News in Brief: From Des O’Connor to too much sex
A look at the headlines from the world of TV and Showbiz including Des O’Connor saying farewell to Leeds, goodbye Estelle Getty and Ofcom not impressed with sex on an adult channel!
Des Quits Countdown.
Entertainer Des O’Connor has quit Channel 4 quiz Countdown after two years. O’Connor took over the role as quizmaster from sports presenter Des Lynam – who only lasted a year at the Leeds produced series.
Lynam was hired to host the words and numbers game after original presenter Richard Whiteley died unexpectedly in 2005. The series launched in 1982 and currently continues with original co-host Carol Vorderman and O’Connor up until November this year.
Des who is best known to TV audiences for his chat show has also presented Take Your Pick for Thames TV/ITV and has had a long career as a comedian and singer. In the 1960s and 70s he fronted his own ATV-produced entertainment series, The Des O’Connor Show..
Golden Girl Estelle Getty Dies
Fondly remembered for her role as Sophia Petrillo in the Touchstone Television series, The Golden Girls – Getty died just three days short of her 85th birthday. Bea Arthur – her on-screen daughter Dorothy Zbornak in the sitcom – said their partnership was “one of the greatest comic duos.”
The sitcom, which ran from 1985 to 1992, was shown on Channel 4 originally but has enjoyed re-runs on satellite television for many years. You can find out much more about Estelle at her website here>
Sex TV Fined for, er, showing Sex..
Adult network Television X – The Fantasy Channel has been fined £25,000 by the media watchdog, Ofcom, for broadcasting “highly explicit sex material”.
Subscription channels are allowed to screen sexual programming between 10pm and 5.30am, provided they meet certain criteria. Ofcom, however, ruled the channel had broken some rules in June 2007 by broadcasting “adult-sex” material during a free-to-air slot, and material judged to be the equivalent of R18-rated film during the encrypted segment.
Nice to see Ofcom are concentrating on what really matters in British television isn’t it?