MICHAEL Parkinson has a new book out recalling his chat show heydays.

Last night, Graham Norton moved into Jonathan Ross’ vacant BBC1 Friday night slot. And Paul O’Grady is settled back at ITV with a post-watershed show.

The talk show is alive and well and chatting, although a lot of the talk is about who’s good and who’s bad at making conversation with the rich, famous and has-beens on the comeback trail.

Parkinson is regarded by many as the Master of Chat, but even he wasn’t quite so good as his latest book Parky’s People: The Lives, The Laughs, The Legend (Hodder & Stoughton, £20) proves. He recalls that his first star interview – with actor Sir Bernard Miles – wasn’t a total success. Miles wrote: “After reading your article today I have come to the conclusion you should go far. Could I suggest Australia.”

Now, we’re all used to abuse from those we have interviewed (I once received a letter from a celebrity which began, “Pratt by name and prat by nature...”).

Clearly, I had done something to offend.

Talking on TV is a different kettle of fish to print.

It may look easy, but just try looking intelligent, asking sensible questions and dealing with celebrities keen not to give anything away. The art of conversation and interrogation is a difficult one.

Parkinson, for instance, reckons he was better when he returned in 1998 after a long break. Most of us, on the other hand, would say he was more about plugging than chatting by that time. He denies this.

It should be noted that celebrities only come out of hiding when they have something to plug. Both print and TV rely on them giving something of themselves to promote their latest film, play, DVD, TV show, whatever. Some play the game better than others.

Parkinson believes that his show was just as much about plugging in the Seventies as when he returned in the late Nineties. Besides, he argues, critics have always been a little ambiguous about talk shows.

Some would say he was too soft on his guests, although surely he was only trying to put them at their ease so they’d spill the beans about the important things in their lives more easily. It’s a twoway street – we give you air/print time and you give us a few personal titbits to satisfy the man in the street and make the article interesting.

If you want tough interrogation just short of waterboarding then go on Newsnight and be grilled by Jeremy Paxman. But he’s a different sort of talk show host altogether. And he doesn’t work in the realm of showbiz.

A good chat show is a much more civilised affair where everyone gets along but isn’t averse to spilling the beans on a few selected personal titbits.

The problem is when the host becomes more famous – or thinks he’s more important – than the guests. That happened with Jonathan Ross who, increasingly, seemed to think his show was more about him than whoever was sitting on the sofa opposite.

Graham Norton, on the other hand, is quite happy to take a back seat and let his guests shine.

As a result, he gets more out of them than might be expected. He doesn’t avoid taking the mickey out of his guests if necessary, but most seem glad of the opportunity to have a bit of fun with their image rather than playing up to it all the time.

Paul O’Grady has the common touch (I mean that nicely), able to communicate with his audience without talking down to them, but still retaining a Lily Savage-like outrageousness.

Others have tried and failed. Both C4 and ITV have been desperate to find a five o’clock replacement.

Alan Titchmarsh – kindly, sympathetic and unthreatening – seems to be what the public likes.

They also like My Family, so perhaps we shouldn’t pay too much attention to them.

David Dickinson’s afternoon talk show wasn’t judged a winner. The jury is still out on affable Michael Ball.

In the meantime, we can savour Parky’s People spanning five decades of chatting. The cast list includes Edith Evans, Elton John, Billy Connolly, David Beckham and George Best.

It’s a remarkable list and a remarkable achievement, but somehow I think Parky’s era is over.

Viewers demand a more challenging, more amusing approach to chat shows now.