Desert Island Discs

[HighlandDougie]

In my not-so-humble opinion, Roy Plomley was the only DiD presenter who understood what the programme was about. Sue Lawley was a good substitute, but the others .. Ha!

Michael Parkinson (whoever he was ) never seemed to know what he was doing, and Kirsty Young was woefully ignorant about the nature and purpose of the programme.

Each to their own but I beg to disagree about Kirsty Young - try listening to the Anthony Beevor episode. DiD makes great listening while driving and I have a vivid memory of driving through Oregon while listening to Roy P and Margaret Lockwood - cut-glass accent to the fore. And Sue Lawley simpering - nay, fawning - over Daniel Barenboim (that was Snowdonia).

[smittims]

Yes, it does seem to be a matter of personal taste; I'm looking foreward to hearing Margaret Lockwood, having admired her in many films and her long running TV series, 'Justice'.

I'm no fan of Sue Lawley but I can put up with her better than the others. My reference to Kirsty Young can be illustrated by two eamples. In an interview celebrating an anniversary of the programme, she said of the famous question* which spurs the programme 'It's the most ridiculous question'. On the contrary, it's a most revealing question. If it were ridiculous the programme would not have lasted for eighty years. And in her programme with one castaway she insisted repeatedly on pressing him about the death of his first wife despite his refusal to discuss it on the grounds that he had been assured it would not come up. That showed a terrible insensitivity alien to the spirit of the programme: its not the flippin' Channel 4 news, for goodness' sake.

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*'If you were to be cast away alone on a Desert Island, which eight gramophone records would you choose to have with you, assuming of course that you also had a gramophone'.

[Barbirollians]

Yes, it does seem to be a matter of personal taste; I'm looking foreward to hearing Margaret Lockwood, having admired her in many films and her long running TV series, 'Justice'.

I'm no fan of Sue Lawley but I can put up with her better than the others. My reference to Kirsty Young can be illustrated by two eamples. In an interview celebrating an anniversary of the programme, she said of the famous question* which spurs the programme 'It's the most ridiculous question'. On the contrary, it's a most revealing question. If it were ridiculous the programme would not have lasted for eighty years. And in her programme with one castaway she insisted repeatedly on pressing him about the death of his first wife despite his refusal to discuss it on the grounds that he had been assured it would not come up. That showed a terrible insensitivity alien to the spirit of the programme: its not the flippin' Channel 4 news, for goodness' sake.

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*'If you were to be cast away alone on a Desert Island, which eight gramophone records would you choose to have with you, assuming of course that you also had a gramophone'.

I don't agree - I think KY much the most penetrating and interesting presenter of the programme. Plomley often fawned over his guests - as can be heard in one fascinating episode of the 90 rediscovered with Sir Thomas Beechame .

[smittims]

Thanks for that. It seems the programme will always provoke disagreement, the most extreme example I know being a rural vicar convicted of murdering his wife by battering her to death with a radio following an argument over the choice of music on 'DiD'.

[johncorrigan]

I don't agree - I think KY much the most penetrating and interesting presenter of the programme. Plomley often fawned over his guests - as can be heard in one fascinating episode of the 90 rediscovered with Sir Thomas Beechame .

I would fully agree, Barbirollians. One of my favourite episodes was when Kirsty was casting American crime writer, James Ellroy, to the mythical island - I've never read anything by him but he sounded a tough cookie and she did a brilliant job in getting him to open up about his rather tragic life...a lot of Beethoven and Bruckner in his record choices. I couldn't have imagined anyone else handling the interview so well, and certainly not the present incumbent. This week, she interviewed a very boring rugby person I'd never heard of - the last ten minutes of the interview was easily as much as I could take. Here's the link to the Ellroy.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00psp99

[Alison]

Yes I like Kirsty too, no ego.

[french frank]

Here's the link to the Ellroy.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00psp99

That photo on the right about the Eight unexpected moments: bit of an odd caption?

[Nick Armstrong]

I don't agree - I think KY much the most penetrating and interesting presenter of the programme. Plomley often fawned over his guests - as can be heard in one fascinating episode of the 90 rediscovered with Sir Thomas Beechame .

I’m with you, Barb

[Serial_Apologist]

That photo on the right about the Eight unexpected moments: bit of an odd caption?

[seabright]

Apropos Roy Plomley's DID's ... There's an amusing moment towards the end of Stokowski's selection when Plomley points out that the maestro had chosen no vocal music and asked why. Stokowski replied: "I don't know why I didn't do that. No reason. Do you have reasons for everything you do, monsieur?" to which Plomley replied: "No I don't" and they both had a chuckle ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsX5QVDkf6g&t=141s

With Andre Previn in 1967, Plomley asked him if the telephone were to ring with an offer, what would he like it to be. Previn replied: "That's very simple. I'd like to be offered the conductor-in-chief of the London Symphony." Indeed he was, almost immediately in fact ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADnGumu0f2g&t=290s

[smittims]

Plomley was, I think, an actor by calling, and good at such spontaneity.
I've just heard a good one from a Sue Lawley programme with Barenboim. When asked, if he could take just one of the eight records, whch would it be? he said 'I woudln't take any records. I'd prefer to take scores. I only chose these eight out of politeness to you.'