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It's A Royal
Knockout: The Untold Story was a documentary telling the behind-the-scenes
story of The
Grand Knockout Tournament that was staged and
transmitted by the BBC in 1987. Through the use of clips from the programme
and 'talking head' interviews with co-presenter Su Pollard, Aled Jones (page
boy), associate producer Tony Nicholson, critic Nina Myskow and others, the
story of what became a Royal embarrassment was told. The programme was
generally positive about It's A Knockout, and - considering the
well-publicised scandal and television's airbrushing out of others who
committed similar misdemeanours - surprisingly included clips of presenter
Stuart Hall prior to a statement concerning his fall from grace.
Presented in typically
jolly, tongue-in-cheek fashion by comedian Julian Clary, this programme
arguably focused more on the Royal aspect of The Grand Knockout Tournament
(which it preferred to call It's A Royal Knockout, which is
understandable) than on the It's A Knockout broadcast itself. It
suggested that the show was a well-meaning endeavour that raised good money
for charity but which also was something of a disaster from the monarchy's
perspective.
Although an
interesting programme, it lacked a modern-day Royal perspective (perhaps
unsurprising) and was also strange in that none of the celebrity competitors
were interviewed either. |
