[News] R.I.P Clive James

[Lincoln Imp]

His biographical books - Falling Towards England comes to mind - were definitely not to be read on crowded trains. Shoulder-shakingly funny.

 

[Steve in Japan]

The sharpest and funniest critic, and a great writer. Will have to re read Unreliable Memoirs.

 

[bhafc99]

A great broadcaster but an even greater writer. His autobiographies are terrific and his collections of essays are quite stunning. His TV reviews were wonderful too; often appreciating popular entertainment others dismissed as trash while sometimes skewering shows that most critics had gushed over (examples that stick in my mind are Tinker Taylor Soldier Spy and an Alan Bennett play directed by Lindsay Anderson).

Clive James: All I can do is turn a phrase until it catches the light.

Absolutely. His writing was superb, a true genius at both style and content. While the image many people have is of the TV shows mocking Japanese game shows and the like, I remember his autobiographies, essays and reviews in The Observer far more.





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[bhafc99]

“Kissing her was like cleaning an ashtray with your tongue.”


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[Cowfold Seagull]

Indeed, he's one of roughly 150,000 who died in the World on Friday, although I suspect Ernest might have just meant celebrity deaths.

It's fine, l know he was.

 

[MattBackHome]

And his poetry. My god.

 

[vegster]

RIP Clive, a fantastic writer across so may formats, I loved his autobiographies and his collected works of tv reviews. He would usually only be critical in a gentle way and if he came across an excellent programme, series/play we would be unstinting in his praise. He was always a big fan of (Sir ) David Attenbourough and said along the lines of " I always admire any presenter who is willing to go head first up to the shoulders into a Termite Hill to get a shot. ".

His TV criticisms were often hilarious and I often would cry with laughter reading them.I remember his review of the Lou Ferringo version of " The Incredible Hulk " …. Hulk, in common with many other " Action " heroes does his action scenes at glacial speed. However slowly the bad guys run, The Hulk runs slower, yet still he catches them and with a supreme act of lethargy throws them upside down through the side of the nearest barn. He is able to do this as it appears he has two sets ofshoulders, one on top of another to the extent that his arms hang out from his sides as if his armpits had pile's " ….



Sad day but his writing lives on, RIP

 

[Pavilionaire]

Clive James on the NHS:

“One of the virtues of the NHS... it doesn't worry you about money at the moment when you're least capable of doing anything about it.”

 

[Sussex Nomad]

He was literally dead around 8 years ago, did well to last. Brilliant journo, brilliant presenter. Two down, one to go.

 

[Sussexscots]

Much like the late, great, AA Gill, he elevated acerbic comment to an art form.

RIP.

 

[HAILSHAM SEAGULL]

Sad news, great Sunday night entertainment and a very funny guy. He brought us those Japanese game shows and Margarita Pracatan. Great TV.
RIP Clive

 

[Is it PotG?]

Moving prog on Beeb 2 now.

Extremely learned man, very eloquent.

Sad loss.

 

[Bry Nylon]

Moving prog on Beeb 2 now.

Extremely learned man, very eloquent.

Sad loss.

'Sentenced to Life' -probably one of the best titles for a book ever thought of. A great man. And a very funny one.

 

[AmexRuislip]

A sad day RIP.......

 

[raymondo]

Back in the early 70s Clive wrote the lyrics to many of Pete Atkin's folk songs - they were an excellent writing partnership
https://youtu.be/AvdOAK2zRvY

 

[Live by the sea]

Brilliant broadcaster. They don’t make them like Clive anymore. RIP.

 

[Mr Putdown]

Very sad indeed, I loved his work. A sense of humour drier than the Australian outback, he was a quite brilliant writer and broadcaster. I have a couple of books of his which are compendiums of his columns when he was a TV critic for The Observer for about 10 years, and so much of his writing was literally laugh-out-loud funny. (Visions Before Midnight, The Crystal Bucket, and Glued to the Box - I'd recommend them to anyone).

I also went to see him filming one of his 'Clive James On Television' shows in a studio at the BBC, Wood Green some time in the early 90s. He performed his own warm-up act before they started recording, and chatted amiably with us in the audience between takes.

A lovely man. RIP.

Agree with all of this, I’d only add emphasis to your admiration of his written works, he was so underrated as a writer.

 

[nicko31]

RIP, one of the great broadcasters of our time

 

[Mr Putdown]

Back in the early 70s Clive wrote the lyrics to many of Pete Atkin's folk songs - they were an excellent writing partnership
https://youtu.be/AvdOAK2zRvY

Loved that.

Thank you.

 

[Easy 10]

Agree with all of this, I’d only add emphasis to your admiration of his written works, he was so underrated as a writer.

His TV critiques, essays and poetry are a lasting gift. A towering intellect, underwritten with a rakish wit and humour. He had such a unique turn of phrase, a gifted wordsmith who I have always admired. I've decided today that I don't have enough of his books. That will be remedied.