Why is the Jonathan Ross show so crap compared to Graham Norton?

[MeinKraft]

JR is perfectly nice, the guests are personable and witty and yet it just doesn't have the warmth of the Graham Norton show. I don't know what's missing. Is it the giant empty blue studio maybe?

I was lucky enough to be in the crowd a good many years ago when pasty kensit was on as a guest. We were right at the front and Graham really engages with the audience as-well as the celebs and they were so relaxed with him he's drinking his wine and having such a good time himself it's infectious , Patsy chatted to the front row on her way out it was just a really fun night with a really electric atmosphere

The only problem with GN is that they now overcrowd it with guests. 3 was perfect.

I don’t like the zoom - it doesn’t add to the conversation and disrupts the chemistry between the sofa guests, and when you’ve got a great flowing chat and they suddenly stop to add in two latecomers, I find it ruins the synergy.

when it’s a bad line up with poor chemistry, you can definitely tell when graham has switched off because it becomes very much “tell us the same anecdote you told on jimmy kimmel/jimmy fallon last week…” but when the chemistry is sizzling, graham knows to sit back and just let it happen organically.

i have jsut watched Robin Williams on Graham Norton
just genius

@Crumpetdisappointment can I ask which interview you watched? It looks like Robin Williams was a guest on the show more than once

The one where a guy in the audience does a (brilliant) Mrs Doubtfire impression. It's a quite an old episode

thank you

I used to watch him and was a fan from when he started out, have read some of his books but I cba with him now since he’s (GN) been so disrespectful to JK Rowling. I should’ve known misogyny is never far away.

June Brown and Lady Gaga on Graham Norton. Gorgeous.

I wish they'd put the full back catalogue of GN on iPlayer, it'd be great to re-watch.

I can't bear watching JR, there's just something about him.

Not the point of the topic but I can't find Graham Norton's wine any more have tried Asda Sainsbury's and Waitrose

I don't think JR comes across as a very nice person and the things I've read about his sexist attitude are not good.

My DH remembers seeing him interview Cilla Black on his show some years ago - the interview finished and it cut to a break, and as the camera pulled away Cilla leant over smiling to carry on chatting and you could apparently clearly see him say "You can go now" very coldly. As if she wasn't young and hot enough for him to bother with.

It really put him off him.

Graham Norton on the other hand just oozes warmth and intelligence on a vast scale...

GN is funny while connecting with guests. JR is just trying to showcase himself.

i think it was 2008 @bluecrayola

I do like The GN Show and it’s always him that gets the best guests on the sofa compared to JR. But I hate it when on GN they’ve got this amazing line up and the banter is flowing… and then they stop it to go to the usually shite musical guest. And then come back to do the godawful red flipping chair bit.

Just wish they’d drop all that and keep the guest banter going longer.

What’s he said about JKR?

GN is warmer and more subtle. A 21st century Terry Wogan addressing the viewer.🍷

I didn't realise that Ross still had a show. He is rubbish, he answers the questions he asks. Can't believe he is still on TV

i watched JR this morning and his smile isnt welcoming, he is insincere,
has never changed.
he also has a difficult time slot, saturday night.
but just makes for uncomfortable viewing.

I prefer GN and how the guests react and chat with each other, although I remember Miriam Margolyse saying some really crude tale and Matthew Perry who was next to her looked quite awkward and uncomfortable with it.

I'm not keen on the zoom segments though.

This.
GN seems to genuinely bring out the best in people. He even makes robots like Gwyneth seem human.
The JR show is about JR. His guests are there to pamper his ego.

Jonathan Ross is hateful. I swear he asked one of his male guests "did you fuck her?" on his show a few years back. I remember posting about it on Mumsnet.

Graham is great and genuinely so funny. Somehow he knows the line to tread between naughty and off-putting and he never crosses it unlike some of his guests (Miriam Margolyes being a prime example).

I remember that. She does that on everything she's ever on. I think she thinks she's reclaiming sex and swearing for elderly lesbians but she just comes across as insufferably immature.

oh good, I don't get the Miriam Margoyles love. She was on GN with Will.i.am once and he was so lovely and she was doing this faux ''aren't we from different worlds'' kind of shtikk. He smilingly just ploughed on, he came across very well.

I believe MM that the oxbridge crew were dix to her at university though. there are people she won't deal with and I don't blame her, her prerogative.

If I was a guest I'd feel like JR was going to try to humilitate me with some long ago transgression or faux pas his researchers had dug up just to show how clever he is where as GN would be laughing with me at some bad picture or embarassing situation. GN is the fun guest at the party, JR is the sneery bore.

The Andrew Sachs phone call showed us just who JR really is.