The news that David Graham is returning to TV’s Thunderbirds as Parker, chauffeur to the team’s London Agent Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward, is a timely reminder that glamour and style are as big a part of the TV and film landscape as when the show first aired almost 40 years ago.
Since the show debuted in 1965, the glamorous lifestyle of Lady Penelope has become a staple of fictional heroes and villains – when was the last time you saw Tony Stark (Iron Man) or the latest James Bond baddie travelling by bus?
Sure, they get their hands dirty when on the job, but off-duty they get whisked around town by besuited drivers in the back of well-specced limousines.
Even Batman has a driver in the ever-loyal Alfred when not slamming the Batmobile around Gotham.
It’s not just on-screen, here too in the real-world nothing says ‘you’ve made it’ like emerging from the back of a vehicle driven by someone else whose been saddled with the stresses of getting you to your destination on time.
Several times a year the seenit team are spared a tube ride into town and get whisked to some big launch or preview by car.
And boy does it feel good!
ITV’s X-Factor is currently offering a ‘celebrity lifestyle’ competition which includes being whisked off to Paris for the day before walking the red carpet at The Hunger Games: Catching Fire premiere.
Somehow we don’t think the winners will be left to make their own arrangements for getting from the plane to the film, we’d put money on them being picked up by chauffeur at Heathrow and having the chance to soak up the sights of London as they get to their film.
Of course, no matter how alluring a ride in the back of a posh car is, there are some folk we’d never want to share with – can you imagine having The Apprentice wannabes bore for England alongside you?
All that squabbling about who ballsed-up the latest task would make even a trip on the packed rush hour Tube look alluring!