BS: Bill Oddie

Subject: BS: Bill Oddie
From: GUEST,Continuity Jones
Date: 16 Jun 10 - 04:03 PM

How good to see Bill Oddie making an appearance on Springwatch. God bless him and I wish him well with his mental anguish.

Subject: RE: BS: Bill Oddie
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 16 Jun 10 - 05:03 PM

I couldn't watch Springwatch without Bill. It's just not the same.

Wishing him well.

Subject: RE: BS: Bill Oddie
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 16 Jun 10 - 05:19 PM

He's unbearable, but good luck to him.

Subject: RE: BS: Bill Oddie
From: gnu
Date: 16 Jun 10 - 06:13 PM

And he is????

Subject: RE: BS: Bill Oddie
From: Tangledwood
Date: 16 Jun 10 - 06:20 PM

And he is????

Yes, definitely is.

Subject: RE: BS: Bill Oddie
From: Dave MacKenzie
Date: 16 Jun 10 - 06:24 PM

"And he is???? "

The man whose greatest hit was "Persecuting Pigeons in Trafalgar Square"!

Subject: RE: BS: Bill Oddie
From: gnu
Date: 16 Jun 10 - 06:31 PM

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0643919/bio

Subject: RE: BS: Bill Oddie
From: Paul Burke
Date: 16 Jun 10 - 06:36 PM

Rubbish. It was "Ilkla Moor Baht At" sung a la Joe Cocker.

Subject: RE: BS: Bill Oddie
From: Dave MacKenzie
Date: 16 Jun 10 - 06:53 PM

.... and is now a leading light of the RSPB!

Subject: RE: BS: Bill Oddie
From: Leadfingers
Date: 16 Jun 10 - 07:57 PM

And he played MY washboard on Television !

Subject: RE: BS: Bill Oddie
From: GUEST,Continuity Jones
Date: 17 Jun 10 - 04:03 AM

His greatest hit was The Funky Gibbon.

Subject: RE: BS: Bill Oddie
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 17 Jun 10 - 05:00 AM

Nah - Black Pudding Bertha

Good to see the lad getting better.

DeG

Subject: RE: BS: Bill Oddie
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 17 Jun 10 - 05:01 AM

I didn't much like the funky gibbon, even as a bit of silliness.


but this

Ecky Thump


for its time is funny.

Subject: RE: BS: Bill Oddie
From: Stu
Date: 17 Jun 10 - 05:02 AM

I like Bill Oddie, and The Goodies are massively underrated and the BBC refuses to show repeats of the shows while we get endless re-runs of all sorts or tripe.

Subject: RE: BS: Bill Oddie
From: GUEST,Kampervan
Date: 17 Jun 10 - 05:24 AM

Always been a great fan of Bill Oddie's work right up to, but not including, Springwatch.

In Springwatch I just think he sometimes comes across as being a bit abrupt or terse, esp when talking to Kate; not his usual 'nice' style.

Still a great comdian tho.

Subject: RE: BS: Bill Oddie
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 17 Jun 10 - 06:12 AM

that tone, may have been to do with several factors, like reaction against BBC producer/director requiring a certain kind of performance from him compounded by issues with depression.

Did anyone see the Nevermind the Buzzcocks episode that had Bill on the panel? He seemed disorientated and ascerbic on that show and Simon (whatzizname) was taking the mickey. Was not a good show to watch. In fact the rest of series lost its charm for me from that one episode.

Now it may have all been planned and agreed, but I still didn't like it.

Subject: RE: BS: Bill Oddie
From: Black belt caterpillar wrestler
Date: 17 Jun 10 - 07:27 AM

Very interesting to read his autobiography, to see how his problems have affected him and how he has progressed in overcoming them.

It seems to be common for the most creative people to have problems, if not compulsory!

Subject: RE: BS: Bill Oddie
From: bubblyrat
Date: 17 Jun 10 - 01:01 PM

Well, I don't know if I qualify as a creative person or not,but I can certainly sympathise with Bill, having had my fair share of problems with hyperventilation, paroxysmal tachycardia,acute anxiety,nicotine,alcohol,librium,valium,barbiturates,nardil,& marplan (both mono-amine-oxidase inhibitors) ------but I'm fine now !!No more pills,and no smoking for the last 7 or 8 years (Yippee !).Poor old Bill, though---I know how he feels (I think).

Subject: RE: BS: Bill Oddie
From: Paco O'Barmy
Date: 17 Jun 10 - 02:25 PM

Bill Oddie? Odd Billy more like...He is a grumpy old has -been. I also HATE the cutesy voice he uses on TV adverts too. Ta ta.

Subject: RE: BS: Bill Oddie
From: Dave MacKenzie
Date: 18 Jun 10 - 03:23 AM

The small but perfectly formed Bill Oddie can be heard every Thursday in the repeats of "I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again" (again) on BBC7. This week;s episode did not feature Bill's singing, as he made way (was pushed aside) for John Otto Cleese's rendition of "The Ferret Song".

Subject: RE: BS: Bill Oddie
From: nickp
Date: 18 Jun 10 - 04:35 AM

Ah... the Ferret Song. Bliss!

Subject: RE: BS: Bill Oddie
From: GUEST,Silas
Date: 18 Jun 10 - 04:43 AM

I like Bill, but I would imagine that he would be a nightmare to work with on a live broadcast.

Subject: RE: BS: Bill Oddie
From: Geoff the Duck
Date: 18 Jun 10 - 04:58 AM

I used to connect a microphone to a Grundig reel-to-reel tape recorder, sit it in front of the speaker of our radio and record ISIRTA shows to listen again later. Classic plays such as Robin Hood, Billy Bunter, The Cold(t)itz Story, and boldly going where no man had gone before boldly...




As for Oddie songs, I remember Nigel Compton Smith's Society Band.
It probably scarred me for life.



Quack!
GtD.

Subject: RE: BS: Bill Oddie
From: Leadfingers
Date: 18 Jun 10 - 04:58 AM

Having met Bill Oddie , I found him a nice bloke - Admittedly that was NOT on a Live Broadcast but a recorded bit for a T V programme

Subject: RE: BS: Bill Oddie
From: mauvepink
Date: 18 Jun 10 - 05:24 AM

There are a lot of talented and gifted people out there whose lives are blighted by depression. I, personally, preferred Springwatch and such without his voice. It became annoying after a while but, then, so many presenters these days almosy 'over present'.

I feel sorry for anyone with depression. Would not wish it on my worse enemy. That said it can also be quite cathartic on accasions. I learned a great deal about so many things because of depression.

However, this does not mean I have to like everyone with depression! I am sure he always meant well but he always seemed to be babbling and interrupting his fellow presenters. I could be being unfair as I stopped watching it for some time because of him. Maybe I just got the wrong picture.

The yardstick I suppose we all use for natural history presentation is David Attenborough. Some people say his voice annoyed them and yet I find it relaxing and quite pleasing. It all goes to show, once again, just how much important it is we do not all like the same things and that there is a diverse enough world for us all to be able to find something in it that pleases.

mp

Subject: RE: BS: Bill Oddie
From: Arnie
Date: 18 Jun 10 - 06:10 AM

I was and still am a real fan of the Goodies and last year found it difficult to equate the Bill Oddie on Springwatch with the Bill Oddie from the Goodies shows. He was so tetchy and patronising towards Kate that I only watched a couple of episodes of Springwatch and then could not bring myself to watch it again. I was unaware that he was suffering from depression which I suppose must explain his attitude. Anyway, I now watch Springwatch again as it gives a fascinating insight into nature and is well presented. And of course I wish Bill Oddie all the best in his recovery and hope to see or hear him again as a broadcaster.

Subject: RE: BS: Bill Oddie
From: Continuity Jones
Date: 18 Jun 10 - 12:20 PM

erm.... I like him. I liked him on Springwatch. I thought his enthusiasm was fun to see. I didn't find him too much at all. To be honest, I prefer him to Chris Packham, who to me can come across as a little forced...

Anyway, those who dislike him can be happy he's gone!

Subject: RE: BS: Bill Oddie
From: mauvepink
Date: 18 Jun 10 - 12:35 PM

Please don't get me wrong... like him or loathe him as a presenter: no-one deserves depression and I would never be happy to see someone gone who is suffering such a fate. Far better to see someone you dislike as a presenter on the television than know of them being unwell.

My television has a channel changer and an off switch. Depression has no such buttons :-(

May he be well soon

mp