Michael Parkinson - Background, Other work

Journalist and broadcaster, born in Cudworth, near Barnsley, South Yorkshire, N England, UK. He became a journalist working for local and national papers. Moving into television, he has produced and presented several programmes, and is best known as the host of his own chat show Parkinson (BBC, 1971–82, 1998–2004) for which he received a BAFTA for Best Light Entertainment Performance in 1999. He joined ITV in 2004 where he continues to present the show. His many sporting publications include Sporting Profiles (1995), and in the same year he was voted Sports Feature Writer of the Year in the British Sports Journalism Awards.

Michael Parkinson

Michael Parkinson
Born:	28 March 1935 Cudworth, Yorks., England
Occupation:	Journalist and television personality
Spouse:	Mary Heneghan
Children:	Andrew, Nicholas and Michael
Website:	Parkinson

Michael Parkinson CBE (born March 28, 1935) is a British journalist and television presenter.

Background

Parkinson, or "Parky" as he is familiarly known, was born in Cudworth near Barnsley, Yorkshire.

During the 1960s, he moved into television, working on current affairs programmes for both the BBC and Manchester-based Granada Television.

Parkinson was made a CBE in the 2000 Queen's Birthday Honours List. In a list of the 100 Greatest British Television Programmes drawn up by the British Film Institute in 2000, voted for by industry professionals, Parkinson was placed 8th .

Other work

The British Film Institute has a comprehensive overview and filmography of probably the majority of Parkinson's work. Parkinson holds a prolific 451 credits as a presenter along with various others. Parkinson also presents a Sunday morning show on BBC Radio 2, which features a newspaper and entertainment round-up (with the help of various journalists) and a lengthy interview with a media personality. In the 1980s, Parkinson wrote a series of children's books called The Woofits about a family of anthropomorphic dog-like creatures who lived in the fictional Yorkshire coal-mining village of Grimeworth. Parkinson also took over as host of Thames Television's Give Us a Clue from Michael Aspel. In 1992, Parkinson appeared as himself in the television drama Ghostwatch. Parkinson is one of the figures on the cover of the Wings album Band on the Run. His other involvements in sport include writing a column for the Daily Telegraph and hosting a discussion programme on BBC Radio Five Live.