Question, or Nominate?

I attended a friend’s poetry book launch last night, and on the bus home I read of the passing of William G Stewart, a former TV producer and presenter in the UK. He hosted a quiz show, 15-to-1, for many years, in a famously unfussy, non-demonstrative style. I found myself strangely moved by his death, and compelled to write a poem about it, perhaps because of how television – and quiz shows in particular – have changed in the last few years. To me, he is a lost link to a different time.

William Gladstone Stewart,
Or to me just William G;
A remnant from a bygone age
Of simpler TV.

No flannel between questions,
No inconsequential padding.
Just quizzing for the purist
Within a geography teacher’s cladding.

No cheesy catchphrase churned out,
No tearing people down.
A host with quiet dignity,
No need to play the clown.

You reached the final round
Scored the maximum throughout.
From fifteen, to one, your time is done;
Your lights have all gone out.

RIP William G xxx