Best Moments from The Graham Norton Show

[Athena]

Every once in awhile, I fall down the rabbit hole of Youtube clips from Graham's show. There are many highly entertaining, funny, or memorable moments from the show which are unique to the environment that Graham creates for his guests. Please share them here.

 

I'll start one off from earlier in this year in which Chris Pratt does the The Only Way is Essex accent:

 

[Tikichick]

Emma Thompson and Julie Walters generally manage to make something magic happen.

[dusang]

Emma Thompson and Julie Walters generally manage to make something magic happen.

 

It amazes me how many people have basically entirely redeemed their public persona on Graham's couch, for me at least.  Emma Thompson and Robbie Williams swapping stories of the public apologies they have had to make nearly brought me to tears -- Robbie really came across super charming and self-deprecating in that episode.

 

Having Jimmy Carr, John Bishop, or Jack Whitehall on the couch always seems to improve the flow.  I've never seen any of them in any other context but I always enjoy them on the show.  I am eternally devoted to Harrison Ford but a quality interviewee he is not and Jack really worked magic before Benedict Cumberbatch showed up.

Edited November 23, 2015 by dusang

[Athena]

Having Jimmy Carr, John Bishop, or Jack Whitehall on the couch always seems to improve the flow.  I've never seen any of them in any other context but I always enjoy them on the show.  I am eternally devoted to Harrison Ford but a quality interviewee he is not and Jack really worked magic before Benedict Cumberbatch showed up.

 

I watch a lot of UK shows so all of these names are familiar to me. The American celebs generally have no idea who the end of the sofa comedian is, but they tend to work well in tandem with Graham to keep the show moving along. In the episode I linked above, Bishop is known as a bit of a grumpy comedian, but he seemed to get a good kick out of Pratt and vice versa. Same with Ford and Jack Whitehall. I adore Harrison too, but he's very shy in interviews. I remember reading an audience report from the episode that said Jack set up a lot of jokes and comments for Harrison that they cut out of the final ep. Apparently, he really tried to make Harrison laugh and he does too which is really great.

 

[dusang]

Another person who always provides chat show gold: Miriam Margolyes

[loriro]

I always love Judi Dench as well... she's always a hoot! 

 

[yt]

[\yt]

[MissLucas]

I love the story of Rusell Crowe meeting Henry Cavill for the first time - the story is great and Crowe can really tell a story.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fp94z-o1-6g

[loriro]

I could have SO much fun with this thread!

 

The Bill Murray, Matt Damon, Hugh Bonneville episode is one of the flat-out funniest things I think I've ever seen. Someone has the whole episode posted but this is just one clip: 

 

 

This is the clip mentioned above of Robbie Williams and Emma Thompson: 

 

 

And just one more (for now...!) The entire below  show with Adele and Jack Whitehall and Miranda Hart is hysterical! 

 

[LADreamr]

That Bill Murray clip is hilarious. I had Making Out In Arabic, and it got VERY graphic.

LOVE that Adele episode. Especially when she gets to control the red chair.

Edited December 2, 2015 by LADreamr

[poppytheastronaut]

The Bill Murray, Matt Damon, Hugh Bonneville episode is one of the flat-out funniest things I think I've ever seen.

 

Word. I can cry with laughter just thinking about parts of that episode. The sad part for me is that the conversation from a subsequent appearance by George Clooney suggests that some of the best parts may have been edited out? All the same, I'll never look at the Downton Abbey opening credits in the same way again.

[poppytheastronaut]

Also? Benedict Cumberbatch and penguins. 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GHPNKUMf70

[dusang]

I love when Graham kind of flatly insults his guests -- he does it with charm but it is so opposite the ass-kissing of American talk shows, it's kind of the most delightful thing.  Like in this clip where he literally says to David Tennant "Your hair is so stupid."

 

[Bruinsfan]

To be fair, he's just saying what EVERYBODY must have been thinking after getting a look at Tennant.

 

That whole show with Chris Pratt, Melissa McCarthy, and John Bishop was a gold mine. McCarthy's story about her audition, the headshots, Chris' double entendre-filled anecdote about getting his first headshots, John telling him he'd stick to that story if it were him... even the musical guest segment was a truly spectacular live appearance by Florence and the Machine.

Edited December 31, 2015 by Bruinsfan

[Luckylyn]

[Luckylyn]

[JustaPerson]

One of my faves:
 

[Athena]

Paul Rudd Kisses Dame Helen Mirren:

[Athena]

Julie Walters Feels 50 Cent's Gun Shot wounds = "Let's have a feel, Fifty"

 

[JeanneH]

Kate Beckinsale's chocolate buttocks prank story.....

...AND the Pantomime Horse costume story

(also on the couch for both: Matt LeBlanc, Emilia Clarke, and Dominic Cooper)

[Bruinsfan]

I can't recall the last time a talk show made me laugh as much as this segment with Dominic Cooper and Miriam Margolyes:

[MissLucas]

Margolies is always great - both her appearances with Will.I.am and Matthew Perry were fantastic (though I guess the later has never really recovered from the experience - he looked genuinely freaked out whenever she talked).

[dusang]

I love how Lily Allen moves away from Dominic throughout the video.

[Mumbles]

I think that was the episode where Miriam Margolyes called out Lilly Allen for being an obnoxious brat about something, and Miriam wasn't joking around. (And whatever it was, I do remember agreeing with her.)

I agree with MissLucas, Miriam is my favorite guest on this show.

Another favorite was when Andrew Lloyd Webber was a guest and Sinead O'Connor was musical guest and she did a beautiful rendition of "I Don't Know How to Love Him" and Lloyd-Webber was in tears. What a feeling it must be when someone takes something you wrote and treats it with love.

[Quof]

Whereas I fast forward through Miriam.  I find her foul-mouthed and offensive, and I'm no prude.   I didn't need to hear her story about jerking off a soldier, or about her creaming her knickers.   And my aversion has nothing to do with her not being "ladylike".  I don't recall any male guest ever being that crude.

[Matt K]

Av Club did a decent article about the show http://www.avclub.com/article/era-gimmicks-graham-norton-show-keeps-conversation-247878

 

Sadly it misses some of the best moments like having Miriam or the Monument Men's couch.

[fastiller]

@Matt K - they could've (should've) used the Monuments Men couch as an example of: 

Quote

You can find hints of Norton’s strategy in the U.S. On Watch What Happens Live, Andy Cohen shares Norton’s love for getting stars a little tipsy.

And yes, Miriam should've been mentioned, but she's probably not well enough known Stateside.

[dusang]

I could watch Greg Davies tell that story a million times.  I love every element of how he tells it and I particularly love that he was able to incorporate Ryan Gosling's phrase from earlier in the episode "a fecal Jackson Pollock."

[Bruinsfan]

The visual of Gosling dealing with that little incontinent rescue dog like a disgusting I Love Lucy comedy bit was hilarious in its own right. (Though I have to wonder, when you're that successful can't you just pony up the money to hire cleaners on short notice? I know I'd gladly cut out a few luxuries in order to avoid having to scrub liquid dog poo off every surface in a rental house.)

[amaranta]

On ‎12‎/‎1‎/‎2015 at 9:30 PM, loriro said:

The Bill Murray, Matt Damon, Hugh Bonneville episode is one of the flat-out funniest things I think I've ever seen. Someone has the whole episode posted but this is just one clip: 

Whenever I'm feeling really down I head to YouTube and watch that episode.  It has never failed me.  Oddly enough, I've never been moved to see The Monuments Men.  I think it's because I'm afraid it will ruin, or take away from, this episode.  So for me, The Monuments Men Couch is what I watch for true moments of comedic brilliance.  Movie?  What movie?

[dubbel zout]

Monuments Men is kind of a snooze, to be honest. A well-intentioned snooze, but a snooze nonetheless.

[kassygreene]

6 minutes ago, dubbel zout said:

Monuments Men is kind of a snooze, to be honest. A well-intentioned snooze, but a snooze nonetheless.

The book was much much better, being the version of what happened without editing it for dramatic punch.