True Colours Need Time to Show: Andrew Billen Thinks Jeremy Vine Should Cut out the Jokes and Focus on Questions. (Television)

Billen, Andrew, New Statesman (1996)

"What the hell is he talking about?" was my initial reaction to the way Radio 2's Jeremy Vine introduced the first edition of his Politics Show on Sunday (noon, BBC1). In a week of transport chaos, JV told us that a commuter delayed for two years on an InterCity train had arrived at Newcastle Station and demanded the resignation of Stephen Byers. And then, as the titles rolled, I realised: My God, Jeremy had made a joke. Whereas news shows once started with the arresting headlines, The Politics Show, successor to On the Record, was starting with the "And finally..." The bong was dead; long live the bad-a-bing.

Trying to be funny, as is sometimes pointed out, is a crime only in this country, but we should nevertheless be grateful that earlier plans for JY to deliver a …

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Publication information: Article title: True Colours Need Time to Show: Andrew Billen Thinks Jeremy Vine Should Cut out the Jokes and Focus on Questions. (Television). Contributors: Billen, Andrew - Author. Magazine title: New Statesman (1996). Volume: 132. Issue: 4624 Publication date: February 10, 2003. Page number: 47. © Not available. COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group.

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