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Why did Paul Merton and Ian Hislop hate Angus Deayton so much?
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I just watched Angus Deaytons last ever show on HIGNFY and he gets it in the neck from Merton and Hislop. I knew they disliked him but why? And why so badly? Deayton never seemed that bad to me?
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or maybe all three just had massive egos!
I read somewhere that they disliked the fact that Angus thought he was the star of the show. How true that is I do not know.
His last programme was after he had been exposed in the Red Tops - usual fare, drugs & sex.
Yes no one can read an autocue quite like Angus
No, they couldn't. Angus' delivery was always spot on. You wouldn't chastise Tony Hancock or the Two Ronnies for reading their prewritten lines with such accuracy, would you?
No, but they acted as well. They didn't just read the lines out.
They were talented and in the case of Ronnie Barker actually wrote a lot of his own material.
I'm sure I can recall reading that money was one significant factor, with Deayton being payed much more than the captains. On the one hand you can see why that might be the case if as described above he had to do a lot more preparation and behind the scenes work on the show, but then you can also see where Merton and Hislop might get a little miffed at being paid less while expected to be just as or more funny with no, or very little, preparation.
One of my favourite episodes was where Merton anticipated Deaytons response to one of his surreal comments by saying "Turns to camera, raises eyebrow quizzically" even as Deayton was doing just that, Merton obviously exasperated that Deayton had few tricks at his disposal when events required him to go off script.
Yes, I heard that as well.
Angus' delivery was seamless. I thought he was very good & some of the guest presenters have proved that.
I took that incidence as a long running joke.
http://www.offthetelly.co.uk/comedy/hignfy1.htm
http://www.offthetelly.co.uk/comedy/hignfy3.htm
Just one view, I know, but interesting.
Also, they really need to bring Angus back. The quailty of the show since they went to guest presenters (with the odd exception such as Boris or Martin Clunes) has really gone downhill.
That will never happen, sadly. I stopped watching after the Bruce Forsyth edition, though I did see the series of "Pot Noodle" gags. If Deayton came back now, Merton would still hate him and people would say "not as good as the first few series".
It might well be how QI began, when Stephen Fry went to do his own presenting duties.
I totally agree with that. I think a lot of people, who are occasional viewers of the show, assume that Angus was sacked straight after the infamous show after the tabloid headlines. The thing often said is that Angus couldn't carry on because he wouldn't be able to make jokes about drugs, infidelity, etc... but it was a good bit after that they got rid of him, when one of the tabloids dragged up some other woman who'd said she'd had an affair with him. Not very nice for his partner, of course, but I don't think there was anything about drugs involved in this story, which was surely the more serious issue. I definitely think they wanted rid of him.
I'm pretty sure during the making of series 4 Paul Merton won a comedy award & Angus was in the same category.I seem to recall Paul winding up Angus in the show because he won the award & Angus didn't.
It wasn't possible for him to take the piss out of others caught out doing what he did.
If the BBC had not sacked him I dont think he would have stayed much longer.
However ,enough time has passed to at least give him a go as guest presenter.
I watched the series for 2 or 3 seasons after he went but it went from a definite Sky+ing each week to only watching if Boris was on
Well, why wouldn't someone who did the job week in week out seem more polished than someone who did it for a week? I prefer it without the smugness.