Enough Rope with Andrew Denton

Denton is a funny man, he is a wit, there is no doubting that. He needs to relax and let his interviewee talk though. His direction of the conversation is at times most annoying. When Toni Collette was on the show recently she when off on some very interesting tangents that Denton cut prematurely. One of which was Collette talking about her Oscars experience, with the funny encounter with Keanu Reeves. This is a show that I want around. I just hope Denton finds the courage to let go of his nerves.

For those who enjoy TV with heart, brains and a willingness to explore humanity, Enough Rope is the perfect show, hosted by an Australian with a serious talent for real talk.

Forget all the chat shows, forget the incessant celebrity-fawning morning/daytime/afternoon/evening plugs for whatever movie/music or event is being advertised. Andrew Denton, an experienced comedian, writer, and radio announcer brings his irreverency to the most known format on tv, the talk show.

What sets Enough Rope apart is Denton's ability to cut through the hype with his guests. His questions are careful in their ability to get right to the heart of the issue, person or feeling. Sometimes brutually direct, but always intelligent, he allows his audience to get into the head of his guests, and allows the guests to express whatever they feel like expressing - without the publicity spin.

Highlights of the first season include the excellent interviews with celebrity stockbroker Rene Rivkin and the amazing Rachel Ward, whose frank emotional response to Denton's questioning about her love for her husband Bryan Brown was a truly sweet and wonderful moment.

Enough Rope is backed by the excellent ABC TV, a network which any Australian show be proud to call their own. Capable of the intimate and the expository, this 'chat' show continues to build a reputation for intelligence and wit: something not seen on most television in a long time.

Last night's brilliant interview with Lisa Marie Presley was another example of the reason why this show is the best. A frank insight into a very real woman, it was clever and interesting as well as a great laugh.

Already a winner at last year's Walkely Awards (for the journalism interview) Denton has received the reviews and the ratings to cement his place in TV history.

And all this without ads, and without the hype surrounding any tv product. Standing on its own merits, may we see more to come.

Denton's interviews don't just skim the surface: they dig down and tug at the heartstrings and the humour at the same time. He also tends to take people and their stories beyond what the viewer expects.

Denton interviews the famous, the infamous, and everyone in between. He uses his wit to allow his guests to make fun of themselves and in doing so, reveal their stories in a way and with a depth that is rarely seen.

Interviews happen every day on shows like "Good Morning Australia" and "Rove [Live]", but the difference can be staggering: for example, Hugh Jackman's interview on Rove was positively light and fluffy in comparison to the more meaningful interview presented about a week later on Denton's "Enough Rope".

It is said that the fact that Denton's interviews are broadcast after editing allows for a greater variety of questions to be asked and answered, with the guest secure in the knowledge that they can request the removal of any section. While spontaneity is lost through this process, if it is required to attain such high-quality, insightful and interesting interviews, then I am more than glad to lose the novelty of a live broadcast.

Four out of Five Stars.

This show just gets better and better. One could call Andrew Denton Australia's Michael Parkinson, but I reckon he's better! Being on the ABC, Denton has no need to suppress his natural style, or to any way play the celebrity game; no show tunes or dumbing-down here, I'm pleased to say.

What makes this show special is Andrew Denton himself, and the fact that he's free to use his natural intelligence and wit, even his exuberance, to drive the show. The subjects of his interviews seem to open up naturally as a result of the space they are given, and the depth of research which is obviously done prior to the show. It's way more than: Tell us about your new movie/book/play, etc, which is the tedious grind of interviews on commercial TV.

May ABC-TV be wise enough to allow the bespectacled one to be the master of his own show for many years to come.

It is a great show, and Denton is a fine interviewer. However, there are two small criticisms I should make, only for balance, and I hope they are constructive.

Firstly, Denton promised the hard interviews - he wasn't going to do the usual round of airhead celebrities and dull authors. Unfortunately, I think he's discovered that it is air-head celebrities and dull authors who prefer these shows. With notable exceptions (John Elliot and Rene Rivkin - and a very few others), I get sick of pop-stars, actresses with a barrow to push and 'celebrities' selling their latest wares. I don't blame Denton per se - he has a show to run. I would prefer less Enough Rope, with better guests, rather than 'Rove Live' on the ABC. (Rove is a great show, too, but different.)

Secondly, the first season was a bit patchy. It has improved immeasurably. I wish Denton well.i have been a fan of his since he was 'Andrew the Boy Wonder' on Sydney Morning Radio. If we can get the type of guests he wants (and I know they are difficult), he will enter his place in the pantheon of Australian Television