A few weeks ago the controversial ‘Execution of Gary Glitter’ was broadcast on Channel 4. The Guardian’s take on it demonstrated that that ‘everything’ on TV or radio today needs to be about celebrity. The Chris Moyles Show on BBC Radio 1 is further proof if we ever needed it – it’s utterly fixated on the culture of celebrity.
Henry Winkler is the first celebrity mentioned of many on the show today – Moyles saw him at a visit to BBC studios to see Strictly Come Dancing. How relatively young people of my age and below are supposed to have an almost mandatory education in Happy Days is a mystery to me; the last time I saw the programme must have been about fifteen years ago. The fact that Moyles’ material is based on someone whose career peaked in the mid 1980s is telling regarding.
Just as quickly as Moyles moves on from Winkler-spotting he introduces Ruth Jones and James Corden, the writers of BBC One’s mild sitcom Gavin and Stacey to the programme, and quickly pushes them off once they’ve had chance to promote their forthcoming show. The presenter seems proud to announce that he hasn’t watched the preview of their forthcoming series, which strikes as simply rude, and other else than funny. Plus, why would anyone blurt that out in the first place?
After Jones and Corden, Jedward get their opportunity to plug themselves on the programme, shoving into onto crassy populist ground if it wasn’t already. A production assistant gets the Irish tuneless gorms to record a trailer for the show. They even manage to bungle that, which isn’t really a surprise if you’ve suffered the torture of listening to their musical horrors recently.
Just as if this extravaganza of celebrity couldn’t get any more mainstream in walks Northern Funny Man Peter Kay. To be honest, I pulled out my headphones here. I couldn’t take any more show promotion. Moyles’ programme wasn’t a sly signpost towards Jones and Corden, and Kay’s forthcoming projects, more a huge shove.
Moyles isn’t a poor presenter if you’re not averse to listening to regular use of double entendre and repeated sound effects; Moyles’ programme is barnstorming if you’re one of the millions who like worrying about Jordan and Peter Andre, and unemployed sitcom stars. Clearly people do, unfortunately: it’s the X Factor transferred to national radio.
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