After his expulsion from the Labour Party, Hatton pursued a career in the media, presenting a show on radio station Talk Sport, and appearing on such television programmes as Have I Got News For You, where he was given a particularly rough ride by regular panellist Paul Merton, who mocked his apparent aspiration to be a comedian.
High-profile names from the 2008 festival include Joan Rivers, Paul Merton, Clive James, John Pinette and Rhona Cameron
From there, in 1988 he performed at Mayfest festival in Glasgow, which burgeoned into a semi-professional career, including jobs as a warm-up act for TV programmes including Have I Got News for You and for comedians Paul Merton and Rory Bremner.
Since then her TV credits include playing DC Jo McMullen in Liverpool 1 and roles in And The Beat Goes On, the Galton and Simpson series with Paul Merton, Wing and a Prayer, Karaoke, and Bread.
Many writers, actors and company’s developed their work at BAC during Blackmans tenure included Theatre de Complicite, Ridiculusmus, Clod Ensemble, Told by an Idiot, The Right Size, Talking Pictures, Trestle, Phil Wilmot and the Steam Industry, Jack Shepherd, Arthur Smith, Joe Penhall, Adrian Lester, Douglas Hodge, Paul Merton, Caroline Quentin and Ken Campbell.
MGM's powerful young producer, Irving Thalberg, challenged the power of the director in making films and refused to allow his own name to appear in his films' credits.
•
Merton views this through a study of the career of the silent film star Roscoe Arbuckle and how a false accusation led to his expulsion from the industry and as an excuse for instigating film self-censorship.
•
Meanwhile, Merton looks at the effect of the First World War and the flamboyance of directors such as Cecil B. DeMille.
By 1987 this four piece had a TV residency on the channel 4 show Comedy Wave Length with Paul Merton and Josie Lawrence
Pope John Paul II | Paul McCartney | Paul Simon | Paul Newman | Pope Paul VI | St Paul's Cathedral | Paul | Jean-Paul Sartre | Peter Paul Rubens | Paul Robeson | Paul Anka | St. Paul | Paul Hindemith | Paul Revere | Paul Weller | Paul Klee | Saint Paul | Paul Kelly | Paul Cézanne | John Paul Jones | Paul Ryan | Paul Gauguin | Paul Oakenfold | Jean Paul Gaultier | Thomas Merton | Paul the Apostle | Paul Keating | Paul Auster | Pope John Paul I | Paul Martin |
He has acted in such British television series as Shadow of the Noose, KYTV, Paul Merton, The Series, Drop the Dead Donkey, Outside Edge, A Dance to the Music of Time, Jo Brand Through the Cakehole, and All Along the Watchtower, as well as the American television series Melrose Place.
Imperial Leather adverts have previously featured Julie Walters and Paul Merton.
On leaving in 1993, he continued work as a session player and joined the house bands for Viva Cabaret with Tom Jones, The Jack Dee Show, The Paul Merton Show and An Audience with... Freddie Starr.
His daughter Sarah Parkinson (1962–2003) was a British producer and writer of radio and television programmes,and was married to comedian Paul Merton until her early death from breast cancer aged 41.