“It’s the interview I remember most clearly in my life, because it was such an intense experience. There’s nowhere to hide.” Charles Spencer
In the twilight of his career when many thought that Gay Byrne had finished with television, he demonstrated once again the reason for his staying power with a show that captivated Irish audiences for 13 seasons. Gay 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 Byrne celebrates 60 years in broadcasting, Once More with Meaning revisits some of highlights and guests from The Meaning of Life, to find out how the show allowed him to flex and hone his unique talent for getting people to talk.
“He has some sorcery…and you go to a place where you answer the question with immense freedom. He gives you the freedom and courage to go wherever you’re going.” Brenda Fricker
Over the years, The Meaning of Life delivered a remarkably frank and thought-provoking series of interviews. And what a cast. Sir Michael Parkinson, Colin Farrell, Brenda Fricker, 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 very best in the business. 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 television interview.
“I met Gay Byrne in 1961 at Granada. I started out admiring him and I ended up loving him. You couldn’t help it. I couldn’t have learnt from a better person.” Sir Michael Parkinson
Producer/Director – Michael McCormack