Despite Ian Hislop’s best efforts, Charlie Chaplin was saved from Room 101 because Paul Merton refused to put him there (see previous post). Hislop railed against not only Chaplin but “all silent films”. Merton called on pianist Neil Brand to accompany Chaplin clips on the big screen, followed by ‘silent’ film of Hislop himself. The audience seemed to lap it up, but Hislop remained stonily unconvinced.