Projects

Sir Michael Parkinson & Sir David Frost, both giants of British broadcasting, collaborated in Sydney in March 2011 to produce two programmes for Channel 9 Australia. Each interviewer re-created his unique style of talk show and filmed 2 special episodes for the network. The first - "Parkinson: The Frost Interview" - saw Sir Michael back on familiar ground, on a replica soundstage to his "Parkinson" set, interviewing his old friend and colleague about his life and career. The second show - "Frost Over Parkinson" - featured a role reversal, as Sir David took to the interviewing chair and Sir Michael became the interviewee.

This show gave Sir Michael the rare opportunity to transition from interviewer to interviewee and talk about his life and times. Both shows were a Parkinson Productions/SEL Production for Channel 9.

The Best Of Parkinson is a definitive DVD collection of the most memorable guests and moments from the entire archive of the Parkinson show. This box set of over 5 hours is full of old favourites like Muhammad Ali, Billy Connolly, and the Hollywood stars, but also unearths hidden gems and surprising contributions as well as recall the moments the host would rather forget. It takes you under the skin of a conversational talk show charting how it grew from a summer scheduling filler in 1971 to a powerhouse of prime time telly and gives an insight into the tricks of the interviewing trade.

Parky’s People is a glimpse at 100 of the greatest stars to have appeared on Parkinson between 1971 – 2007, presented in their own words. Carefully selected and introduced by Sir Michael Parkinson, it’s a place where the words of WH Auden sit alongside Madonna, Spike Milligan, John Lennon and David Attenborough.

With tales of the machinations of the Hollywood studio system, of stars enlisting for service in WWII, Edwardian childhoods, ‘discovering’ Basil Fawlty, daring bets between Richard Burton and Peter O’Toole, and the painful years of the civil rights movement, the book should serve as a tribute to the greatest characters, moments, thoughts, movements and entertainment trends of the 20th century.

Parky’s People will be released in October 2010 by Hodder & Stoughton, an imprint of Europe's largest publishing company, Hachette.

In December 2009 Parkinson Productions produced for UKTV in Australia and New Zealand a 90 minute An Audience with Sir Michael Parkinson. Filmed in front of an invited audience containing some of Australia’s biggest names such as Shane Warne and Ricky Ponting this was a look back with the aid of specially selected clips and questions from the audience on Sir Michael’s life and 50 years in broadcasting.

In Autumn 2009 Sir Michael embarked on a theatre tour of Australia and New Zealand, in which he played to sold-out venues, on 17 dates, across 9 cities.

Parky the One Man Show is a 2 hour celebration of Sir Michael’s career combining anecdote and clips, a bit of dressing up and a song! The critics and audience loved it and we are in talks to produce a UK tour for 2011.