As a not native British person you might have laid eyes on him only through a movie: In the British blockbuster "Love Actually" one of the characters announces his appearance on Michael Parkinson´s talk show if his song makes it to number one by christmas.

But you are never too sure if that show really exists because Hugh Grant was not the real Prime Minister of the British Empire at that time, let alone was Billy Bob Thornton the president of the Untied States.

As interesting as that would have been.

That guy Michael Parkinson was for real, indeed. He happened to be host to the longest running talk show in British national television, and since it is its Fiftieth anniversary I started to watch re-runs at BBC since some time.

He is as charming as he is old fashioned, you might watch him with the ladies and find out that he is somtimes on the edge of sexist (with Helen Mirren, for instance), sometimes harsh ("like an unapproving dad", Meg Ryan claimed after her personal desaster-interview with him).

You might as well watch some pretty rare interaction by icons such as Lauren Bacall (smoking hot!), Bette Davies (smoking!) or Shirley Maclaine, all of them speaking frankly and talking funny.

And you might finally watch Sir Michael Parkinson interacting with the guys - to find out that he is all about a good laugh, mostly about himself.

All I know about that certain kind of British humor, that deeply serious intention of enternaining an audience at any price I learnt about here first.

Check it out and you might as well get a taste of it.