I sat in on Friday watching Children in Need as I do most years. The irrepressible Wogan in the living room again for his annual airing, like a prized Christmas decoration your kids made at school and you can't bear to part with. Only this year I found myself making notes. That's what having a blog can do to you if you let it. I've been looking for the 'comedy angle' in everything I see or hear at the moment. Like seeing Dick and Dom presenting from the call centre. Purveyors of kiddie comedy and following in the footsteps of Maid Marion with the Legend of Dick and Dom. From that point on I had that look my dad used to have doing Spot the Ball all those years ago, keeping my eyes peeled for items to write about here. Comedy Items, like the Muppets.
The Muppets singing Manamana with a cast of literally dozens was disappointing and a terrible waste of Harry Hill. I was thinking on the night that he would have made a great guest on the Muppet show. Then I got thinking about who else around now would have been great on the Muppets. "Justin Lee Collins, he'd be good," I thought. "Frankie Boyle..." I cut my musings short as I had to make the transfer to BBC2 for Never Mind the Buzzcocks.
The Buzzcocks highlight was Noel Fielding creeping over to give Pudsey a hug and coming across like the Child Catcher from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
The BBC got there money's worth out of Vic and Bob before sending them on their surreal and merry way with Magic John and Slightofhandio, played brilliantly by Bob who looked like a cross between Emo Phillips and Eric Morecambe as they performed street magic in stiff competition with Dynamo.
There they all were, in amongst all the tear-jerking stuff, the telephone numbers, the totals, comedians making light of life, which can be terribly hard especially for young people. Kids in hospitals, tied to machines and who would rather be out with their mates playing football or plaiting each others' hair. Kids looking after mums or dads or both. Kids sleeping on inflatable beds with nowhere to hang their clothes. Kids separated from their parents because they've lost their home. Kids who were bright, beautiful human beings who made their parents hearts glow with pride and who are now gone. All of them need a laugh from time to time and so do we.