An Interview with Bill Oddie
Bill Oddie is back on UKTV with a new and exclusive show on UKTV History called My Famous Family, in which ordinary people learn about their extraordinary ancestors. UKTV meet up with him to discuss history, family and Henry VIII!
What attracted you to My Famous Family?
For me, genealogy is a means to an end, a conduit to make history come alive. Although we don't realise it, many of us have a distant connection to someone famous. It's a very good premise for a programme and it really makes people think. I was delighted with the way the programmes came together. I was fascinated by the way it clarified bits of history that I didn't know much about. For example, how many of us understand who Lawrence of Arabia was? I didn't know who he was before the programme but I do now. Who Do You Think You Are was a personal, emotional journey to discover more about my family. But it wasn't just gossip about my life - it was history, too. Through the programme, I was able to get a much better sense of what life was like for members of my family who worked in the cotton mills.
What affected you most about My Famous Family?
The way in which people responded to the situations the programme threw up. One participant discovered that she was related to someone who was beheaded by Henry VIII. We think of Henry VIII as some sort of jolly guy but we forget he had people beheaded. Other people found that they were quite uncomfortable with the famous character they were related to, because they didn't like them...
What sort of factual telly do you watch?
Well, it depends on your definition of factual. What I watch most of is sport! And that's factual - at least it's not fiction. But when I'm not watching sport, I go for good documentaries on virtually anything. I'm really interested in music, so I'll hunt out something on BBC 4 like Martin Scorsese's The Blues. These days, there's lots of interesting stuff out there if you're prepared to go looking for it.
What's the most important aspect of a good factual television programme?
It must be entertaining. I went to a seminar recently, and one of the questions was: "Can factual television be entertaining?" And I was thinking: "It better bloody had be!" Anything that's artificially put together like a television programme can't afford to lose its audience. If you lose the audience what's the point in making the programme?
How did you get into factual programming after your start in comedy work?
The wildlife interest was always there. It was my hobby. After The Goodies finished, there was the occasional opportunity to do short items once producers learned that I was interested in wildlife. It slowly built until I met the right person at the right time - in this case Stephen Moss, my producer. We were both interested in birdwatching and we both wanted to make a birdwatching show. The rest is history.
What are you working on at the moment?
I'm currently filming the 2006 series of Springwatch, which is a huge pleasure for me. I'm also just about to go back to America to continue filming a wildlife series which retraces a journey I made during the 1960s when I was working on a theatre tour. Finally, I'm a guinea pig in a brand new BBC project which makes the musical dreams of half a dozen celebrities come true. Although I'm totally obsessed with music, and have worked with music throughout my career, I actually don't know what I'm doing. So, by the end of the series, I'm hoping to be like Jimi Hendrix!
For me, genealogy is a means to an end, a conduit to make history come alive. Although we don't realise it, many of us have a distant connection to someone famous. It's a very good premise for a programme and it really makes people think. I was delighted with the way the programmes came together. I was fascinated by the way it clarified bits of history that I didn't know much about. For example, how many of us understand who Lawrence of Arabia was? I didn't know who he was before the programme but I do now. Who Do You Think You Are was a personal, emotional journey to discover more about my family. But it wasn't just gossip about my life - it was history, too. Through the programme, I was able to get a much better sense of what life was like for members of my family who worked in the cotton mills.
What affected you most about My Famous Family?
The way in which people responded to the situations the programme threw up. One participant discovered that she was related to someone who was beheaded by Henry VIII. We think of Henry VIII as some sort of jolly guy but we forget he had people beheaded. Other people found that they were quite uncomfortable with the famous character they were related to, because they didn't like them...
What sort of factual telly do you watch?
Well, it depends on your definition of factual. What I watch most of is sport! And that's factual - at least it's not fiction. But when I'm not watching sport, I go for good documentaries on virtually anything. I'm really interested in music, so I'll hunt out something on BBC 4 like Martin Scorsese's The Blues. These days, there's lots of interesting stuff out there if you're prepared to go looking for it.
What's the most important aspect of a good factual television programme?
It must be entertaining. I went to a seminar recently, and one of the questions was: "Can factual television be entertaining?" And I was thinking: "It better bloody had be!" Anything that's artificially put together like a television programme can't afford to lose its audience. If you lose the audience what's the point in making the programme?
How did you get into factual programming after your start in comedy work?
The wildlife interest was always there. It was my hobby. After The Goodies finished, there was the occasional opportunity to do short items once producers learned that I was interested in wildlife. It slowly built until I met the right person at the right time - in this case Stephen Moss, my producer. We were both interested in birdwatching and we both wanted to make a birdwatching show. The rest is history.
What are you working on at the moment?
I'm currently filming the 2006 series of Springwatch, which is a huge pleasure for me. I'm also just about to go back to America to continue filming a wildlife series which retraces a journey I made during the 1960s when I was working on a theatre tour. Finally, I'm a guinea pig in a brand new BBC project which makes the musical dreams of half a dozen celebrities come true. Although I'm totally obsessed with music, and have worked with music throughout my career, I actually don't know what I'm doing. So, by the end of the series, I'm hoping to be like Jimi Hendrix!
Your Comments
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Mrs W.
wrote on 22 Apr 2007 at 04:30 PM
I was interested to read your letter about your connection with the Parker family. I am currently researching embroidered books and have looked at one that was part of the Henry Davis gift to the British Library, 'The Second Part of the Booke of Christian Exercise...'. This book is believed to have been owned by Sir Henry Norreys, but inside is handwritten 'Elizabeth Parker, My book given to me by my grandmother, Mary Parker, 1704'. Through the internet I have found a connection between the Norreys family and the Parkers and have found an Elizabeth Parker who had a grandaughter Mary Parker; however Mary appears to not have been born until 10 years after this date! Are you able to help me in any way with information that might help me to find out who this Mary and Elizabeth Parker are? - Something to say? Add a comment...
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