Paxman quits - sad day

[claig]

www.independent.co.uk/news/people/news/jeremy-paxman-quits-newsnight-after-25-years-9308086.html

It won't be the same without him

Will he still be doing University Challenge?

I hope he will, I am sure he will. He is a national institution. He can't disappear from our screens.

When Paxman was on Newsnight, you had to tune in. You knew he would make you laugh as he exposed the pomposity and pretentiousness of the petit rulers and mandarins reeling out their platitudes and spin. It was never boring, it always made you sit up and laugh and agree and see more clearly. It's a shame that Paxo has decided to go.

Quentin Letts in the Daily Mail paying tribute to Paxo.

"Plenty of politicians — and back-watching BBC executives — will have been celebrating last night. Britain’s all-too-fat quango class will have been popping open the Asti Spumante.

Officialdom in its many greasy guises, from hospital managers to bankers, ­Whitehall mandarins to spin doctors, will have been breathing a deep sigh of relief.

Paxo has quit.

...

No one signalled scepticism quite like Jeremy.

He will hate me for saying this, but we loved you, Paxo.

Thank you for all the work ­shovelling ordure on our ­rulers. Enjoy your dotage."

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2617428/So-long-Paxo-thanks-stuffings-gave-lying-leaders-QUENTIN-LETTS-Paxman-quitting-Newsnight-25-years.html

I'm glad he's going. Time to move on, make way for the new. He was good in the 90s, but lately he's become tired. He seems pissed off with what he's doing and his questioning frequently falls into a bullying, repetitive mediocrity that does nothing to help listeners get answers. All it does is confirm they aren't answering. Which is good to know, but doesn't need the time Paxman takes and isn't exactly a high bar to aim for. I know it's a very difficult arena to work in - that politicians and heads of big organizations come prepreared with their message and refuse to go off message in the most ridiculous manner. But I don't think his style gets past that anymore and in fact makes it virtually impossible for any politician to have a nuanced public view. We need something different.

I expected this. Paxo has always been a very private person who popped up occasionally on a fidhing programme and whose only other 'big' programme was when he did Who Do You Think You Are.

He's been popping up all over the places these days, Graham Norton and that sort of thing, obviously testing the waters for his planned retirement.

I have always like Paxo and, looking at the pictures of his early days in TV, he has certainly improved with age.

BoomBoomsCousin, you are right. He has not been as effective recently and he has made some silly statements too. It does look like he has become a bit bored with it.

My favourite is still Andrew Neil. He has not got bored with it, is still funny and still gets to the heart of the matter. Oh, and he is one of the only ones who seems tobe somewhat sceptical about global warming, which makes a refreshing change from some of the on-message, don't dare deviate from the script ones.

I think Andrew's dog Molly should host it

Agree, I love Molly. Always lies down and stretches out for a kip and starts snoring whenever a Labour type starts speaking rot.

I can't take Andrew Neil seriously. Every mention of him brings to mind the Asian Babe photo series in Private Eye. It went on for months.

So, who else is there?

The Andrew Neil photo gag is still going on, Jux!

Any thoughts on who might replace Paxo? Of course, Justine could probably give us the inside track on this and there is always the chance that what we say here could get fed back to the Editor...

Martha Kearney, Kirsty Wark, Eddie Mair, Evan Davies, Mark Mardell? Or might they go outside the BBC?

Thanks for reminding me! Nothing like an old joke......

I think they should look at a wider field, ie, outside the BBC. I haven't noticed an natural successor within it. (DH thinks Russell Brand. Just throwing that into the pot.)

Good, never watch it, can't stand Paxo

No one could take on the politicians like Paxo. It's a shame he couldn't just hang fire until after the 2015 election.

I'm hoping for Eddie Mair. Paxman seems to only use overly aggressive questioning these days and I don't think he always gets the best interview as a result.

These days the politicians expect it but back in the day the shocked faces were something to behold.

'Answer the question Minister'

Can't stand him. So smug.