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September 2, 2013 9:32 PM Subscribe
David Frost - RIP
My David Frost YouTube picks in chronological order, except for the Beatles (some are extracts):
Prince Charles - exhausted my poor policeman (1969).
Truman Capote - love and friendship (1969).
Huntington Hartford - peace (1969).
Emil Savundra [Part 1] [Part 2] - trial by television (1967) Eric Idle in the audience.
Felix Dennis - yes, that episode (1970).
Muhammad Ali - boxing (1972).
Margaret Thatcher - the sinking of the Belgrano (1985).
Linda Mullen - Kinghorn Station (1991)
Stephen Fry - celibacy (1993).
Paul McCartney.
John and Yoko [Part 1] [Part 2].
Ringo Starr.
George Harrison.
My David Frost YouTube picks in chronological order, except for the Beatles (some are extracts):
Prince Charles - exhausted my poor policeman (1969).
Truman Capote - love and friendship (1969).
Huntington Hartford - peace (1969).
Emil Savundra [Part 1] [Part 2] - trial by television (1967) Eric Idle in the audience.
Felix Dennis - yes, that episode (1970).
Muhammad Ali - boxing (1972).
Margaret Thatcher - the sinking of the Belgrano (1985).
Linda Mullen - Kinghorn Station (1991)
Stephen Fry - celibacy (1993).
Paul McCartney.
John and Yoko [Part 1] [Part 2].
Ringo Starr.
George Harrison.
I knew we were waiting for an obit thread about David Frost for a reason, evidently it was for you to find that Marty Feldman Clip!
TWTWTW was the grandfather of so many news/satire/humor shows... from SNL to John Stewart, and Frost's later work (ie the Nixon interview) was outstanding. We've lost a tremendous talent.
posted by HuronBob at 9:44 PM on September 2, 2013 [2 favorites]
TWTWTW was the grandfather of so many news/satire/humor shows... from SNL to John Stewart, and Frost's later work (ie the Nixon interview) was outstanding. We've lost a tremendous talent.
posted by HuronBob at 9:44 PM on September 2, 2013 [2 favorites]
I also miss the "That Was the Week That Was" David, both BBC and NBC(audio only) versions. R. I. P., Mr. Frost.
posted by birdhaus at 9:45 PM on September 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by birdhaus at 9:45 PM on September 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
TW3, or That Was the Week That Was.
The Nixon interview was amazing.
posted by madamjujujive at 9:47 PM on September 2, 2013
The Nixon interview was amazing.
posted by madamjujujive at 9:47 PM on September 2, 2013
Doh! 1967 did come after 1969 didn't it?
only if you insist on viewing things chronologically.
And speaking of Beatles. This is great. Hey Jude live in studio.
posted by philip-random at 10:02 PM on September 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
only if you insist on viewing things chronologically.
And speaking of Beatles. This is great. Hey Jude live in studio.
posted by philip-random at 10:02 PM on September 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
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posted by Token Meme at 10:14 PM on September 2, 2013
posted by Token Meme at 10:14 PM on September 2, 2013
Seriously talented man, to extract what he did from Nixon was masterful.
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posted by arcticseal at 11:04 PM on September 2, 2013
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posted by arcticseal at 11:04 PM on September 2, 2013
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posted by homunculus at 11:42 PM on September 2, 2013
posted by homunculus at 11:42 PM on September 2, 2013
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posted by runincircles at 12:28 AM on September 3, 2013
posted by runincircles at 12:28 AM on September 3, 2013
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posted by Joey Michaels at 1:44 AM on September 3, 2013
posted by Joey Michaels at 1:44 AM on September 3, 2013
The Nixon interview was amazing.
Interesting backstory too:
"After his resignation in 1974, Nixon spent more than two years away from public life. In 1977, he granted Frost an exclusive series of interviews. Nixon was already publishing his memoirs at the time; however, his publicist Irving "Swifty" Lazar believed that by using television Nixon could reach a mass audience. In addition, Nixon was going through a temporary cash flow problem with his lawyers, and needed to find a quick source of income. Frost's New York-based talk show had been recently cancelled, leaving him consigned to a career based around the stories covered by the proto-reality show Great Escapes. As Frost had agreed to pay Nixon for the interviews, the American news networks were not interested, regarding them as checkbook journalism. They refused to distribute the program and Frost was forced to fund the project himself while seeking other investors, who eventually bought air time and syndicated the four programs."
Also: Nixon's fee was US$600,000 and a 20% share of any profits.
Source
posted by Mister Bijou at 1:54 AM on September 3, 2013 [4 favorites]
Interesting backstory too:
"After his resignation in 1974, Nixon spent more than two years away from public life. In 1977, he granted Frost an exclusive series of interviews. Nixon was already publishing his memoirs at the time; however, his publicist Irving "Swifty" Lazar believed that by using television Nixon could reach a mass audience. In addition, Nixon was going through a temporary cash flow problem with his lawyers, and needed to find a quick source of income. Frost's New York-based talk show had been recently cancelled, leaving him consigned to a career based around the stories covered by the proto-reality show Great Escapes. As Frost had agreed to pay Nixon for the interviews, the American news networks were not interested, regarding them as checkbook journalism. They refused to distribute the program and Frost was forced to fund the project himself while seeking other investors, who eventually bought air time and syndicated the four programs."
Also: Nixon's fee was US$600,000 and a 20% share of any profits.
Source
posted by Mister Bijou at 1:54 AM on September 3, 2013 [4 favorites]
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posted by NordyneDefenceDynamics at 3:02 AM on September 3, 2013
posted by NordyneDefenceDynamics at 3:02 AM on September 3, 2013
People who don't remember it from the time should watch the Savundra interviews: a high profile fraudster, who was expected to be somewhat contrite but tries to bluster it out, is lured into a false sense of security and gets skewered. It made Frost's reputation as an interviewer and became the template for those who followed him. And RIP to a true original.
posted by epo at 3:19 AM on September 3, 2013
posted by epo at 3:19 AM on September 3, 2013
The man had a bizarro career. He started in political comedy, moved into serious journalism, ended up in light entertainment and latterly moved back to political journalism.
Before Frost/Nixon (the movie and play), there is a whole generation of British adults who only knew David Frost as the guy who hosted "Through the Keyhole."
posted by MuffinMan at 5:45 AM on September 3, 2013
Before Frost/Nixon (the movie and play), there is a whole generation of British adults who only knew David Frost as the guy who hosted "Through the Keyhole."
posted by MuffinMan at 5:45 AM on September 3, 2013
Wow! I had never seen that George Harrison interview. [jerk]
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posted by DigDoug at 5:50 AM on September 3, 2013
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posted by DigDoug at 5:50 AM on September 3, 2013
The man had a bizarro career.
How David Frost went from television frontman to visionary tycoon
posted by Mister Bijou at 6:02 AM on September 3, 2013
How David Frost went from television frontman to visionary tycoon
posted by Mister Bijou at 6:02 AM on September 3, 2013
Stephen Fry told this story about Frost on "QI" :
Stephen
No, I . . . it was . . . I did one of his Sunday morning programmes when you're supposed to look at the papers of David Frost, and behind, I had this other guest coming in; I didn't know who else was in; it was Sunday morning, for God's sake; I was barely alive. Er . . . But I heard the voice behind me: [as David Frost] "Boutros Boutros. Always a pleasure!" This is . . . Absolutely, that's story's . . . He does . . . He's fantastic, by the way."
posted by devious truculent and unreliable at 6:45 AM on September 3, 2013
Stephen
No, I . . . it was . . . I did one of his Sunday morning programmes when you're supposed to look at the papers of David Frost, and behind, I had this other guest coming in; I didn't know who else was in; it was Sunday morning, for God's sake; I was barely alive. Er . . . But I heard the voice behind me: [as David Frost] "Boutros Boutros. Always a pleasure!" This is . . . Absolutely, that's story's . . . He does . . . He's fantastic, by the way."
posted by devious truculent and unreliable at 6:45 AM on September 3, 2013
He might have been a bit establishment by the time I was old enough to watch him, but he certainly kicked ass in the 60's! He sold his shares in London Weekend Television, which he co-founded and which would have been worth tens of millions of pounds, in order to fund the Nixon interviews. Dedication and apparently a man of a thousand schemes. Lucky for him that one paid off in notoriety.
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posted by asok at 8:14 AM on September 3, 2013
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posted by asok at 8:14 AM on September 3, 2013
Although he kinda coasted with Through the Keyhole in later years, a the news report on his death reminded he could still do the business - he totally nailed Blair when he asked him if him and Bush prey together; Blair's reaction was priceless
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 11:51 AM on September 3, 2013
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 11:51 AM on September 3, 2013
"totally nailed Blair when he asked him if him and Bush prey together" -
fearful symmetry, was there ever a more appropriate Freudian slip? I like how your mind works ;-)
posted by madamjujujive at 12:21 PM on September 3, 2013
fearful symmetry, was there ever a more appropriate Freudian slip? I like how your mind works ;-)
posted by madamjujujive at 12:21 PM on September 3, 2013
lured into a false sense of security and gets skewered
There was also the fact that he was high as a kite on pethidine.
I had never seen that George Harrison interview. [jerk]
Sorry about that. I wanted to have a fab four but the only George I could find was audio only.
posted by unliteral at 4:18 PM on September 3, 2013
There was also the fact that he was high as a kite on pethidine.
I had never seen that George Harrison interview. [jerk]
Sorry about that. I wanted to have a fab four but the only George I could find was audio only.
posted by unliteral at 4:18 PM on September 3, 2013
My dad did a lot of comedy writing for David Frost in the 60s, when Frost was doing satire shows rather than interview shows. He always said that Frost was a class act. It was an incredible time and place to be. At one point Frost had all the future members of Monty Python on staff except possibly Terry Gilliam. It was the arena that brought Python together.
posted by w0mbat at 8:51 PM on September 3, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by w0mbat at 8:51 PM on September 3, 2013 [1 favorite]
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