Editing Friday Night with Jonathan Ross

{{short description|Former British television chat show}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2011}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}
{{Infobox television
| image              = Friday Night with Jonathan Ross.jpg
| genre              = [[Talk show|Chat show]]
| writer             = [[Jonathan Ross]]<br>[[Shaun Pye]]<br>Fraser Steele<br>Jim Pullin<br>Jez Stevenson
| director           = {{nowrap|Mick Thomas (2002–2010)<br/>John L. Spencer (2004)}}<br><small>(Other(s) unknown)</small>
| presenter          = [[Jonathan Ross]]
| starring           = [[4 Poofs and a Piano]]
| company            = Hotsauce TV
| country            = United Kingdom
| language           = English
| num_series         = 18
| num_episodes       = 275
| list_episodes      = List of Friday Night with Jonathan Ross episodes
| executive_producer = Addison Cresswell<br />Deborah Cox<br />Katie Taylor<br />Jonathan Ross<br />Mirella Breda<br />Suzanne Gilfillan<br />Karl Warner<br />Mark Linsey
| producer           = Seamus Murphy-Mitchell<br/>Suzi Aplin<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00lt0x5 |title=One Programmes - Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, Series 16, Episode 25 |publisher=BBC|access-date=16 October 2011}}</ref>
| location           = [[Television Centre, London|BBC Television Centre]]
| runtime            = 65 mins
| network            = [[BBC One]]
| first_aired        = {{start date|2001|11|2|df=yes}}
| last_aired         = {{end date|2010|7|16|df=yes}}
| related            = {{Plainlist|
* ''[[The Jonathan Ross Show]]'' (2011–)
}}
}}
'''''Friday Night with Jonathan Ross'''''<ref>Known as ''The Jonathan Ross Show'' in places where it is not broadcast on a Friday night</ref> is a British [[Talk show|chat show]] presented by [[Jonathan Ross]] and broadcast on [[BBC One]] between 2001 and 2010. The programme featured Ross' take on current topics of conversation, guest interviews (usually three per show) and live music from both a guest music group and the house band. First broadcast on 2 November 2001, the show began its final series in January 2010 and ended on 16 July 2010.<ref>{{cite press release |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=This week's guests: 9-15 January 2010 |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/proginfo/guests/wk02.shtml |publisher=BBC Press Office |access-date=2010-01-09}}</ref>

==History==
From 2009 until the end, the programme was broadcast in [[high-definition television|high definition]] on [[BBC HD]]. Studio TC4 in the BBC Television Centre in London, where the show was made, was upgraded to HD, making it the third television studio in Television Centre to be upgraded to HD (the others being Studios TC1 and TC8).

The show was pulled by the [[BBC]] on 29 October 2008 when Ross and [[Russell Brand]] were both suspended from their TV and radio shows in the events after [[The Russell Brand Show prank calls|''The Russell Brand Show'' prank telephone calls row]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/broadcasting/a134010/bbc-suspends-russell-brand-jonathan-ross.html |title=Broadcasting - News - BBC suspends Russell Brand, Jonathan Ross |website=Digital Spy |date=29 October 2008 |access-date=26 May 2009}}</ref> The show returned on 23 January 2009, attracting 5.1 million viewers.<ref name="entertainment1">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7849582.stm |title=Entertainment &#124; Ross TV return is watched by 5.1m |publisher=[[BBC]]|work=[[BBC News]] |date=2009-01-24 |access-date=2009-05-26}}</ref> The final 275th episode was broadcast on 16 July 2010.

On 12 June 2009, the show began airing in the United States on [[BBC America]] at 8pm [[Eastern Time Zone|EST]]. In 2010, it also started airing on the [[BBC UKTV|UKTV]] channel in Australia, just weeks after the episodes were first aired in the UK.

In June 2010, it was announced that Ross would be moving to [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]] to host a new Saturday night chat show, ''[[The Jonathan Ross Show]]'', which started airing in September 2011.<ref name="ITVmove">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2010/jul/07/itv1-jonathan-ross-chat-show |title=ITV confirms Jonathan Ross chatshow deal |publisher=[[The Guardian]]|work=Mark Sweney |date=2020-04-28 |access-date=2010-07-07}}</ref>

The most frequent guests were [[Ricky Gervais]] and [[Jack Dee]] (eight episodes each), [[Eddie Izzard]] (seven episodes), and [[Jeremy Clarkson]] and [[Jimmy Carr]] (six episodes each). [[Johnny Vegas]], [[David Attenborough]], [[Stephen Fry]], [[Damon Albarn]] and [[Simon Pegg]] all appeared in five episodes, and [[Robbie Williams]] appeared in four episodes.

==Format==
The show was usually recorded in Studio TC4 at the [[Television Centre, London|BBC Television Centre]] in London. The house band, [[4 Poofs and a Piano]], provided musical backing. The show used to be recorded on a Thursday, but after his return from the [[Russell Brand]] incident, it was recorded on a Tuesday, leading to the show having much less topical humour. (Ross' Saturday morning Radio 2 show was also subjected to being recorded on a Friday after previously being live on Saturday).

The house band consisted of Stephen de Martin, Ian Parkin, David Roper and David Wickenden. Each episode, they would wear identical T-shirts featuring the face of a guest at the centre. Every time a guest enters the studio, the band will perform a segment of a song, usually involving a reference to that particular guest. At the beginning of each show Jonathan Ross, would [[segue]] from his monologue with a homosexual innuendo about the group.

There have been a number of recurring themes on ''Friday Night''. For instance, Ross often jokes about the age of veteran TV presenter [[Bruce Forsyth]]. This culminated in Forsyth appearing in the opening segment of the show broadcast on 30 November 2007, to supposedly take over as the show's presenter. Ross then appeared and called [[Tess Daly]] (Forsyth's co-host on ''[[Strictly Come Dancing]]'') to supervise Forsyth safely out, again alluding to his age.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2007/11_november/30/ross.shtml |date = 30 November 2007 | title = Bruce and Tess hijack Friday Night With Jonathan Ross | publisher = BBC Press Office | access-date =1 January 2008}}</ref> Ross has also often made jokes about [[Heather Mills]], the ex-wife of [[Paul McCartney]]. During a [[GMTV]] interview in October 2007, Mills complained about comments made by Ross.<ref>{{cite news | url = https://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2007/10/31/mills131.xml | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071102024038/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2007/10/31/mills131.xml | url-status = dead | archive-date = 2 November 2007 |date = 31 October 2007 | title = Heather Mills McCartney breaks down on GMTV | work = The Telegraph| access-date =1 January 2008 | location=London | first=Lucy | last=Cockcroft}}</ref> 
At the beginning of the show, between guests and during interviews Ross often recounted incidents involving his wife, children and pets. He also referred to items in the news and demonstrated amusing products. His guests were seen at the start of the show sitting in the [[green room]] and Ross preceded the introduction of each by asking the audience "Shall I get my first/next guest out?". While interviewing a guest he usually chatted with the other guests in the green room.

At the end of the show, there was a musical performance from a performer or a group. There were rare occasions where the performer(s) are interviewed as well as then going on to play their song or sometimes songs, notably all three original members of proto-punk legends [[The Stooges]] ([[Iggy Pop]], [[Ron Asheton]] and [[Scott Asheton]]) were interviewed together on the show in June 2007 before performing "[[I Wanna Be Your Dog]]". American rock band [[The Killers]] performed on the show in May 2009. Lead vocalist [[Brandon Flowers]] previously had an interview with Ross before playing four songs with the band, the most that had ever been performed on the show with an interview until [[Robbie Williams]] performed 6 songs on 6 November 2009 after being interviewed.<ref>''Friday Night with Jonathan Ross'', [[Hotsauce TV|Hot Sauce]] production for [[BBC]]. First Broadcast 7 November 2009.</ref>

==Host==
{{Main|Jonathan Ross}}
[[File:Jonathan Ross at BAFTA 2009.jpg|thumb|left|[[Jonathan Ross]] at the BAFTA Awards in 2009]]
Ross speaks with a [[Rhotacism (speech impediment)|rhotacism]], causing him to pronounce the consonant 'r' like a 'w', which has led to the British tabloid newspapers dubbing him "Wossy". He is also known for his flamboyant dress sense and regularly wins awards for being the best ''and'' worst-dressed celebrity (when he appeared on the series ''[[Room 101 (British TV series)|Room 101]]'', his own dress sense was one of the things he wished to banish). While appearing on ''[[They Think It's All Over (TV series)|They Think It's All Over]]'', his dress sense was frequently mocked by the other panellists.

Ross was even blamed for a textile workers' strike in 1988. David Cope, a sales director for a dyeing operation, made the claim: "Ever since that trendy Jonathan Ross started wearing his big, baggy suits on television, he set a fashion that has been extremely lucrative for the British cotton industry and now the textile workers want a share of those profits."<ref>{{cite news | url = http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/career_and_jobs/graduate_management/article411560.ece |date = 13 January 2005 | title = Jonathan Ross the interviewer of choice | work = [[The Times]]. | access-date =28 October 2006 | location=London}}{{dead link|date=September 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

Ross is also well known for his distinctive long hairstyle. Ross is known for owning [[exotic pet]]s and is a big fan of [[David Bowie]], ''[[Star Trek]]'', ''[[Doctor Who]]'', [[anime]] and comic books. Ross has even co-owned a comic shop in [[London]] with [[Paul Gambaccini]]. He was also the visual inspiration for the main character in the comic book ''[[Saviour (comic)|Saviour]]''.

==Episodes==
{{main|List of Friday Night with Jonathan Ross episodes}}

There were 274 episodes that were recorded and have been shown, with the 18th series ending on 16 July 2010.

As well as various [[Christmas]] specials, there have also been a number of special editions with an episode devoted to a single guest. ''Friday Night with Ross and Bowie'' being the first, aired 5 July 2002, and featuring one of Ross's heroes, David Bowie.  Followed by ''Friday Night with Ross and Madonna'', aired 2 May 2003, and ''Friday Night with Ross and Parkinson'' aired on 14 March 2008, with fellow chat show host [[Michael Parkinson]]. Another, ''Friday Night with Streisand and Ross'' aired on 2 October 2009, with a world exclusive interview from actress [[Barbra Streisand]]. It was also the first time that she had performed on British television.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2009/09_september/09/ross.shtml |title=Jonathan Ross secures sensational world exclusive interview with Barbra Streisand |publisher=BBC |work= BBC Press Office |date=2 October 2009 |access-date=16 October 2011}}</ref>

==Suspension==
The show was suspended on 29 October 2008 by the BBC when Ross and Brand were both suspended from their TV and radio shows, in the events after [[The Russell Brand Show prank calls|''The Russell Brand Show'' prank telephone calls row]].<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7699054.stm BBC prank calls row goes to Trust] bbc.co.uk</ref> Ross was later given an additional 12-week suspension, and released a statement, reading:
<blockquote>"I am deeply sorry and greatly regret the upset and distress that my juvenile and thoughtless remarks on the Russell Brand show have caused. I have not issued a statement previously because it was my intention and desire to offer an apology to all those offended on my Friday night programme. However, it was a stupid error of judgement on my part, and I offer a full apology."

- [[Jonathan Ross]]' apology, taken from BBC News.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7698484.stm | work=BBC News | title=Brand and Ross: Apologies in full | date=29 October 2008 | access-date=3 May 2010}}</ref></blockquote>

The comedy stand-up show ''[[Live at the Apollo (TV series)|Live at the Apollo]]'' was shown in the 22:35 Friday night slot during Ross's absence. A new series of the popular comedy stand-up show was quickly commissioned to fill the slot, which featured films for four weeks after the suspension. ''Friday Night with Jonathan Ross'' returned on 23 January 2009. The show's return was watched by 5.1 million viewers, and received 25 complaints (protesting the show's return), and 3 messages of support for Ross.<ref name="entertainment1"/>

==Awards==
===BAFTA TV Awards===
*2004 Best Entertainment Performance
*2006 Best Entertainment Performance
*2007 Best Entertainment Performance

===British Comedy Awards===
*2003 Best Comedy Entertainment Programme

===Royal Television Society Awards===
*2003 Best Entertainment Performance
*2004 Best Entertainment Performance

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{BBC programme}}
*{{British Comedy Guide|tv|friday_night_jonathan_ross}}
*{{IMDb title|0299302}}
*[http://www.4poofsandapiano.com/ 4 Poofs and a Piano site]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Friday Night With Jonathan Ross}}
[[Category:Friday Night with Jonathan Ross| ]]
[[Category:2000s British television talk shows]]
[[Category:2010s British television talk shows]]
[[Category:BBC One original programming]]
[[Category:BBC television talk shows]]
[[Category:2001 British television series debuts]]
[[Category:2010 British television series endings]]