Lionel Blair's appearence on the 1980's best gameshow Bullseye. A legendary piece of footage by any standards. Obviously this is an early television outing for Lionel and he's a little unsure of exactly how the whole thing works. He has seemingly seen Jim before the start of the show and asked where the audience will be sitting, to which Jim has replied, "Don't worry I'll point them out to you as soon as you get on stage." As Lionel enters his fears immediately dissapate as he easily locates the audience and acknowledges them. Just as well, as Jim nearly, but doesn't, forget his promise. Audience located, it's time for business. The business of comedy:
Lionel Blair is determined to crack Bowen. And a lesser man than Bowen would have cracked under the barrage of sharp wit from Britain's favourite celebrity dancer.
Jim has held out though, and there's only twelve seconds of the clip left. Blair knows he still has one comedy gem hidden inside his odd looking head. But the line involves a pointing action, and with nervousness at a maximum after facing poker-faced Bowen, he is unable to hold his arm up to give one strong confident action. Looking at Jim for any sign that the great man is ready to subside into raptures of laughter, he nervously fires off two quick fire pointing actions at his comedy target. Has Lionel blown it with his unsure delivery, or is the joke of such high quaility it will nail comedy genius Jim Bowen against the wall of hilarity anyway?
On a side note doesn't the darts challenge seem just a little impossible. Lionel's obviously never seen a darts board before. And let's remember he is simultaneously providing comedy. I would imagine the meeting at Central Tv production went something like this.
"Shall we make ourselves look good by doing a charity round?"
"Fuck yeah, but let's not actually give away any money. How about setting a challenge where a celebrity who can barely hold the weight of a dart has to score 241 with nine darts?"
"Brilliant, they'd need nearly 30 points per throw, they'll never do it....No, just a minute let's really take the piss. Let's say 301 with nine-darts, but give them a 60 point head start 'Cause we know you don't do it for living'."
"Super, Smashing...'
"
Lionel Blair is determined to crack Bowen. And a lesser man than Bowen would have cracked under the barrage of sharp wit from Britain's favourite celebrity dancer.
Jim has held out though, and there's only twelve seconds of the clip left. Blair knows he still has one comedy gem hidden inside his odd looking head. But the line involves a pointing action, and with nervousness at a maximum after facing poker-faced Bowen, he is unable to hold his arm up to give one strong confident action. Looking at Jim for any sign that the great man is ready to subside into raptures of laughter, he nervously fires off two quick fire pointing actions at his comedy target. Has Lionel blown it with his unsure delivery, or is the joke of such high quaility it will nail comedy genius Jim Bowen against the wall of hilarity anyway?
On a side note doesn't the darts challenge seem just a little impossible. Lionel's obviously never seen a darts board before. And let's remember he is simultaneously providing comedy. I would imagine the meeting at Central Tv production went something like this.
"Shall we make ourselves look good by doing a charity round?"
"Fuck yeah, but let's not actually give away any money. How about setting a challenge where a celebrity who can barely hold the weight of a dart has to score 241 with nine darts?"
"Brilliant, they'd need nearly 30 points per throw, they'll never do it....No, just a minute let's really take the piss. Let's say 301 with nine-darts, but give them a 60 point head start 'Cause we know you don't do it for living'."
"Super, Smashing...'
"
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