TFI Friday has been away for so long that its presenter, Chris Evans, is no longer the most famous Chris Evans. A google search brings up some tough guy actor, a Chris Evans who isn't ginger and who doesn't care that it's Friday.
TFI Friday (C4) came back last night for a one-off special but I don't believe it won't return properly. Last night's anarchic extravaganza felt like a test or a pilot episode, as though Channel 4 were saying 'are you kids still into this stuff?' According to Twitter, 'the kids' might not be, but all the 30 and 40-somethings certainly were.
And that's who last night's show was aimed at, because it was absolutely sodden with 90s nostalgia. Blur were on stage, singing the old classic, Coffee and TV, and Shaun Ryder made an appearance (with a gag on his mouth to prevent his notorious swearing). The old segments like 'It's Your Letters' were resurrected - and had defiantly not been turned into 'It's Your Tweets' - and the former guests of Freak or Unique were brought out, all 17 years older, such as the girl who could spurt milk out of her eyes and the baby with werewolf hair. Nothing new was introduced. Everything was the same as it was in the good old days, and that was a very wise move. If they'd tried to introduce a new segment there was always the fear that they'd get it wrong, and TFI Friday would be ruined, and would seem like a desperate band re-forming in their paunchy middle-age. Instead, in sticking perfectly to the old game, they managed to look as though they were genuinely celebrating the show, and saying 'hey, weren't we great?' and it was all done without any smugness.
Evans didn't shy away from the fact that almost 20 years have passed. 'We're nearly 50 now! Stop doing all that stuff!' he shouted, and 'I'm an old guy now'. This meant there was never a sense of self-indulgence about the revival.
But whilst I'm praising the show for sticking to its perfect format, there was one new thing. Their first guest was The Archbishop of York. Is that usual? Did TFI Friday have eminent religious figures on in the 90s? I don't recall that. The Archbishop swept on set in his robes to bless the show and to crack jokes about ginger hair. That seemed odd. Was it a desperate way for the Church to reach 'youth' or was it just another way for TFI to show how zany they are? Maybe this is what TV needs to do to be wild and controversial now, as there's no shock value in a drugged-up model or a swearing pop star?
Overall it was a great show, although rather long and running well over its allotted time of one hour, 35 minutes. But although I enjoyed it, I was left with a slightly sad feeling: I was glum because that's what nostalgia naturally leaves you with, but sad too because I don't think British TV could, or would dare, create something today so brave and gutsy and free. 'This is what your telly was made for, kids!' Evans shouted. Oh, if only…
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