LOSE-UP Anne Diamond
LOSE-UP Anne Diamond You heard of The Call Of The Society with cue-cards. The Wild? The Anne Diamond 'Famous Five', as Jay, story, like that of so many Michael Parkinson, Robert others doing well in the Kee, Anna Ford and Angela broadcasting companies of Rippon were called, were the the American-speaking last gasp in tv of what Nor- world, could be subtitled The man Tebbit likes to call, Call Of The Mild. snarling, 'the Holland Park The Mild Bunch are feted cocktail set' - la-di-da wets not for what they have but responsible for decimal what they have not; beauty, money and the Perm Soc, led wit, originality, talent. Real by Roy Jenkins, King Wet talent carries with it a spark himself. They were universi- of something dark, some- ty types; sometimes, like Kee thing hinting at danger and and Ford, highly intelligent destruction and derange- but always, like Parkinson ment. Jim Morrison and Bil- and Rippon, highly profes- lie Holliday were easy marks sional. for early death, but can you They weren't popular. What imagine Terry Wogan starv- might have been bearable at ing in a garret, or Jonathan twilight was seen as patro- Ross sunny side up at the nising and pompous in the bottom of his Filofax-shaped cold light of dawn. They suf- swimming pool? The Mild fered against the BBC's Bunch don't end up like that. Breakfast Time, which They're the strained baby- caught a good balance with food of communications, the the beauty and amateurism glucose drip of entertain- of Selina Scott and the home- ment.
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