Fighting Talk

Infobox Radio Show
show_name = Fighting Talk


imagesize = 200px
caption =
other_names = FT
format = Sports panel game
runtime = 50 minutes (approx)
country = UK
language = English
home_station = BBC Radio 5 Live
presenter = Colin Murray (2006-present)
Christian O'Connell (2004-2005)
Johnny Vaughan (2003-2004)
audio_format =
record_location = BBC Television Centre (5 Live Compound), London
creator =
writer = Giles Boden
producer = Simon Crosse
first_aired = 4th October 2003Cite web
url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2003/09_september/29/vaughan_fighting_talk.shtml
title = Johnny Vaughan's Fighting Talk starts on Radio Five Live
date= 2003-09-29 |accessdate = 2007-03-27 |publisher = BBC - Press Office]
last_aired = Present
num_series = 6
num_episodes =
opentheme = Sabotage by Beastie Boys
endtheme =
website = [http://www.bbc.co.uk/fivelive/programmes/fightingtalk.shtml The official BBC website]
podcast = [http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/rmhttp/downloadtrial/fivelive/fightingtalk/rss.xml Fighting Talk Podcast] "Fighting Talk" is a topical sports show broadcast on BBC Radio 5 Live during the English football season. Its first series aired in October 2003, and was presented by Johnny Vaughan. The second series featured Christian O'Connell. It is currently hosted by Colin Murray and is aired on Saturday mornings for an hour between 11:00 and 12:00 (GMT). It is currently in its sixth series.

Format

Four guest pundits are invited to expound in turn, preferably with wit and knowledge, their views and opinions on a series of topical sporting events. Most sports are thrown into the fray but there is a strong emphasis on English top-flight football and other sports covered by the British news media.

The penultimate discussion topic on the show is known as 'Any Other Business' (AOB) where the guests are given the opportunity to talk about anything they wish, and encouraged to comment on topics or issues that have irked, annoyed or incensed them in past week, regardless of relevance to sport. There have been several notable AOBs; a particularly good example of wit and rant was Steve Bunce's recollections of an interrupted stay at a London hotel.

In order to decide the week’s ultimate winner the two highest scoring pundits are invited to 'Defend the Indefensible'(DTI). Each pundit is called to vigorously support a topical theme for twenty seconds that is either distasteful, politically incorrect, plainly wrong, self-derisory or entirely contrary to the pundit's known opinions. Previous examples of defending the indefensible include "I’d gladly drink a pint of Maradona’s liposuction fat for Comic Relief"; "Cricket has been cheapened now common people and ladies have jumped on the bandwagon" and "I believe the annual Oxford-Cambridge boat race should take place in Iranian territorial waters".

The shortest ever DTI was recorded in January 2008, when Jim Jeffries lasted just five seconds after being asked to defend the statement "Just like Ashley Cole, vomiting is a vital part of my lovemaking". Jeffries responded, "Fair enough, because sometimes you need lube". Presenter Colin Murray immediately implied it would be Jeffries' last appearance on the show.

On occasion, the DTI round has been specifically designed for the pundit who has to answer. Examples include propositions posed to former England football manager Graham Taylor and Henning Wehn. After the resignation of Sven-Göran Eriksson from the position of England Manager, Taylor was invited to defend the statement "The next England manager should be Graham Taylor". In a later series, Wehn was asked to defend "The German football team should wear PVC Nazi outfits as a show of support to Max Mosley".

Finalists who refuse to take part in the round forfeit the round and by extension, the game - for example, John Rawling refused to criticise his wife's cooking on the Christmas 2006 show, with the win being awarded to fellow panellist Des Kelly. Two episodes of Fighting Talk were won by pundits who did not have to participate in the DTI round - in September 2005, Bob Mills won a show after fellow finalist Steve Bunce refused to defend "John Rawling's debut as ITV boxing commentator was mediocre at best"; Bunce was replaced in the final by John Rawling, who subsequently unable to respond to the proposition "Boxing's so gay, but that's why I like it". In November 2006, Trevor Nelson was awarded a win after finalists Ian Stone and Clare Balding's efforts were deemed too terrible to win.

coring

Guests earn arbitrary points for 'good punditry', but lose them if they waffle, use predictable clichés, or attempt to ingratiate themselves with the host. Scoring is accompanied by a variety of appropriate and humorous sound effects. [ [http://completeburke.blogspot.com/2008/05/comprehensive-rules-of-5live-show.html Complete Burke: Comprehensive Rules of 5Live Show “Fighting Talk” ] ]

‡ The theme referenced Brady's previous job working for WDFN radio in Detroit. The first use of the theme coincided with Brady experiencing the worst slump of his FT career, 5 defeats in a row. The run of bad form was attributed to the "Detroit" theme so it was changed to It's Raining Men for one show. The change did not help and Brady lost. For the next show he was returned to the Detroit theme. He won that show thus breaking the curse in a manner not unlike the New York Rangers winning the Stanley Cup in 1994. Despite Greg Brady's saying, he actually won his first show with this theme tune, although this was with guest host, Gabby Logan. For Brady's first appearance following his return to his native Canada in 2008, the theme tune was changed to Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On"; later appearances have featured other Canadian references including Weird Al Yankovic's "Canadian Idiot".

† These theme tunes are ironic as Tom Watt appeared in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. This is further compounded when he is introduced as Colin Murray purposely mistakes the famous soap character Tom Watt portrayed. Examples include Hayley Cropper and Mandy Dingle. However, from 15 March 2008, the introductory tune was replaced with an audio clip of a crowd chanting "You what? You what?".

¥ This is due to a 'rule' introduced by Colin Murray that no new pundits are allowed to win their first show. By contrast, several pundits have won their first show with Colin in the chair - notably Henning Wehn - although fewer debutantes have win on their first outing under Colin than the previous presenters.

+ This is an assumed reference to Rawling's patriarchal character on the show and his initials, "JR" bearing similarities with J. R. Ewing, one of the principal characters from the former television series "Dallas".

Music

The show's distinctive theme tune comes from the track Sabotage by The Beastie Boys, which first appeared on their 1994 album Ill Communication. The segment used is from the middle of the track.

The music usually playing while the host gives the scores is the theme from the British TV show The Professionals.

Records and statistics

Records

* As of 27 September 2008, the highest score achieved was by Steve Bunce on 26 November 2005. Following numerous deductions by host Christian O'Connell for Bunce's petulance, Bunce's Any Other Business was a story about Bob Wilson for which O'Connell awarded 5,000 points. Bunce went on to win Defending the Indefensible.

* As of 27 September 2008, the lowest score recorded was Steve Bunce's -900,000 in the third series.

Other Statistics

A detailed breakdown of individual show statistics (prepared by listeners) from all series to date is available via Google Spreadsheets. [ [http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pUVZXjwzoHqodAv2N0FcBaQ&gid=3 Fighting Talk statistics] at Google Spreadsheets]

pin-offs and themed shows

The show made a brief appearance on television (2004, BBC2, in an early evening slot) presented and written by Johnny Vaughan and was true to the popular radio format. The scoring sound effects were juxtaposed with complementary images shown on large screens. At one stage negotiations were believed to be under way for Colin Murray to host a live style format in the Camden based MTV studios which would air on Sky One during the close season.

There have been two recordings of the show in front of audiences. The first was recorded/broadcast on 22 November 2004 at the Circus Tavern, Purfleet (following Sky Television's first pay-per-view darts event the previous day) and was hosted by Christian O'Connell - who was joined by pundits Dominic Holland, Gavin Peacock, Mark Pougatch and Steve Bunce. The second was recorded/broadcast on 10 October 2008 at the Cedar Court Hotel, Harrogate (as part of the Carnegie Sporting Words festival). Colin Murray (the host) was joined by pundits Bob Mills, Jim White, Martin Kelner and Will Buckley.

A political "Fighting Talk" 'special' - featuring MPs Lembit Opik, Steven Pound and Alan Duncan, as well as regular pundit, Bob Mills - was broadcast prior to the 2005 UK General election.

At the end of the third series, Colin Murray presented a special World Cup edition of "Fighting Talk". The fifth series ended with a run of four Euro 2008 specials.

On 24 March 2007, Colin Murray hosted a 'women only' edition of "Fighting Talk". The panel featured regular Eleanor Oldroyd alongside three débutantes - Gail Emms, Hazel Irvine and Sue Mott.

Fighting Talk: Any Other Business

A one-off, politics-based show - using the name of "Fighting Talk"'s 'Any Other Business' round - was broadcast on Sunday 17 December 2006 at 7pm, presented by Richard Bacon. A run of four further shows billed as "Fighting Talk: Any Other Business" were broadcast between 15 July and 5 August 2007. The host was the original "Fighting Talk" presenter Johnny Vaughan and guests included Alan Duncan, Diane Abbot, Stephen Pound, Arabella Weir and Robin Ince. [Cite web |url=http://media.guardian.co.uk/radio/story/0,,2096923,00.html
title = Vaughan back at Radio Five Live |accessdate = 2007-07-07 | publisher = Media Guardian ]

Other media

The first "Fighting Talk" tie-in book, "Fighting Talk: Flimsy Facts, Sweeping Statements and Inspired Sporting Hunches", is to be published by Hodder & Stoughton on 2 October 2008.

The 'Stuart Hall' incident

Fighting Talk made national news with an episode broadcast on 12 March, 2005. The panel consisted of Danny Kelly, Will Buckley, John Rawling and Stuart Hall. The presenter, Christian O'Connell, asked the panel "What other former all-conquering nations or individuals would you like to see have a renaissance?". Stuart Hall responded "Zimbabwe", and criticised what Robert Mugabe had done to the country, saying "...don your flannels, black up, play leather on willow with Mugabe cast as a witch doctor. Imagine him out at Lords casting a curse; tincture of bat's tongues, gorilla's gonads, tiger's testicles...". Shortly afterwards, O'Connell was heard to ask studio staff "Are we still on air?" [Cite web
url = http://media.guardian.co.uk/bbc/story/0,,1439261,00.html
title = BBC defends sports pundit on a sticky wicket
author = John Plunkett
date= 2005-03-17
accessdate = 2007-02-02
publisher = Guardian Unlimited] During the same show, Hall was also asked for his opinion on sporting stars acting as role models for young people. In his response, he defended swearing by footballers suggesting that "...you can go to any school playground and learn all you want to know about oral and anal sex"."

Although the broadcast made newspaper headlines, neither of Hall's comments provoked significant protest or complaint from the general public. However, following this episode the theme tune from 'It's a Knockout (Jeux Sans Frontiers)' joined the Laurel and Hardy theme tune (The Waltz of the Cuckoos) in being used to signify occasions on which a pundit was talking gibberish and/or had 'completely lost it'.

External links

* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/fivelive/programmes/fightingtalk.shtml Fighting Talk Website]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/fivelive/ Radio Five Live Website]
* [http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/fivelive/ft/rss.xml Podcast RSS feed]

References