Duck and Cover

I was watching Graham Norton the other day and there was a great story. 

I’m not sure if everyone knows who Graham Norton is – here in America if you don’t get the BBC on your cable, you don’t get the delight of the Graham Norton Show.  Basically it’s the best talk show ever created.  It’s not a format we use here in the States, but we should! 

Once we recorded an episode that showcased Matt Damon, Bill Murray, Hugh Bonneville (Lord Granthom) and the singer Paloma – I laughed so hard I watched it three times before we deleted it (Series 14 – Episode 18).  I thought, man, if I am ever in a coma – THIS show is definitely on my list of things I want people to play for me in the background to bring me out of it.  

I have a whole list of stuff – 1940’s radio broadcasts of Sherlock Holmes, The Great Gildersleeve, Johhny Dollar, Damian Runyon and other sounds like V8 engine racing noises, car – boat – it doesn’t matter, rushing river water, just things that make me happy.  You should think about making one too and put it in your living will!

But back to Graham – he’s a transported Irish man, living in England with a show.  He has three or four guests on at a time and interviews them simultaneously.  They interject comedy as they see fit, sometimes with a cocktail in hand to loosen things up a bit – not that European Television needs any more loosening.  And at the end they have “The Red Chair”.  

The Red Chair is where a couple of audience members get a chance to tell a story they think is funny and might add to the show.  If the story is crap or starts out slow – Graham pulls a level and the chair flips over – ejecting the unfunny audience member.  If they story is good, they can “Walk”.  Not many stories are good…

But the other night they had a young blonde Northern Irish girl in the chair.  She was a complete ditz and they (Graham and guest, Jim Carrey) were razzing her before she even started her story.  But eventually she got to the story – and here it is:

While on holiday in New York, she returned to her hotel and was waiting to get on the elevator.  When the elevator opened there were already three very large, and she described “menacing” looking, men in the car that must have gotten on at a lower level.  She thought – should I get on?  She summoned up the courage and stepped on.  At that point one of the men said “hit the floor” so she immediately covered her head and crouched down to the floor.  Then she heard the voice again, it said, “no, I mean hit the button – to your floor”.  Haha, she got to walk!

So there you have it, if you are ever having a crap day, find yourself a little Graham Norton – that should do the trick!  Better yet, find that Bill Murray episode noted above - Cheers!