06/07/2012 The Review Show

On the review show tonight: Spider-Man returns. Again,

different face, same threads. right that was fun.

A new and revealing novel from global traveller, Michael Palin.

The News Room, a ripping yarn set surprisingly in a newsroom. The oil

rig, deep water has exploded in flames, 50 miles off America.

I'm 65, Britain's ageing population goes centre stage on BBC One. Plus,

live music from Mara Carlyle. Tonight I'm joined by Maureen

Lipman the journalist, John Sargeant and Slobodan Milosevic. It

is a big year for heroes. We saw hulk to captain America, get

together for Avengers Assemble. The dark night rises the final chapter

of the Batman trilogy. While the faims come off the backs of the

most successful block busters, this week's release, The Amazing Spider-

Man, is attempting to start a new franchise by rebooting an old one.

Spidey's back and on classic wise cracking form. You found my

weakness, it is small knives. ten years since Sam turned into a

Spider-Man trilogy. And Marc Webb it is a tough act to follow. With

great power, comes great responsibility. This time, Andrew

Garfield plays, park park park, an awkward science geeck which creates

powers after being bitten by a genetically engineered spider. Here

the Spider-Man reboots swings into action. Instead of mooning the girl,

he is getting something going with the brainy classmate, Emma Stone.

Troubled by the mysterious disappearance of his parents, he

tracks down his father he is colleague, play and soon finds

himself facing a giant lizard withvilleenous intentions. The film

is packed with stunts, some are which done by Garfield himself. As

ever, as much of the drama takes place in high school as on the

streets of New York. In the post Twilight era it is no surprise the

sweet and slight romance is replaced on an angst take on

teenager passion. Director, Marc Webb weaves a tale

of action and emotion to get a new audience. Is it more than a money-

spinner. Did they need to remake or reboot this story? Creatively I

would say no. Because Spider-Man was doing fine, the last movie made

$9 Hunniford million. This is the reason why they did it was to save

money. The next one was going to be budgeted at 3 Hunniford million m

so they put 70 million Spider-Man movie, everyone would see it, so

they were doing a low budget reboot. So it is a weird thing, it is a odd

thing in superhero movies, they tried to go small, it didn't work,

they knew they were competing with avengeers, you can't make it under

3 money million. I'm the last person to see the movie, I loved it,

it didn't look cheap to me. The last time I saw a Spider-Man, the

glasses for 3D was red and three cardboard. Now you get your own,

and I went to see it 2pm, it was just the most wonderful experience,

the boy is great. Andrew Garfield is great, he's truthful, the scenes,

it is not throwing CJ - CTI, you know what I mean, glasses on my

mouth, it builds up slowly. And there's a real relationship with he

and Emma Stone, which I believe is true in real life. And you've got

Sally Field, long suffering, nobody does better than her, Martin Sheen

there having a ball and it works. Were you engaged or entertained?

wish I could have been, it started slowly and went on slowly for me. I

was so keen to make it work, I remember going to these films with

my boys, and thinking, I'm with them, and isn't it all marvellous,

we're in this crazy world. I looked and thought no, it was in 3-D, two

D in terms of the characters, in terms of what they were doing, and

in terms of the story, with anecdote serum, you thought no,

does it have to be, why can't there be jokes. There are. It didn't have

me frightened or laughing. I was hoping, I get Vertigo on high

buildings, I thought that would be great. You want it to be scary, I

felt 12A, that's it, no more. I didn't have any sense of my

goodness me, this is something. was terrified when the face turned

into a handbag. My 13-year-old daughter loved it, I knew

demographic was sewn up, you have the five-year-olds, but get the 14-

year-old girls is brilliant. should have got children at ran

damn and brought them in. Lizard was a let down. It is scary

if you were a kid. Is that the aim, is that why Marc Webb's aim to

teenagers and girls. If you're going to make a movie of teenagers

getting off with each other, he's brilliant. He did it in spades.

Alan serjeant, No relation. He did a beautiful job with the skrist.

is interesting, you said it wasn't funny. When he discovers his pours,

the bathroom, and the encounter on the subway, they seemed funny to

me? He was subjective, I felt drained. All humour, I'm watching

it, I have my glasses on, I'm doing my best to be keen and engaged,

blank, the characters, I thought, yawn, yawn, no interest to me.

Maybe it is one of those things, I should have picked change children

at ran damn, but I would have been arrested. Of course they're

planning a sequel, do you think there's a sign of ideas running out,

that Marvel and CD comics are trying to find what to do They

sauls have different things to say, it is a long time since I read a

comic. I was captivated, because Andrew Garfield is so good as an

actor, he let's you in slowly to his disbelief into what is

happening to him. When he pulled the thing out of his neck, the long

thread of silk, or whatever, it was truly exciting and strange and

weird. I loved it. We have the high end actors and directors doing this

stuff, it is brilliant. They will keep making these things as long as

they keep making money, avengeers was great fun. This stuff used to

be done by rubbish guise and now they're great. Thank you all. The

American writer and producer, Aaron Sorkin is best known for the sosho

technological issues, by which I know West Wing TV series and social

network movie for which he won an Oscar, but Sports Night, he turned

his gaze on the workplace, the world of television. So the new

series, the news room follows suit. Is it in The News Room, we are

taken behind the scenes of a news programme, called Newsnight. To xa

how Americans get their news. Jeff Daniels is Will McAvoy, a

authoritative anchorman who questions the received wisdom about

America, and begins a crusade for impartiality and integrity. There

is absolutely no evidence to support the statement that we are

the greatest the world, which are 227 in science, 178 in infant

mortality, four in Labour force and four in exports, we lead the world

in number of inkas rated citizens per kapt tita, the number of people

who believe angels are real. It has a supporting cast, and as you'd

expect, features of rapid pyre dialogue. It is time for done.

road a donkey. I can't help you. Man who chartered Facebook in The

Social Network, hasn't shied away here. Each episode takes a Crewe

from a recogniseable news story. Breaking news tonight what could be

the biggest disaster that hit the Gulf of Mexico... If The West Wing

showed the view of how America ought to be gofpbd, here it is how

the news should be presented. But are the people who make the news as

fascinating as the people who are in the news.

John, you spend a lot of time in newsrooms, was it convincing?

fascinateed in newsroom, the main problem is that journalists are not

terribly important. I should have the romantic view, as the Americans

do, they're part of the American constitution, they're there,

freedom of press, First Amendment and they take themselves seriously.

We tend not to. Our coverage of newsrooms and journalism tends to

be comedy, Yes, Minister, Drop The Dead Donkey, that's what we think,

sort of gets us acos what we're trying to do. But it is a craft

skill. You can replace a journalist, with another good journalist, you

don't get the difference between good and bad journalists, but

essentially, it is not someone who is deciding what to do, the

Falklands War or something. We're covering the stories, we're not

actually, the people who are being heroic, we're getting the stories

back, sorting them out and presenting them to the public. The

real drama is in the story, the drama is putting it over. The

moment the reporters become too important, the moment they get in

the way of the story, the audience think, hold on a moment, they think

what matters. The good reporters, in fact don't. They go on trying to

find out what happened and Y and they don't put themselves between

the viewer and the story. And, in this series, bangs up the reporters

and reporters are terribly important, no they're not.

You follow that reading the fact American journalists tend to take

themselves more seriously? Was that reflected? It was interesting

because he referencesed Frank Capra, he has the approach towards

politics and journalism, and he is reminding everybody how great they

are. I like the aspect. His writing is a little annoying, but I found

that sweet, after doing politics and making the presidency, he finds

more despiseed which is journalists and making them feel good about

themselves. I see a role in society in difficult times, but his writing,

I find it irritating, because everyone speaks with the one voice.

Did he make characters and plot and issues, sympathetic, do you care

about them as a sequence of watching that programme? I'm afraid

not. And that programme has every hallmark of a great show, I should

have loved that show, and I don't know why. I don't think any writer

has written bad about television, they tend to be angry, and that

turns into humour, so you get something like network, the great

film, where Howard Bale is the ankh kerman, he should be interesting.

For some reason, in this it isn't. And the relationship between him

and Emily as the girl who is called ma kensy, MC overkill is there. You

have water water, wonderful actor in there, and he's crusty and

eccentric, and everyone is missing all the time.

But it is not, it doesn't work, it is irritating, why? The characters

feel forced, don't they. Everybody is made up, stereotype thing t

feels like a bad play, and claustrophobic. What about Emily

mortgage Tim mer? Jiefplt she's a lovely actress, I like looking at

her, and she's going to be all right. But she's not remotely like

what she's got to be. The assumption you come back from the

assignment and you then have an office life, for a real reporter,

that's like cageing them. They really want to leave, and get out

of the building and find the stories. Irk the conflict is such

that they brought her back from the war and put her like respite with

production, in The News Room with her exlover. That's not kind.

so unrealistic, and she doesn't seem tough, she's stum bring oven.

90 minutes to go, before the guest doesn't turn up, and she's having a

discussion, whether Will is an ars. Slap stick, he occasionally did,

the sarkaix irritate you? It makes you slap them all. The young girl

in the office, how does she get a job in there. They were practising

having a phone interview doing that to each other. You're thinking, if

anyone did that to the office, would you say, hole on, who are the

characters, you wouldn't want to employ them. It is old-fashioned,

ever since The Sopranos, and Mad Men, and amazing box sets, it is

weird to go back to the one hour elsewhere, from the 90s. Jo the

technical guy in it, the Asian actor, and he's the only references

there is to kind of, Twitter or Facebook, and that newsroom would

be relying a lot on that, wouldn't it. Braefl, sore sore is taken a

liberal view, he argues he tries to balance, will this repoll laterise,

American politics and news reporting or does he attempt a

balance by having a liberal Conservative as the main news

anchor. What happens is he will be taken off the script writer,

because they will realise they have a decent office drama, which they

can fall back on, but not have too much of journalism. You get

fantastic interactions and stories, and you do get a running drama of

the real news story, but don't expect to say too much about

democracy, and life and liberty and pursuit of had beenness.

Has he given too much power, is it that Denis Poter syndrome, they're

so successful, they hand everything to him and then he is this in

character. I have to finish. The News Room starts on sky Atlantic on

Tuesday, at 10pm. Michael Palin's novel, The Truth is second in 17

years, but the heart is the mysterious activist, the commission

to write the biography, falls in the writer of a journalist, Keith.

He sat down and siped his coffee, usually after a night with Tess, he

felt good, koofl, adjusted, whole. This morning, something was

troubleling him and he couldn't put his finger on what it was. He

watched through the window as a telephone engineer, protected by a

screen of red and white fenceing, opened a terminal box and worked

his way through the cables inside. He was observed about envy, this

was a man at work, doing a job, tracing a problem, dealing with it,

ticking it off a work sheet and moving on to the next one. His

tasks were quantifiable, defineable, achievable, and if only writing

could be that simple. We go to the Shetlands, India, Czech Republic

and London. Did you have to do any research for the locations or are

they things you encountered as a traveller and broadcaster? It was

important for the writing progress of the book to go and see the

places with a fresh eye. Shetland, I decided early on, that he would

be writing the most boring book in the work, which is the history of a

oil terminal. In Serbia, and constantly expanding a refinery,

and the last thing was a sacred hill for people who lived this for

2,000 years, they wanted to rip it off to mine. It was sieshes led

initially or plot secondly, or did you have to get the plot before?

was 2009, and I remember there was denial going on in the press, it

was about the politicians expenses scandal and everyone was

appropriately The Truth. I thought this was ridiculous. The Truth is

coming out of this badly. Maybe I would write a book about The Truth.

Do you feel the pressure, as someone who is a national treasure

in comedy terms to be funny most of the time? In the first draft of the

book, there was ten things he did, which I thought was comic. And the

editor said, this is setting the book up as a comic book, so they'll

expect it all the way through, and itel get in the way of what you

want to say. I thought it was funny, in isolation T ass I looked at it,

and reduced it, and it now works but there was a temptation to go

for the comic vein. Does The Truth suggest other fiction ideas?

like to write another novel fairly soon. It depends what people think

about it. One gains confidence, from obviously public approval, it

is important. If generally people think this is, not that interesting,

I will probably leave it for a few more years. If on the other hand,

they echo my feeling that it is a good, tight little story there, I

enjoyed writing it, it reads well, I would love to write another as

soon as possible. He's such an engaging personality. I wonder can

he escape that in whver he does. Did this book of fiction, reveal

anything other than about Micheal to you? Well, I'm quite surprised

to hear, that he let them edit out the comedy, and that's Micheal, he

will go along, presumably with an editor who tells him. I'm sorry,

because more of Micheal would come through. I enjoyed the book, it is

an easy read. He's had a good time writing it. And I think he is

wanting to make a very serious point in this book. He starts off

as a failure, he hasn't got a relationship with his kids, he has

a polish wife which was his student. She wants to divorce him and marry

a rich man. Somehow, we kind of lose him because he makes maverick,

he does the right thing, the interesting thing is the novel

turns around on itself and we see The Truth is perhaps not. That's

rather quickly done. That whole change around, where

suddenly The Truth is not what we think, that's done quickly and

that's a shock. I enjoyed it the second time. How did you find it,

particularly the travelling and relationship between fact and

fiction? I did enjoy it. I followed his career since he was a student

comic. He was very funny, whenever I look at him, I want to laugh, and

the character called Keith, you think he's not going to be exciting,

and think that's the important thing about it. I'm intrigueed by

that, and the idea, that Micheal who is now travelled all the way

around the world several times comes back with The Truth. The

Truth is there aren't many heroes, if any, and people who do good

things tend to have mixed motives. I could have told him that, before

he set off with the journey. You are left with, isn't that a bit,

why can't he either be funny or more serious and more profound. But

that's him. As I say, someone, I've liked and followed for so long, it

was fascinating. This is closer to the real Michael Palin, but

anything he's done in public before, Monty Python and things, this is

many ways, is an Englishman of a certain type, at this moment,

talking about things, which we've all talked about, which is why

can't you trust people more, and wasn't there a time when it was

easier to get things done, and when you said I'd like to do this,

because it is a good thing to do. So there's a melancholy there, and

a feel to it. Would you believe the women he was trying to get involved

with? I didn't believe in that, I did believe in the idea when you

are in India, I worked there too, and the sense in which odd things

seem to happen, that description, of the man in India, was brilliant

t shows his skill as a writer. there's a sense ofer resolution, it

is funny but not that funny, did you find strength in that? Is this

a complex and culturally astute back? It is interesting, I read a

review of it, in the paper, where somebody was saying it wasn't funny

enough. What I love about Michael Palin is he is a complex guy. He's

a man of so many talents. He is probably a guy that's tough on

himself. I feel he is so good at everything, he feels he's not a

novelist, or actor, or whatever, but he's excellent at everything he

does. I went into the book, and really wanting to like it, because

I like him so much, which is a great position for a writer to be

in. It is a film as well, isn't it. You need Christopher Plumber's

Melville and you're made. The Keith character, I feel he is so tough on

himself, he cease himself like that, somebody who has lighter things,

but capable of something brilliant. He never won an award before though.

Interestingly, enough, earlier this week, just as we were going to

interview Michael Palin news broke of the death of a comic writer,

Eric Psychs, after talking to Michael Palin we spoke to himself

braefl about Eric. He was an early hero of mine, when I was living in

Sheffield. I loved his performing because it was very different from

anybody else's. There was an element of lovely, reticence to his

performance, he quietly did things. His name used to come up with a

name of and a lot of programmes, like The Goon Show as a writer.

When I was young, what I want to be was a writer. I would like at the

credits. I remember seeing his name and he writes the material as well.

He was very encourageing to me. So, extraordinarily enough, this man

who inspired me when I was young, I was able later in my life, to say,

Eric thanks you were the one who made me feel comedy writing and

performing was something you could do. John, you knew Eric Sykes. Was

he inspiring? He was tremendous. I hosted a show with Michael Palin

and others as a tribute to Spike Milligan, and he was a father of

comedy for us. We were in awe of him, from the people at the top, he

could be just so calm and nice to everybody, genuinely so. Nice to my

wife, nice to all the other people there. And no arrogance, nothing

else. Then I thought, how can he do that, and he can do it, because

when I was ten or 11, he was writing the Goon Show, because

Spike couldn't always do it. You think, that is someone who has done

it all. I remember seeing him in the Three Sisters, in the theatre,

he was then, very deaf, hardly could see, ageed about 80,

performing at every night on the London stage, and you thought,

goodness me, what an amazing career. So, when I heard, I just,

remembered earlier this year, I was doing a programme about Spike

Milligan, for ITV and I was in his office, he couldn't be there,

because he was in hospital. I felt dfs a pity, I was obviously upset

when I heard he died. He could do it all, do you think he was

underrated as an actor and writer? He probably was. I watched him

doing a bit from the Plank, and his comedy timing was beautiful. You

saw it there, he was loading a plank, into a van, and cyclist went

by and he had a red cloth with him, and he went into the bull-fighting,

it was genuinely funny, and underestimated, yes, because he was

a quite man. Eddie said he was the only man who could do a double take

with his feet. I love that. 12450 We're all living longer

according to the latest research. By 2030, a quarter of the

population will be over 65, a BBC One season, looking at ageing and

attitudes to older people began this week, a group of celebrities

went to find out what life is like for ordinary pensioners. Plucky

opens, take up a challenge to get back to work in a town that never

retired. June Brown faces hard- hitting truths in a hard society.

Is 70 the new 50? Anyone can get old said Tkpwrouchyo Marks, all you

have to do is live long enough. This is what the four celebrities

find hard to face. I did this thing, I thought, one thing I'm not going

to do is bloody choke up. I'm sorry. But their hosts have more to

contend with. I love her so much. I'm useless. In The Town That Never

Retired, nick and Margaret, no spring chickens themselves, take a

practical approach. They decide to put Britain's

pensioners back to work. exciteed, I'm really looking

forward to getting going, you know, and the place, it couldn't be

better. Although some of them are keen, not all the employers are so

sure. I don't feel you're safe up there.

Listen, I'll make the judgment, and I will risk assessment I'll make

the judgment. Because, it is me that's doing T

not you, if if I feel any danger, any insafety, we won't do it It is

my site and I will make that final decision. As in all reality shows

there, are trials and tribulations. To sage and ability. Sometimes when

you get older, you think we don't need him, we can manage without him.

You're cast aside. I fell I'm contributing here. For EastEnders

actress, June brown, thinking about her what will happen to her is too

much. You cannot contemplate what will happen you, I trust that I

will die well. And seeing how a friend and former colleague, John

is coping after a stroke, make her face hard truths. I want to ask you

something, do you ever feel, that you are a burden to enda? Yeah.

season aims to shine a light on attitudes to ageing, but does the

show mix of the wealthy and healthy, with the elderly and ordinary,

actually risk patronising the Mark, what about the reality show,

TV format, this seems to have applied to a lot of programmes this

series, is it effective or hind rans? This is the anti-Christ for

me, this is TV without writers, it is a way of saving money. I know,

it has had a good heart, but like reality TV what would be a 50

minute Panorama, is now a six part series. There's interesting

questions, but instead of. It being wrapped 7, it continues forever. It

is better than I expect. When the discs came in, I was dreading it,

but I thought it was good. You who do you feel the intrusion into

celebrity lives Did they get reaction and issues that perhaps

others wouldn't get to do? If you want to make a good documentary,

there's a documentary to be made in this. None of these are it in my

opinion. 7 up, going up for 56 years, you never see the

interviewer, but you know everything about those people. This

is what this documentary should be doing. If if you're ill and you're

sick and poor, which most of the people they have picked are,

they've picked the gristleiest of stories, the last thing you want to

see is me coming into your room, asking how do you feel your wife is

having to look after you and you can't go out. There is a Jim will

fix it, where whereby you can we can get you a new house tomorrow or

new flat or win at bingo. But is anybody going back in four weeks'

time to check on these people, and in seven months' time, or is it

just, fly them in, looks sympathetic, and you know, it could

easily have been me. And it will be me in another programme, and it

shouldn't be. What about Jean Brown, considering her own future?

wasn't, just taking up Maureen's point, you come in as a celebrity,

which is the main theme, and are you patronising, and some of the

present eshes, are multi- millionaires, and they're spending

four days with someone who is poor, isn't it a mismatch that it would

seem grotesque. I thought John Simpson and Gloria Hunniford gave a

lot of themselves. Gloria, because her own daughter died. John Simpson

talking with, big emotion about his six-year-old son. Now I think that

gave a balance to the programme. Embarrassing for them and difficult

for them, but as a viewer, you thought, wait a moment, there is a

contact going on, theres a deal where they reveal their own worries

and concerns about getting old, and I thought, that this was a central

point, that we've all got to face this. My immediate reaction to

anything about old people is switch it off. I don't want to be old, it

is straightforward, don't bother. want to go on working and living

forever. What I thought it was good about this, is a sense, the great

leveler is there, and we're all going to have to face this, I

thought that was a kind of television: They've realised the

people who watch television is over 60s, and this is great TV. This

doesn't make it bad though They've realised and given up with young

people. Nobody under 50, is watching television, everyone is

watching box sets and YouTube. know that's not the case. For some

people, if a group, where you call them a group, that's the problem,

they're so varied, aren't they. mean the people who are ordinary.

They're all from the same class. you think of the problem of old

people, you think, wait a moment, we can't luch together millions of

people and put them in a category, in truth you can't. Some people are

absolutely brilliant. I remember Lord Dening as a judge, ageed 80,

was giving the most amazing judgments. You could have found

some pensioners who are getting on and enjoying their lives, rather

than doing a Jim will fix it. Simpson is a pensioners technically.

They were with people who are unable, and moments when the poor

woman, ivy who Gloria Hunniford tried very much to help, she said,

actually, being next to her, makes me feel dirty and unclean. She

wasn't. Beautifully dressed, we Swan in, and the person they're

interviewing is in a nightie. The story, the real story, is with the

nurse who is going around to people trying to help. That's the story,

and that's given 15 minutes or half an hour with each patient because

the council has cut the money. other area, you're talking about

young people not watching television. One of the thing is the

gulf between young and old is massive. One in five young children

don't have contact with grandparents. Then in The Town That

Never Retired, we have the second programme, unemployed youth pited

genks the pensioners, how was that? Did it in some ways, was that very

skwueed, did it show that the young and old could coexist, work

together, had similar problems, or did it skew the idea. It was a

brilliant documentary in there, but this wasn't it. There was a great

Panorama. I didn't think about the idea working at 71, and your bones

are hurting, it was like a polly Toynbee thing, somebody wet getting

into construction, in their 70s, but they cheapened in, The

Apprentice. That didn't work, the problem with all those programmes,

is the producers are King, they'll work out what the stories are, they

will disguise the fact that people are affected by being on on

television. They thought great I'm on tell very at last. The Town That

Never Retired, start on Wednesday, at 9pm, and Jean Brown's

documentary on Wednesday. The publishing din no, mamian of the

year, occupying one, two and three positions on the best seller list,

Kendra James' 50 Shades Of Grey series, has solid 20 million copies.

James solid a million Kindle etigss. This book has hit the spot with

millions of readers. But what does the success mean for the book

business? With lashings of sex and light al-Assad, it proves there are

plenty of readers with an appetite for these stories, asen e-book, you

Whilesome dubbed it mummy porn and heaped scorn on the literary merits,

the books, fan fiction inspired by mairsmairsmairs Twilight series,

have something which distinguishes them from the bulk of the erotic

fiction market. Given the profitability imitations spawned by

the Da Vinci Code and Harry Potter and Twilight series, it is no doubt

the industry is keen to replicate the success. Just this week, Mills

& Boon announced exbooks, called 12 Shades of Surrender. Her three

books made Kendra James a wealthy woman and proved reerdz' appetites

Food for thought there. My thanks to tonight's guests, you can see a

longer version with my conversation with Michael Palin on my website.

We're looking forward to continueed discussion on Twitter. No show next

week, but back in two weeks' times with highlights of the 2012

festival and landscape of East London and how it is changing.

We'll leave you with music called # And all this time

# When I thought it was just The Devil and Me

# But you, my love # Were there all this time

# This time I thought I was alone # Thought there was something wrong

# All this time # Who were you hiding from?

# I needed you all along # All this time

# Oh sweet thing # Sweet thing

# Where have you been? # Mopbl I was, as well

# Through several shades of hell # All this time

# What were you scared I'd see in # How utterly lovely you can be

# Oh sweet thing, sweet thing # Where have you been?

# You only had to call # And I'd have run across the

broken glass # Or fought back flames

# Or behalf it takes # Just to be near you I was always