The Meaning of Life (TV series)

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The Meaning of Life
File:The Meaning of Life with Gay Byrne.jpg
Also known as 'The Meaning of Life with Gay Byrne'
Genre Interview
Starring Gay Byrne
Country of origin Ireland
Original language(s) English
No. of series 9
No. of episodes 50
Release
Original network RTÉ One
Original release 19 April 2009-present
External links
Website

The Meaning of Life is an Irish religious television programme, broadcast on RTÉ One. Presented by Gay Byrne, each edition involves the veteran broadcaster interviewing a prominent public figure.[1]

Interviews with former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and actors Gabriel Byrne and Brenda Fricker during the second series attracted media attention. Ahern spoke of his religious habits; Byrne and Fricker of being sexually abused as children.

Episode list

First series

No. Original air date Guest
1
 19 April 2009 Colin Farrell
The actor spoke of topics such as his father and his addictions.[1]
2
 26 April 2009 Gerry Adams
The Sinn Féin leader spoke of the process of concluding resentment, indignation or anger as a result of a perceived offence, difference or mistake, and ceasing to demand punishment or restitution, the great unknown, Final Judgment and how his beliefs have affected his life as a republican.[1] Byrne said this meeting with Adams had lacked any confrontation but described it as "an interview where you certainly had to think on your feet".[2]
3
 3 May 2009 Maeve Binchy
The writer spoke of losing her beliefs as a Roman Catholic during a journey to Jerusalem as a young adult, describing it as "the Road to Damascus experience in reverse".[1]
4
 10 May 2009 Ronan Keating
The singer was described by Byrne as "a revelation" after the episode.[1] Keating spoke of his disagreements with his manager Louis Walsh, the death of his mother from cancer and the Marie Keating Foundation which resulted.[1][2]
5
 17 May 2009 Sinéad O'Connor
The musician spoke of her views about the deity of her belief system and how this affects her artistic output.[1] She later said she an Byrne had had "a lovely morning together".[3] The interview was filmed in January 2009 at O'Connor's house.[3] Byrne referenced the interview in an article he wrote for the Sunday Independent later that day.[4]
6
 24 May 2009 Neil Jordan
The writer and filmmaker immediately denied being religious, but indicated spiritual beliefs when he stated his view that life continues after the permanent termination of the biological functions that define a living organism.[1] Jordan recalled his father telling him he would return after death and their subsequent post-death encounter during a stormy fixed-wing aircraft flight.[1]

Second series

No. Original air date Guest
7
 17 January 2010 Gabriel Byrne
The actor spoke for the first time about sexual abuse he had received from the Christian Brothers when he was a boy and also said he had left the priesthood after he "walked up the stairs behind two girls in miniskirts" while on a bus in London.[5][6]
8
 24 January 2010 Tommy Tiernan
9
 31 January 2010 Brenda Fricker
The actress spoke about being beaten by her mother and sexually abused by a friend.[7]
10
 7 February 2010 Bertie Ahern
The former Taoiseach confessed he had not confessed in the past 40 years but often went to Mass and spoke of the intimacy he shared with Ian Paisley over their religion while in London in 2004.[8]
11
 14 February 2010 Mary Robinson
12
 21 February 2010 Edna O'Brien[9]

Third series

No. Original air date Guest
13
 26 September 2010 Terry Wogan
The BBC broadcaster discussed his atheism.[10][11][12]
14
 3 October 2010 Fionnula Flanagan[13]
15
 10 October 2010 Deepak Chopra[14]
16
 17 October 2010 Ian Paisley[15]
17
 TBA Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh
18
 TBA Dana Rosemary Scallon

Fourth series

No. Original air date Guest
19
 TBA Michael Parkinson
20
 TBA Brendan O'Carroll
21
 TBA Mark Patrick Hederman
22
 TBA Brian Cody
23
 TBA Martin Sheen
The actor spoke of his pro-life views and said his wife was conceived through a rape and he says had her mother aborted her, or dumped her in the Ohio River as she had considered, his wife would not exist. He also talked about three of his grandchildren who were conceived out of wedlock, saying his sons "were not happy at the time but they came to love these children. We have three grown grandchildren, two of them are married, they're some of the greatest source of joy in our lives."[16][17][18]
24
 TBA Ben Dunne

Fifth series

No. Original air date Guest
25
 8 January 2012 Andrea Corr
26
 15 January 2012 Paddy Moloney
27
 22 January 2012 Shay Cullen
28
 29 January 2012 Richard Branson
29
 5 February 2012 Bob Geldof
30
 TBA Mary Byrne

Sixth series

No. Original air date Guest
31
 9 October 2012 Mary McAleese
The former President of Ireland spoke about same-sex marriage.[19]
32
 14 October 2012 Noel Gallagher
33
 22 January 2012 Seán Gallagher
The businessman gave his first televised interview since his presidential failure.
34
 28 October 2012 Niall Quinn

Seventh series

No. Original air date Guest
35
 6 January 2013 Colm Tóibín
36
 12 January 2013 J. P. Donleavy
37
 20 January 2013 John Lonergan
Former governor of Mountjoy Prison
38
 27 January 2013 Maureen Gaffney
UCD Clinical Psychologist
39
 3 February 2013 Maria Doyle Kennedy

Seven and a halfth series

No. Original air date Guest
40
 25 June 2013 The Bono
The musician talked about his humanitarian work, his religious faith, and also his parents' marriage and father's death. He granted the interview on the understanding that it would be a purely personal one and insisted his episode be aired separately from the rest of the series. Uncle Gaybo and RTÉ obliged.[20]

Eighth series

No. Original air date Guest
41
 6 October 2013 Colm Wilkinson
The musical star spoke of his absence of faith.[21]
42
 TBA Emily O'Reilly[22]
43
 TBA Peter McVerry[23]
44
 TBA Celine Byrne[24]

Ninth series

The ninth series began airing on 4 May 2014.

No. Original air date Guest
45
 4 May 2014 Majella O'Donnell
Interview with the cancer sufferer.[25]
46
 TBA Rory O'Neill
Interview with the man behind the make-up.[26]
47
 TBA Sean O'Sullivan
Interview with the ex-Dragons' Den star.[27]
48
 TBA Eamon Dunphy
Interview with the soccer man.[28]
49
 TBA David Puttnam
Interview with the film producer and British Lord.[29]
50
 TBA Enda Kenny
Interview with the man behind the make-up.[30]

Reception

Gay Byrne is the presenter.

John Boland of the Irish Independent claimed the series became "more religious in thrust and tone as it progressed".[31] He described the episode featuring Neil Jordan as a "bizarre encounter", in which the writer and filmmaker "grew more and more bemused" as Byrne questioned him in great detail about his religious faith.[31] Jordan answered such questions as "Do you think your religion might return to you on your deathbed?" and "Do you think there's a day of reckoning?" with "I really haven't got a clue" and "I don't know, Gay" but when he commented that "every time I'm in a plane and it's hit by lightning I bless myself", Byrne replied "Hah!", as if, according to Boland, Jordan had "just revealed a basic faith in the Catholic Almighty rather than a reflex reaction to imminent catastrophe".[31]

The Irish Times's Kevin Courtney said of The Meaning of Life: "The title is a bit grandiose – you could just as easily call it Tell Uncle Gaybo All About It.[32]

Byrne prefers not to discuss his own faith: <templatestyles src="Template:Blockquote/styles.css" />

I am not going to say, because it would compromise me in terms of the show if people knew I had a position. What you find is that they are all searching. No one has the truth.[33]

Viewing figures

An average of 247,000 viewers tuned into the first four episodes of the series, featuring interviews with Farrell, Adams, Binchy and Keating.[2] The episode featuring Keating attracted the most viewers, with a total of 258,000 reported.[2] Next was the Adams interview, with 251,000 viewers.[2] This was followed by the interview with Binchy which had 231,000 viewers.[2]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Martin Sheen Sheds Light on Reasons for His Pro-Life Views
  18. ↑ Raidió Teilifís Éireann interview
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  25. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  26. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  27. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  28. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  29. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  30. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  31. ↑ 31.0 31.1 31.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  32. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  33. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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