Fighting Talk
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Fighting Talk is a topical sports show broadcast on BBC Radio 5 Live during the English football season. It was first aired in October 2003 and was originally presented by Johnny Vaughan. It is currently hosted by Colin Murray and airs on Saturday mornings from 11:00.
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[edit] Format
Four guest pundits are invited to commentate in turn, preferably with wit and knowledge, on a series of topical sporting events. Most sports are thrown into the fray but the emphasis is on top-flight football.
The programme is interspersed with ‘listeners' homework’. The presenter will read out listeners' answers to the week’s ‘homework question’, with the most entertaining answer from the previous week winning a fictitious ‘Fighting Talk Mug’ (it is, allegedly, red) and the very real chance to appear as a guest on the show. The homework usually involves the likening of a sports hero to something else: for example, “What buildings or landmarks could be named after sports people?”
The traditional quick fire round makes its appearance and in “any other business” the guests are afforded a moment to talk about anything they wish, regardless of its relevance to sport.
At the end of the show, and in order to decide the week’s ultimate winner, the two highest scoring pundits are invited to “defend the indefensible”. Each is called to talk for twenty seconds on a distasteful, frequently sexist, topical theme from the perspective of agreement. Previous examples of defending the indefensible include “I’d gladly drink a pint of Maradona’s liposuction fat for comic relief” and “Cricket has been cheapened now common people and ladies have jumped on the bandwagon.”
In the most recent series both the presenter and guests have mocked obscure answers by referring to them originating from a Google search, and most recently have intimated that some of the most obscure answers have originated from Wikipedia.
[edit] Scoring
Guests earn points “for good punditry”, but will lose them should they waffle. The scoring is accompanied by a multitude of appropriate sound effects. Fittingly disordered and by no means fair, the system is flexible enough to accommodate the presenter’s personal bias and stylishly placating the host is a tactic many pundits pursue.
[edit] Pundits
Panelists have included:
Kriss Akabusi, Clare Balding, John Barnes, Greg Brady (from Detroit's Sports Radio 1130 WDFN), Will Buckley, Steve Bunce, Andrew Castle, Tim Clarke, Steve Cram, Allison Curbishley, Dickie Davies, Matt Dawson, Mick Dennis, Roddy Forsyth, Stuart Hall, Danny Kelly, Martin Kelner, Sean Lock, Gabby Logan, Bob Mills, Geoffrey Mortlake, Trevor Nelson Eleanor Oldroyd (the first lady of Fighting Talk), John Oliver, John Rawling, Gary O'Reilly, Richard Park, Ian Stone, Paul Tonkinson, Mark Watson (comedian)
[edit] Presenters
The show's first presenter was Johnny Vaughan, who hosted the show throughout 2003 and into 2004. On Vaughan's departure, Christian O'Connell was given the role until he stepped down from the role to focus on his new Virgin Radio breakfast show at the end of 2005. Colin Murray is the show's current presenter, having started in January 2006.
The show has also had a number of guest presenters to cover for holidays or other absences. These include Dickie Davies, Gabby Logan and Terry Wogan.
Simon Crosse has produced all four series of Fighting Talk with comedy writer Giles Boden.
[edit] Podcast/Television
Fighting Talk was originally made available as an mp3 download in October 2004, with a Podcast version following as part of a BBC trial in February 2005. It is currently available for download, in either format, for one week after broadcast.
The show made a brief appearance on television (2004, BBC2, early evening slot, presented and written by Johnny Vaughan) and was true to the popular radio format. The scoring sound effects were juxtaposed with complementary images shown on massive screens.
There are no current plans to make a second series.
[edit] Spin Offs
Having already done a political Fighting Talk prior to the 2005 General election Radio Five Live has started trailing a political based show using the name of Fighting Talk's penultimate 'Any other Business' round. This is to be presented by Richard Bacon and the first will be broadcast on Five Live on Sunday 17th December 2006 at 7pm. It is unclear whether this will be the start of a series or a one off show.
