One of the most successful comedians and gameshow hosts this country has ever produced, but has been notably absent from our TV screens (albeit a few one off appearances) since the whole swimming pool incident - but could he realistically return to our screens?
Maybe for a new series of Strike it Lucky/Rich? Has enough time passed or will we not see him return?
I adored Barrymore growing up, thought he was exceptional in Mick and Mack.
Barrymore was supposed to be returning with a new show or drama or whatever it was but mention of that has all but dried up. He hasn't tweeted since last year.
He did return to TV for Celebrity Big Brother a few years ago but it didn't revive his fortune. Whether any network would have him back is debatable but that being said Challenge were perfectly happy to air Strike It Lucky and Rich right through the entire Lubbock saga and beyond...
He's done interviews where he says he has no desire to get back into the limelight. Besides which, recent interviews show a man who's very gentle and docile, a far cry from the brash, energetic man we once knew on screen.
I still think Michael was amazing, but God forbid having someone like him on screen nowadays in the age of Twitter. Everything he'd say and do would be subject to outrage. Just look at the reaction to the clip of Susan Boyle on My Kind of People that resurfaced a few years back. Michael's tomfoolery was nothing out of the ordinary, but because Susan was the nation's sweetheart when the clip circulated, a lot of people wanted his head on a stick for being so "disrespectful".
17 years have gone by, longer than he was part of the big time on TV previously, so although I'd be fine with him back it's too late and he will never do so. Best he can hope for is being invited onto these celeb travel show type things that are suddenly becoming all the rage currently. But his own primetime show on a mainstream channel? Not a chance, despite the fact he has more talent than almost anyone on big time TV currently.
He came over extremely well on CBB in 2006. It surprised me that didn't re-ignite his TV career after five years away. That was the moment in time it could have happened.
Ultimately, he's an entertainer from a past era now. TV has changed so much since he was last regularly on TV. I couldn't imagine him coming back, or wanting to come back (as has been alluded to in this thread).
Ultimately, he's an entertainer from a past era now. TV has changed so much since he was last regularly on TV. I couldn't imagine him coming back, or wanting to come back (as has been alluded to in this thread).
Agreed. In essence it was probably a blessing in a very nasty disguise that it happened when it did. As you only need look at a year or two later and TV had changed a lot even by then. Cilla had quit, reality TV was king and variety was dead.
Strike It Lucky/Rich was pretty much killed off by WWTBAM, wasn't it?
And how much more likely is it that a third series of Bob Martin would have been commissioned had the Lubbock incident not occurred? That show certainly attracted some reasonably big names, and received positive reviews from critics - but didn't attract many viewers, which may be why it was cut from 45 minutes to 30 for the second series.