The Dark Side of Fame with Piers Morgan

The Dark Side of Fame with Piers Morgan

[Series so far, BBC1]

The programme is presented by Piers Morgan, former editor of the News of the World and then The Daily Mirror newspapers between 1994 and 2004. Morgan, as a former British newspaper editor, and tabloidese newspapers at that, is well informed and respected within the media world and the show offers an interesting angle because he is trying to find out the truths behind these people, who have had a famously dark or upsetting experiences of fame, through his own tabloidese perspective which presents the guests with public opinions and press portrayal as, for some of them, he would have felt whilst publishing their stories in his former newspapers. However Morgan is also open minded and understanding and, more often than not, accepts what they're saying and as he develops a sympathy or understanding behind what categorises them into this category of 'dark fame' and therefore so does the audience because the counterargument lies within Morgan and is embraced, if possible, by the guest.

From browsing online I have discovered that the series is now over, and so all the guests on the show were limited to the ones we've seen and, for atleast this series, there are no more to come. The series has consisted of the interviews of firsty contraversal comic Jim Davidson, discussing the truth of his racist and wife-beating reknowned persona. Then Jason Donovan, who went from Neighbours to cocaine to a legal case that cost him his respect and credit. Nancy Dell'Olio, who became famous whilst dating Sven Goran-Eriksson, Pamerla Anderson, who talks to Piers about the dark side of her career as a sex symbol and rock'n'roll relations throughout her life. Mickey Rourke, who fell from Hollywood stardom and is gradually making his way back into movies, primarily based to his successful acting part in Quentin Tarantino's Sin City in 2005, and undoubtedly one of the most opinion changing episodes of the series. Bruce Jones, who discusses his very public fall from fame out of Coronation Street, Tracey Emin, bad girl of British art who talks to Piers about the tabloids' reactions to her work and her rise to fame, and finally Chantelle Houghton, who went from having her heart broken by The Sun for only putting her on Page 3 once to winning Big Brother and becoming an official celebrity.

jL

Steven Fry in America: Mississippi

Steven Fry in America: Mississipi

[Broadcast: 26/10/08 BBC1 21:00]

I thought that the programme showed an interesting insight to the area of Mississipi, although as the programme went on it became less relevant and slightly boring to watch. However the parts of the programme I found interesting were when the content was relevant to a wider audience that could relate to Hurricane Katrina that hit the area in America and was mentioned during the programme.

The programme presented an interesting perspective, one that was not to knowledge of what I would think of the majority of an audience; the perspective of the people of the area coping in a positive way to the natural disaster. The Mardi Gras scene shows the audience how they are trying to move on in a united and supportive way with one another; that despite the tragedy one must move on and celebrate life and how easily it can be done, insinuated by the numbers within the community participating in the featured celebrations.

I think it's interesting how this is a BBC production, and the BBC were one of the main news corporations to broadcast news of the hurricane in August 2005, and so the programme gives insight to the topic that the media (including the BBC) did not pick up on or choose to broadcast (until now because the BBC have).

The programme is presented in a charming way of getting Steven Fry, an intelligent, trusting and valued opinion to the audience who is a good choice of presenter because the audience doesn't concider any real bias of the tour of America, although outside the UK it may be seen as a bias opinion; the UK views the programme with their own knowledge of community and can only judge the American community through their own opinions and Steven Fry's. He roams around in a London taxi which seems charming and representative of the definition of the tour; an Englishman seeing America but the charm seems completely out of place and innapropriate, highlighted dramatically when Fry drives through Angola Prison in the Mississippi area, a reknown black prison, which intimidates his little London cab greatly.

The programme seems to be mainly related to religion, music and culture; the visiting of voodoo, christianity, jazz music, blues music and knowledge of the history of the genres and background and their place in American culture. The episode brushes up on the industrial revolution and modern presence of the motor industry and the Ford/General Motors development and competition within America.

The programme touches up on the communities and cultures within America, in this episode visiting a Mong area, and questions the unity of the USA. It presents an interesting aspect of the America that is perhaps never shown very well, from a UK based perspective, of how America fits together within their own country, the togetherness, unity and community or lack of those things within the country.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00f7g56/b00f7dj2/Stephen_Fry_in_America_Mississippi/

jL