recognise Frost's formidable networking skills. But it was former Foreign Secretary, David Owen, who said the thing about him that stuck in my mind on the way home. He said while most of us could count close friends on one hand, David had 'an instinct for friendship' which meant there was nothing strange in seeing a room full of very different people who in different ways saw themselves as his friends.
A part of me thinks it is a terrible waste that his main current affairs show is now on Al-Jazeera International. Yet with the world's media and politics in such a state of flux, I guess it is fitting that the latest chapter of his life in broadcasting is unfolding as part of one of the big media stories of recent times.
One thing's for sure. He has a lot of Prime Ministerial interviews, parties and episodes of Through the Keyhole left in him.
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My night with Eddie IzzardPublish date: 2009-04-29 10:53:25
Explaining the 50p top tax ratePublish date: 2009-04-28 09:22:53
George Best and Martin McGuinnessPublish date: 2009-04-27 09:02:35
Cameron confused over indepdendence and impartialityPublish date: 2009-04-26 12:20:56
Guide ro Marathon running part 2Publish date: 2009-04-25 11:01:34
Good signals on coal and the OlympicsPublish date: 2009-04-24 10:45:28
Tips for the London MarathonPublish date: 2009-04-23 17:29:27
Missed the Budget, saw why it matteredPublish date: 2009-04-22 23:09:31
Football good, politics bad. AllegedlyPublish date: 2009-04-22 00:00:24
The Great Wall gets greaterPublish date: 2009-04-21 09:55:22
Two sides to police storyPublish date: 2009-04-20 11:39:54
Budgets, Balls, billionaires and Susan BoylePublish date: 2009-04-19 12:31:45
Do muscles have memories?Publish date: 2009-04-18 09:44:44
Bring back standing at footballPublish date: 2009-04-17 14:50:22
When Facebook friends fall outPublish date: 2009-04-16 12:29:16
Guardian sightings and the email and bath plug agendaPublish date: 2009-04-15 11:32:16
The spin is all in the prismPublish date: 2009-04-14 09:22:41
A setback, not a crisisPublish date: 2009-04-13 12:55:19
The real lessons from Damian McBridePublish date: 2009-04-12 10:49:47
Will English always be the dominant language?Publish date: 2009-04-11 10:02:02
On the pipes and what makes a ScotPublish date: 2009-04-10 11:06:20
John Prescott lazy? NO WAYPublish date: 2009-04-09 09:11:31
The Speaker, BBC2, tonight and tomorrow 8pmPublish date: 2009-04-07 14:25:31
Obama, colds and being woken by Korean missilesPublish date: 2009-04-06 11:59:24
When a call matters more than protocolPublish date: 2009-04-05 11:33:42
Green Cities Champions LeaguePublish date: 2009-04-04 10:19:53
Could Cameron have delivered the G20 deal?Publish date: 2009-04-03 10:11:59
Of Benn and BonoPublish date: 2009-04-02 08:21:16
Memo to Sarko - allez vite a LondresPublish date: 2009-04-01 08:46:17
Happy April Fool's DayPublish date: 2009-04-01 01:44:05
Eurostar, Le Monde and a thought for the G20 sherpasPublish date: 2009-03-31 09:17:22
Why Kevin Rudd made an impactPublish date: 2009-03-30 10:24:41
Pre-G20 hype matters less than post-G20 processPublish date: 2009-03-29 13:17:28
The Damned UnitedPublish date: 2009-03-28 10:37:04
A hobby horse, a plug and a bit of sportPublish date: 2009-03-27 10:22:23
Cloughie - he had a lot to be big-headed aboutPublish date: 2009-03-26 09:38:36
A sad sight of the old fearing the youngPublish date: 2009-03-25 17:03:07
Post-modern, post-structural, or bullshit?Publish date: 2009-03-25 08:18:02
Learning the right lessons from ObamaPublish date: 2009-03-24 08:53:15
Lazy Dave needs to keep an eye on lazy KenPublish date: 2009-03-23 11:16:14
Farewell favourite restaurant, hello hometownPublish date: 2009-03-22 08:18:09
Dave, Danny and have the Tories really changed?Publish date: 2009-03-21 08:55:13
Life beyond Dover ...Publish date: 2009-03-20 10:11:21
My friends in The New Statesman - Fergie, Fiona, Tony, Sarah, Kevin, 'Dacre,' and a great GB idea for the G20Publish date: 2009-03-18 10:38:22
Iraq, Iran, GB, Obama and diplomatic chessPublish date: 2009-03-17 10:07:13
The Age of StupidPublish date: 2009-03-16 08:27:13
Is all change good?Publish date: 2009-03-15 10:00:06
The pressure of being a post-modern sex godPublish date: 2009-03-14 10:00:55
Cameron still hasn't sealed the deal with businessPublish date: 2009-03-13 09:21:49
Stand up for social workersPublish date: 2009-03-12 08:31:17
Surely Malcolm Tucker could have told Armando Ianucci ... You can't spin a spinnerPublish date: 2009-03-11 10:58:25
Start of a new approach from Labour?Publish date: 2009-03-10 09:54:12
A peace process still strongPublish date: 2009-03-09 08:21:05
Day of destiny for the real footballer of the yearPublish date: 2009-03-08 09:21:06
Private advice to Peggy Mitchell - the leaked note in fullPublish date: 2009-03-07 08:17:21
Boris, the Tories and the tummy-tickling poodle pressPublish date: 2009-03-06 09:49:37
A day in the life of the self-obsessed TV reporterPublish date: 2009-03-05 07:55:47
GB - good speech, well deliveredPublish date: 2009-03-04 19:31:05
Notes on the environment, a role in EastEndersPublish date: 2009-03-04 10:58:56
She may be my 'wife' but it is time to rebut!Publish date: 2009-03-03 10:52:59
Some speeches matter more than othersPublish date: 2009-03-02 12:04:45
Mental health and the Carling Cup FinalPublish date: 2009-03-01 09:08:17
Inside the chocolate factoryPublish date: 2009-02-28 10:23:59
GB on the G20, JP on Jeremy KylePublish date: 2009-02-27 09:14:36
Charity and the credit crunch, please give generously!Publish date: 2009-02-26 08:55:12
Why oh why are the Tories not home and dry?Publish date: 2009-02-24 09:44:59
Me, Dermot and ten top songsPublish date: 2009-02-23 10:02:19
Names round-upPublish date: 2009-02-22 08:43:39
What's in a name?Publish date: 2009-02-21 09:58:14
Editing the New StatesmanPublish date: 2009-02-20 11:42:36
Salute Peter M’s proper use of the F wordPublish date: 2009-02-19 09:58:58
Labour's communications challenge for the NHSPublish date: 2009-02-18 10:34:39
In praise of KeighleyPublish date: 2009-02-17 14:33:57
A night at the EmiratesPublish date: 2009-02-17 00:06:51
When marriage is testedPublish date: 2009-02-16 13:36:35
Spare me the myths and the whiningPublish date: 2009-02-15 13:29:50
Dave Cameron - is that all there is?Publish date: 2009-02-14 11:11:55
Boris Johnson: F is for ...Publish date: 2009-02-13 07:55:10
The Cameron vacuumPublish date: 2009-02-12 14:48:33
Lincoln, Obama, Blair and the 24 hour media culturePublish date: 2009-02-11 10:28:47
Eighteen interviews later ...Publish date: 2009-02-10 19:24:45
Time to talk about Time to Change on NewsnightPublish date: 2009-02-09 22:47:49
So that’s what they mean by online community?Publish date: 2009-02-08 12:12:51
First blogPublish date: 2009-02-05 15:23:57
Émilianna
2009-04-08 23:53:45Canukistani here: not sure Parky means "Paxman" but I'll just assume it does. Paxman really knows his stuff, he doesn't suffer fools gladly, and he's an iconoclast.
He also happens to be the best weather news reader ever.
So far, he has only three tweets under "JPaxman" on Twitter...of course, they are accidently brilliant and hilarious. The old curmudgeon act really works for him.
Alan Quinn
2009-04-08 20:11:26Frosty and Parky are two of the all time great interviewers, many have tried to emulate them (including Ally's "mate" Piers Morgan ) and most have failed. It's a pity they don't do as much TV as they used to but they deserve their rest as they've done the business in the past.
Ian Eastwood you're absolutely right about Jade Goody. The image these moronic reality TV shows give out is; don't study, don't graft, be an ignorant idiot because one day you'll be an overnight millionaire.
Alina Palimaru
2009-04-08 16:01:06Frost was brilliant in his interviews with Nixon. Some younger Americans now suggest that perhaps if Jon Stewart of the Daily Show had interviewed Nixon, the President might have admitted the wrong-doing in the first 15 minutes of the interview and thus would have spared viewers the pain. Perhaps... I admire Jon Stewart tremendously and think he would have done an excellent job of wiping the floor with Nixon. But Frost's brilliance was that during the extended interviews he successfully revealed how Nixon's intelligence had been overcome by assorted pathologies. Frost had much at stake with that interview, the make-or-break sort, and I think the series solidified his reputation of a respectable journalist.
AC, I am inclined to agree with that half of you which thinks that it is "fitting" that David Frost is now imparting his wisdom on Al-Jazeera International. I would like to believe that people like him appearing in pan-Arab media programmes could transition these outlets from "incite" to "insight". I admit to not knowing to what extent Al Jazeera International differs from more regional and locally minded Al Jazeera affiliates, but still it must have some impact on Middle Eastern audiences. Clearly, Arab media are in their inchoate stages of development, and this immaturity often manifests itself in lower levels of professionalism. Nevertheless, the rise of pan-Arab media shows Arab audiences the benefits of having exposure to different, contrasting opinions. People like Frost could guide the process meaningfully.
mikey
2009-04-08 13:45:39Hey....we like David Frost too.....but where were your b'day wishes for my dad?
John Cheyne
2009-04-08 13:33:18The best thing about Frost's interview style is that he doesn't have one. At least he isn't nearly as one-dimensional as many current interviewers. His style is dictated by who he is interviewing. I love Jonathon Ross but he has a certain style and sticks to it. Similarly Paxman had a very different style, but he too sticks very closely too it. Frost just changes when needed to get the best out of any particular interview. I suppose only Parky has come close to being able to do that so effectively. In an interview back in October 2005 Frost Himself had this to say about modern political interviews:
"I think there are more pointless hectoring interviews. You only need to be an adversarial interviewer in an adversarial situation. When I was interviewing Nixon on the Watergate or the notorious swindler, Dr Emil Savundra then these had to be confrontational - but it is pointless to be confrontational otherwise. Confrontation tends to shut people up when the task is to draw them out. "
That kind of says it all. Full interview here http://keeperofthesnails.blogspot.com/2005/10/interview-with-sir-david-frost.html
Brian Barder
2009-04-08 13:27:47Frost has long been a much underrated interviewer. His smooth, almost obsequious approach, generally mistaken for softness and malleability, often extracts uncomfortable truths more effectively than the pit bull terrier technique of the Paxmen and (sometimes) Humphryses. I thought the film Frost/Nixon missed this essential point about Frost's underlying seriousness and dogged persistence, overplaying his playboy element and ignoring the sharp political antennae (first on display in TW3, largely ignored by the film). He's a more formidable political performer than most commentators give him credit for.
Brian
http://www.barder.com/ephems/
Émilianna
2009-04-08 12:30:20If the Queen will allow Michelle Obama to give her a "half-hug" (as the media so ridiculously termed the gesture), it's conceivable she is within the reach of Frost. God knows I want to know what's on the woman's mind.
Let us note that in the last week alone, Elizabeth II not only accepted a "half-hug" with a smile, she returned it -- hear Charles wailing "she was never so affectionate with me!". Also, our fearless monarch tsk-tsk-ed some Italian cave man; if she's ever remembered for acting on behalf of the world('s women), it will for this. Next time, I hope she (or the German Chancellor) is prepared, staffer at the ready with a polo mallet for those pesky "Berlusconi situations". Lastly, as I am writing this, Elizabeth II is likely blasting "Mamma Mia" through the headphones of that ipod she got from a brother with a past in South Chicago's hoods. We should admit it, the lady has definitely been down with the people of late. Window of opportunity for Frost.
I'm not sure the film Frost/Nixon will serve the interviewer's legacy in the long run. Ron Howard's flick is so devoid of cinematic qualities, it should be taught in film schools as an example of a film that is aggressively anti-filmic. Besides, the man who plays Frost really must go back to have the cosmetic surgeries he got done to play TB in "The Queen" reversed. That actor's face is simply disconcerting.
Content-wise, I don't want to take anything from Frost's achievement but the film relates a political/journalistic moment that won't necessarily resonate down the generations. It is rather footnote-ish historically.
Still, anyone who outlives their fifteen minutes in a profession like broadcast journalism is worthy of recognition and admiration. What a career.
Happy birthday to you, Mr. Frost.
Adrian
2009-04-08 11:15:24I'm surprised David Owen can count his friends on more than one finger.
Ian Eastwood
2009-04-08 09:46:59Well said, and a happy birthday frosty. I would put david in the same bracket as Parky, Alister cooke, and the dimbleby's great oritors and as good at listerning as they are at talking, a rair quality these days.
Just a word on one of the above Parky, Who is being berated this morning for saying what I have thought all along about Jade Goody. Sad as what happend, but get real. She was a talentless big mouth, famed for being nothing more than being obnoxious on a crap reality show.
She represented everything I dislike about todays celebrity,s. Get some sensible people back on our screens and young people may gain a lot from there wisdom.
Shit I think I may be turning into a grumpy old man and I am only 49 chill out Ian.
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