Michael Ball press clippings - British Comedy Guide (original) (raw)
Press clippings
The secret to Victoria Wood's popularity was that her humour allowed her to be "inoffensive and yet quite naughty." There may be comedians who were sharper or funnier, but they couldn't claim the huge affection Victoria Wood had. She was loved by so many because she'd never resort to shocks, sex or scandal to grab attention, finding the right tone by being a tiny bit "naughty" but never cruel.
Julie Walters, Barry Cryer, Celia Imrie, Alison Steadman, Michael Ball and others offer funny anecdotes and warm memories of her and if you begin to feel it's perhaps getting too sweet and sad, clips of Victoria Wood elbow their way in, being a little bit "naughty" to correct the balance. You can't be melancholy when she pops up on screen to discuss ageing women visiting the doctor, some with pelvic floors dangling and another holding her cervix in a margarine tub.
We also learn of Wood's Lancashire childhood and how she saw Joyce Grenfell's act as a girl, and became fascinated with the image of a lone woman on a stage who could make everyone laugh.
Julie McDowall, The National (Scotland), 14th May 2016
Michael McIntyre's Big Show sees the popular comedian oversee just under an hours' worth of entertainment which is all watched live by a packed audience in a theatre. I does seem as if this is the vehicle that McIntyre has been given instead of a second series of his forgotten chat show but he is definitely in his element presenting stand-up comedy in front of an audience. But one segment of McIntyre's chat show that has been retained is 'Send to All' in which the comic sends an amusing text to the entire address book one unsuspecting audience member. On this new show that audience member is a celebrity with Geri Horner assuming the role of the person who had a text sent on her phone to everyone she knew asking them if it would be OK to massage them. Definitely the funniest moment of the episode came from McIntyre's revelation of some of the responses Geri had received especially those from her mother and her agent. The other big draw of the show was 'The Secret Star' portion in which McIntyre tricked a Welsh hairdresser to think she was working on the show only to surprise her with the fact that she'd be on the show herself. The surprising the audience member stunt has been done on almost every Saturday night show before but what made this different was that the Secret Star then got to duet with Michael Ball in what I must say was a very impressive performance. Although these two segments and McIntyre's links were entertaining stuff not everything about The Big Show worked that well. A performance from Tinie Tempah just felt out of place whilst I personally didn't think the introduction of an acrobatics troupe worked particularly well either. But my main complaint about the show is its theatre setting as it made everything feel a little bit static and stuffy. I think that if the Big Show had been in a TV studio, and taped live, then it would have a bit more excitement to it and would've even be able to rival Ant and Dec. I don't want to knock BBC One as Michael McIntyre's Big Show is definitely a step in the right direction as far as Saturday night entertainment is concerned. I just think these shows need to get out of the theatre and into the studio where everything feels a little bit more chaotic and let's be a honest a little bit more fun.
Matt, The Custard TV, 23rd April 2016
Seizing the "Beeb does variety shtick" baton from John Bishop, McIntyre launches his latest well-meaning if MOR venture, filmed at the Theatre Royal in London. This week Geri Horner (formerly Halliwell) falls victim to the Send To All treatment, with the host embarking on the brand of text-based trolling that will be familiar from his chat show. There's also acrobatics, a performance from Tinie Tempah and an unsuspecting civilian is given the chance to duet with Michael Ball.
Hannah J Davies, The Guardian, 16th April 2016
Radio Times review
Caroline Quentin doesn't like control pants and wants them dumped in Room 101 as her most hated aspect of the Modern World. You can tell by the reaction of the women in the audience that they feel the same way about being "crammed into Lycra... I've been subjected to these for years."
Meanwhile the tiresomely provocative German comedian Henning Wehn, who has bafflingly been taken to the bosom of Radio Four and both BBC One and BBC Two, judging by the number of times he appears on panel shows, hates anything to do with fundraising. And Michael Ball is fed up with being sent teddy bears by fans: "I've got enough now, I don't need any more."
Alison Graham, Radio Times, 31st January 2014
After 14 series of banishing the horrors of modern life into Room 101, the world should, theoretically, be an altogether marvellous place by now, free of all annoyances and populated almost entirely by kittens. So what a pity that Room 101 isn't real. Still, we can dream.
Competing to consign their personal pet hates to oblivion in this week's surprisingly controversial instalment are Caroline Quentin, Michael Ball and comedian Henning Wehn. Henning is German, and if you didn't know that before the start of this episode you certainly will once it gets going. Perhaps that's why he has the brass neck to attack a cornerstone of British life - fundraising.
What's even more surprising is that he's doing it at primetime on the BBC, home of Children In Need, Comic Relief and Sport Relief. If Henning had his way, Pudsey Bear would be on the dole.
And speaking of bears, just wait till you see one of the props that Frank is modelling tonight - it's one of the daftest ever.
Jane Simon, The Mirror, 31st January 2014
The laugh-per-half-hour quota is guaranteed to stay steady with crooner Michael Ball and one-woman comfort blanket Caroline Quentin trying not to be upstaged by comedy German Henning Wehn. While Quentin attempts to banish control pants into the legendary room, Wehn goes straight for the jugular with fundraising. And don't get him started on the royal family. Ball, meanwhile, can't stand being showered with soft toys. "You want to toughen up your image," suggests Henning as the heart of many a fan breaks.