A QUICK UPDATE . . .
. . . because the guests chatting with British talker Jonathan Ross on BBC America this Friday (July 10) at 8 p.m. ET include the incredibly strange William Shatner (discussing "legal sprinkling").
Also Glenn Close. And Eddie Izzard. And Lily Allen.
Top that, Americans!
ORIGINAL POST --
The Incredibly Strange Film Show has to be one of my all-time favorite series, exploring the heights -- or should I say depths? -- of indie B-moviemaking in all its bloody, breasty, low-budget glory. The perpetrator of this loving '80s look at the likes of Russ Meyer, Ray Dennis Steckler and a dozen other gonzo directors was Jonathan Ross, a breezy Brit who conducted low-life interviews and screened sleazy clips with the gusto of a truly irredeemable pop culture junkie.
(Takes one to know one.)
Now Ross puts that jones to weekly use as host of Friday Night With Jonathan Ross (Friday at 8 p.m. ET, BBC America), a London-based chatfest that also takes everything and nothing seriously. And while it couldn't possibly reach the giddy greatness of Incredibly Strange -- masked Mexican wrestler El Santo! -- Friday Night has been keeping Brits amused since 2001 with interviews of actors, rockers and other fame hangers-on. (Most frequent guest: Ricky Gervais.) BBC America picked up the show this month, so far airing outings featuring Hugh Laurie, Ben Stiller, Dustin Hoffman and Jack Black.
This week's BBC America show (July 3) gets lost with Matthew Fox, whom Ross pumps for
Lostfinale information, then badgers into speaking about spanking.
Next week: Who knows?