In the early '80's, the outrageous Joan Rivers grabbed headlines in the U.K. with her appearances on 'Des O'Connor Tonight'. B.B.C.-2 signed her up for 'Can We Talk?' ( it should have been called 'Can I Talk'? ). It was the kind of tacky, tasteless rubbish for which American television was once notorious ( and which we in the U.K. now seem to have adopted as the norm for chat shows ). Guests included the late Christopher Reeve, Kenneth Williams, Samantha Fox ( whom she asked if she was a virgin ), Kermit the frog ( yes, really ) and Bernard Manning, the latter famously humiliating co-host Peter Cook with: "You used to be very funny once, Peter.". Rivers' interviewing technique was atrocious, most of the questions concerned sex, and as a result the show looked tired after just one edition. Cook's contribution to the show was negligible, it was painful to watch this comedy genius reduced to playing second fiddle to the ghastly Rivers. Fortunately, the show did not get a second season.
