Legend looks back Pick of the day
WHEN many thought Gay Byrne had finished with television, he demonstrated his staying power with a show that captivated audiences for 13 seasons.
He characteristically dismissed it as “radio on the telly,” but its simplicity became part of its appeal.
The Meaning of Life brought public figures from all walks of life in and out of their comfort zones as they discussed their personal stories, their careers, their beliefs (or lack of them), God, death, the after-life and what it’s all about. In the year in which Gay celebrates 60 years in broadcasting, Once More With
Meaning revisits some of highlights and guests to find out how the show allowed him to flex and hone his unique talent for getting people to talk.
Over the years, The Meaning Of Life delivered a remarkably frank and thoughtprovoking series of interviews.
And what a cast. Sir Michael Parkinson, Colin Farrell, Charles Spencer, Imelda May and Andrea Corr are just some of the special guests who look back on their own experiences of being under Gay’s “voodoo”, sharing their insights into what makes him the best in the business. Brenda Fricker says: “He has some sorcery and you go to a place where you answer the question with immense freedom.”
Featuring some of the most probing, revealing and unexpectedly funny conversations on television, Once More With Meaning revisits interviews with Stephen Fry, Bob Geldof, Bono, Martin Sheen, Sinead O’connor and many more.
In the process, it offers an entertaining masterclass in the art of the TV interview.