In February 2014, a researcher from The Graham Norton Show contacted me about licensing one of my costumed portraits from San Diego Comic-Con 2010. She explained: “Our terms are all media worldwide for 5 years, and we would normally pay £175 (about $285) for these. We would pay upon usage of the image, and I would be able to let you know on Monday whether it has made the final cut of the show. If it is included, then we will arrange payment. Would you be happy with this?”
My reply: “I love the show, and, of course, you have my permission to use the photo—and the terms are agreeable. Can you let me know if the pic makes the cut and, if so, when the show will air?” The photo did indeed make the “final cut”, and I was paid for the privilege.
Noting that the license had expired, another researcher contacted me in November 2020: “We are currently in the process of costing up the potential resale of old series of Graham Norton for AVOD in US”. A fee of 50 percent of the original was agreed upon. I don’t recall whether or not it was paid. The Presidential election and continuing SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2)/COVID-19 lockdowns had my distracted attention.
On Halloween 2023, a line producer from the show emailed:
In 2014 we had permission from you to use the below image within The Graham Norton Show. Currently I am in the process of extending permission on all our 3rd party materials within old shows so that they can be re-exploited. We are hoping to get the ok to keep the below image within the show for the following terms: Unlimited usage on all media, World Wide for 5 years from 1st Jan 2024. I hope that this is ok.
She made a big request, since there was no offered payment for licensing. To that I had an answer and wonder if it’s legally enforceable. I replied: “Permission granted, Rhiannon. With one caveat: Should I ever become famous, or infamous, do book me as a guest”. She answered: “We look forward to it”.
Well, looks like I have a goal for 2024: Do something that lands me as a guest on The Graham Norton Show.
Okay, so let’s discuss the Featured Image, taken using Leica X1 on July 24, 2010. The show licensed a tight crop that removed photobombing people in the background; coincidentally, the dimensions would be better for television. Fast-forward 14 years and software could remove those objects, or in this instance blur them out. Vitals: f/4, ISO 100, 1/320 sec, 24mm; 12 p.m. PDT.
The post’s title pays homage to film “Batman Returns”.