Graham Norton

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Lore & Background

The show initially broadcast on BBC Two from 22 February 2007, before moving to BBC One in October 2009. On BBC Two, the show mirrored earlier formats with strong adult humour, Norton's monologue, and often a musical guest to play out over the credits. Hidden camera surprises were a staple, such as a TARDIS on the South Bank when David Tennant appeared, and a wine-tasting group drinking Gérard Depardieu's wine while he was on the show. An extra five-minute section called the 'Cooldown' was recorded after the band's performance, shown in an extended weekend repeat called *Graham Norton Uncut* and available as a downloadable podcast. Once the show moved to BBC One, it moved to Monday nights and the guest list increased to three or occasionally four people. A new audience participation segment called 'That's All We've Got Time For' was introduced, where audience members sit in the famous red chair and tell a story; if Norton gets bored, he or a guest pulls a lever and the chair falls backwards, dumping the speaker. This segment was inspired by comedian Ronnie Corbett's long-winded armchair monologues. The show took over the coveted Friday night slot on 22 October 2010, following the end of *Friday Night with Jonathan Ross*.

Reader's Guide

The first series began at 10 pm on 22 February 2007 on BBC Two, originally slated for 13 episodes but extended by six due to its success. A 12-week second series began on 11 October 2007, culminating with a Boxing Day special and a New Year's compilation. Series 3 began on 17 April 2008, dropping the 'Cooldown' segment in favor of a full uncut 45-minute version. Series 4 began on 3 October 2008 at 10:00 pm on BBC Two. Since its sixth series, the show has aired on BBC One. In late January 2017, Norton signed a new three-year deal with the BBC, keeping the show on BBC One until at least 2020. The show was produced from the ITV Studios on London's Southbank from 2007 until its final episode there on 15 February 2018. Production then moved to Studio TC1 at BBC Television Centre in West London, with the first edition recorded there on 5 April 2018. Series 27, beginning 10 April 2020, adopted a different format due to the coronavirus pandemic: Norton presented from his own home, chatting to guests via video link, with a reduced 30-minute running time and an earlier 9:00 pm timeslot. After four episodes, it returned to its 10:35 pm slot. Series 28, beginning 2 October 2020, returned to the studio with social distancing: each guest had their own chair positioned 2 metres apart, with Norton in the middle. From the sixth episode, the studio audience was replaced by a virtual audience due to a national lockdown. Series 30, beginning 30 September 2022, saw the return of the big red sofa with guests sitting closer together, though the larger screen remained for virtual guests. The programme currently tapes at Television Centre, London.

Did You Know?

• The show's 'red chair' segment, where audience members are dumped from a chair if Norton gets bored, was inspired by comedian Ronnie Corbett's long-winded armchair monologues.
• The show won the British Academy Television Award for Best Comedy Entertainment Programme in 2015.
• Norton has won the British Academy Television Award for Best Entertainment Performance three times: in 2011, 2012, and 2018.
• During the coronavirus pandemic, Series 27 was presented by Norton from his own home with guests joining via video link.
• The show moved from ITV Studios on London's Southbank to Studio TC1 at BBC Television Centre in West London in April 2018.

From BBC Two to the Friday Night Throne

The Graham Norton Show launched on BBC Two in February 2007 as a 30-minute programme built around Norton's opening monologue, two celebrity guests, and a musical act. What began as a modest 13-episode first series quickly proved too popular for its planned run, prompting the BBC to extend it by six additional episodes. By October 2009 the show had graduated to BBC One, where the format expanded to accommodate three or occasionally four guests per episode while trimming some of Norton's earlier signature bits. The most significant career leap came in October 2010, when the programme inherited the coveted late-Friday-evening slot previously held by Jonathan Ross's show. This placement cemented Norton as a fixture of British television's most competitive night. His institutional standing was further reinforced in January 2017, when he signed a three-year contract with the BBC that guaranteed the show's continued presence on BBC One through at least 2020, alongside his other commitments including a BBC Radio 2 programme and Eurovision Song Contest commentary duties.

The Architecture of a Norton Episode

Each episode follows a carefully choreographed structure that has evolved across the show's run. Norton opens with a short monologue, then introduces his guests—typically two on BBC Two, three or four on BBC One. The handling of musical acts varies: some performers like Enrique Iglesias appear on stage from the very first minute, others like Gareth Gates join for a brief interview five to seven minutes before their set, and still others perform exclusively over the closing credits. During the BBC Two era, an extra five-minute Cooldown segment was recorded after the musical performance, featuring audience games such as guessing a partner or mass charades, and was later released in extended weekend repeats and as a downloadable podcast. The BBC One iteration replaced this with That's All We've Got Time For, in which an audience member sits in a red chair to tell a story while Norton and his guests listen; if the tale drags on too long, someone pulls a lever and the chair tips backward, ejecting the speaker. The segment was inspired by comedian Ronnie Corbett's famously rambling armchair monologues.

Critical Acclaim and Industry Recognition

Norton's distinctive blend of adult wit, dialogue rich with innuendo, and a flamboyant on-screen presence has earned him sustained critical praise. He has collected the British Academy Television Award for Best Entertainment Performance on three separate occasions—in 2011, 2012, and 2018—making him one of the most decorated hosts in the category's history. The programme itself also received a BAFTA for Best Comedy Entertainment Programme in 2015, a testament to the show's overall production quality and comedic writing beyond Norton's individual performance. These accolades arrived during the show's transition period and its consolidation on BBC One, suggesting that the format's evolution from the more intimate BBC Two setup to the larger BBC One production did not dilute the comedic edge that initially defined it. The repeated recognition across different years also indicates that the show maintained its quality over an extended run rather than relying on a single breakout season, a pattern that aligns with the BBC's decision to repeatedly renew and extend the programme's commitment.

Beyond the Studio: Surprises, Scheduling, and International Reach

The show's production is as inventive off-camera as it is on. During the BBC Two era, hidden-camera pranks and surprise phone calls were regular features, sometimes arranged through viewer-submitted ideas. Notable stunts included setting up a dating website for Sarah Beeny, placing a TARDIS on the South Bank for David Tennant's appearance, and organising a wine-tasting group to drink Gérard Depardieu's own wine while he was live in the studio. The show also found an early international audience, premiering on BBC America in June 2007, just one week after the originally scheduled end of its first UK series. Subsequent series followed with only a nine-day gap between UK and US broadcasts, though occasional scheduling quirks saw episodes air in reverse order across the two territories. Regional variations within the UK also shaped the viewing experience: BBC Two Wales and Northern Ireland frequently aired the Thursday episode later than other regions due to local programming, and during series three, Northern Ireland shifted the broadcast to Friday nights entirely.