[JMT1985]

I read somewhere Parkinson wasn't a fan of widescreen, he felt back in the late 90s into the 00s he felt widescreen was still a novelty for most people, who watched their TV either digital or analogue with the typical black bars at the top and bottom of their screen, and he felt it ruined the atmosphere and look of his show, especially with the close up shots of the guests.

When he moved to ITV he didn't have any choice, he had to use widescreen, but made a stipulation that close up shots would be the norm for his show.