So Graham Norton


So Graham Norton is a British television chat show hosted by Irish personality Graham Norton. It aired on Channel 4 from 3 July 1998 to 1 March 2002.

Theme

The show was primarily adult-oriented, with host Norton dishing out many sexual innuendos and stories. A staple of the show, is the beginning of the programme, which involved large amounts of audience participation. Audience members would usually share embarrassing stories, and Graham would then sometimes use the same audience members for later games, with real prizes. Also, a recurring segment includes Graham looking for people on the Internet with different fetishes, including balloons, gloves and a lightweight environment.

Format (timeframe)

The entire series consisted of 5 series. In the later series, the run started around October and ran all the way to February–March. There were shows broadcast during Christmas and New Year's weeks and there was also a millennium special.

Guests

The guests were not typical talk show guests. Most of them were not there to promote their latest project, but were there at Graham's behest. For example, John Waters only flew to England because Graham had invited him to appear on the show. Graham chose the guests himself, because these were the people that Graham grew up with. There were reality show stars, gay icons, old American television stars, and soap stars. There were not many musicians, and those who did make an appearance, except for S Club 7, were not there to sing.

Recurring themes

A running gag on the programme is Graham's obsession with Tarzan, the Ape Man star Miles O'Keeffe. Graham has a framed photo of O'Keeffe as Tarzan, and Miles would continually be phoned, at his embarrassment and flattery, and the audience's pleasure.
Betty Hoskins was an elderly woman who first appeared on the show as a contestant in one of the mini-games. As it turns out, Betty was a dinner lady at the drama school that Graham attended and the two have been reunited ever since, with Betty featuring in many episodes of the show.

Episode guide

Series 1

Series 2

Series 3

Series 4

Series 5