‘The Missus’ and me went to London to see a recording of ‘Al Murray’s Happy Hour’ last week; we stayed the night at a hotel making it a bit of a break/dirty weekend (as people used to say).

I would say that I was/am a fan of Al Murray but if anyone is thinking of attending TV recordings, beware, the magic of telly is lost when you see how it’s done.
Mr Murray was announced by the warm up guy as being one of the nicest guys on TV. That he may be but the difference between seeing a show edited and shown on the box and seeing it recorded, takes away completely the impression that the show is directed at you personally for your entertainment.

Al Murray did only what he had to do, he did not engage the audience in the way it feels when you are sitting in front of the telly box at home. The whole set of the studio was for the benefit of the recording, which is obviously fitting/to be expected, but if you have queued up for two and a half hours outside in the cold and rain, you would be hoping to see the whole show, not have it obscured by scenery or have the guests or host of the show have their back to you.

In short, if you go to one of these recordings (and you can, for free, tickets available on the interweb) you are there to provide clapping and noise. If you want to continue to enjoy any particular entertainer, or show, go to a live stage show, or watch it on the box.

Anyone watching the show this Friday coming, might just see ‘The Missus’ and me, in a one off TV appearance…sitting behind ‘Big Bob’, and his wife, Ann. I’ll be the one with the practiced dour expression sitting next to the woman putting on a brave face.

Having said all that. Going to London for the weekend is always a treat for this small town Scotsman. Travelling on the underground or walking the streets of London never ceases to amaze and entertain me. All of life is there, from one extreme to another. I love visiting the capital, but dear o dear, I wouldn’t want to live there.