Question Timed

[rebness]

Filming has been and gone and I'm still here to tell the tale. Heehee. Follow the silly cut for tales of drunkeness and booms...



Bah. Well, if you saw me last night, you will have had to be fast. I didn’t get to ask a question on television and Super Super Pushy Queue-Jumper Woman (SSPQJW) and her entourage nabbed the best spots, which really annoyed me as I looked bloody fantastic last night. No, I most certainly am not vain, but I did! My hair was all long and sleek, down, and I just looked smart, in a change from the usual. Still—I had a good time.

Chris and I arrived at the Exchange (a newspaper office) at around 6:30pm. We were frisked, my bag searched—the shame—and then taken upstairs for drinks, sandwiches and a hella loud news broadcast we could watch whilst writing down our questions.

We were then led to the studio downstairs, which was the smallest thing ever. You know how it always seems to be a massive audience, a huge studio? It was tiny. SSPQJW barged past everyone to get the best seats (she was the evil blonde wench with the horrible voice and brown shirt.)

Those of you who watched will know that an annoying woman in glasses dominated the programme for over twenty minutes with the most boring question ever—sexual education in schools. For God’s sake! We were having a brilliant debate on ID cards—I’m in the process of raising my arm to ask a question about it, when we’re hurried onto the Boring Question. That woman? She is an actress, and was determined to get the spotlight, probably to be noticed by some agent. Aargh.

We had a pretend debate at first—that was fun. We had to ask non-political questions and people were asked what things annoyed them in life—“Everton football club,” said one person, “dogs who foul the pavement” said another, to which a woman retorted, “people who blame dogs for their owners’ failings.” Finally, one man suggested “George Bush” to rapturous applause, but the director threatened to hurt him good (no, really) because one time when they were filming, an audience member said, “as we discussed earlier” and the media pounced on it, saying that the entire thing was staged.

For what it’s worth, no, it’s not staged. At all. It’s very spontaneous and dynamic and all other sorts of clichés.

Then the panel came on, including the comedienne we’d never heard of. She was really, really, really funny. In the pre-debate we talked about Charles vs. Charles Clarke and she had us in stitches with her comments. In came Clare Short (living up to her name), a Liberal Democrat MP and a Conservative MP.

Then the scary person to end all scary people: David Dimbleby, who, in a break from showbiz norm, is tall and robust. He sat down, rattled his papers and gazed at the audience. “I’m the only gay in the village!” he suddenly shouted.

No, not a form of Tourette’s, but David Dimbleby. Sitting there looking very important. Referencing Little Britain.He has a sense of humour! Ahahhaa.

Filming went well. The lights were really bright, and you know how they do that swooping, panoramic view of the stage and the audience? Well, some poor man has to sprint and I mean sprint, in this weird, bandy-legged way around the room and up the stairs, a runner trailing the cable after him.

Because I was near the side, a man with what Chris and I labelled The Boom o’ D00m kept nearly hitting me on the head with the bloody thing every time someone in my vicinity asked a question. It’s most disconcerting having a big black pole with a fluffy top waved in your face.

At the end, Clare Short would not stop staring at me. I’m not kidding. I turned to Chris and told him, then glared at her because she was freaking me out. At the end she then pointed to me with her papers and talked to a woman at her side. I wonder what she was saying?

a) That girl! Her makeup is so very wrong!
b) Doesn’t she look just like…?
c) Dammit! Boom Guy missed her every time.
d) OMG!!1!! That’s Becky Durden!!!1! She writes fanfic!!1!

Ehehe.

When I arrived home, after a frankly awful meal at a Spanish restaurant (nice food, but I just felt quite ill. I’m still trying to shake off this otitis media and this bloody viral infection) my family had two things to say—“we think we saw you, but it was only half your face” and “who was that annoying woman with the glasses who loved herself?” Hee.

All in all, it was an experience. I didn’t realise what a sense of humour David had, that Question Time is not just a grey nagging-people-in-power session, but a fun, enlightening team effort. I realised that Liverpudlians really do have a killer sense of humour and that even television companies serve soggy sandwiches. I can cross this off my list of Things To Do in My Lifetime now.

Comments

[saffronlie.livejournal.com]

Yay! You had an Experience. Except off-camera.

And after Kelly and I lost lots of sleep shouting at each other via texts about when you were supposed to be on.

[rebness.livejournal.com]

Poor Kellyness. She sent me the same text four times, you know. I think she missed the programme. Waah.

[saffronlie.livejournal.com]

Yes. And you're crap with that texting thing. She also woke me up at 7.45am but I was gracious and didn't mention that. The things we do for you, and then you don't even manage to be in shot. Honestly. :p

[peregrinuscanus.livejournal.com]

I recorded it so I'll have to watch it now and keep flashing the pause button. What were you wearing in the end?

Apart from the horrible woman, it sounds rather a good experience.

[rebness.livejournal.com]

It was good. There was a horrid draught at the back of me, so my back was *killing* me, but that was the only real downside. Oh, and the two annoying women.

I was wearing a black top, sitting to the left (David's left) of a man in a blue-and-white checked shirt. We were on the left side of the audience.

[peregrinuscanus.livejournal.com]

*dances* I just saw you! Seventeen minutes in. You definitely deserved a question because the Mackenzie Crook bloke was duff at his bit about ID cards.
Couldn't bring myself to listen to any of James Jones' replies. If that guy goes any further up the hierarchy, I'll be so depressed.

[jaffacakequeen.livejournal.com]

just posted but didnt work

[jaffacakequeen.livejournal.com]

anyway i said, i spotted you about 2 rows behind a mackenzie crooke lookielikey. he had a blue shirt and was talking about something i cant remember. were you wearing black?

anyway,, i kept saying David pick Becky... but he wasnt listening :-(

[rebness.livejournal.com]

Hee! Yes, I was wearing black! My hair was down and I was sitting next to Chris (see my comments above.)

Am psyched someone actually saw me now! Heehee!

(Yes, that guy did look like Mackenzie Crook.)

[tsaress.livejournal.com]

stupid priest has no mind of own

[pigeongirl99.livejournal.com]

I watched... didn't spot you though (or if I did I didn't realise).

The comedienne is often on Just a Minute (Linda Smith), and is always amusing, I think I've heard her on a few other radio pragammes, and I'm fairly sure she's been on Have I Got News For You.