Perched on his trademark swivel chair, Sir Michael Parkinson was known for getting the best out of whoever was sitting opposite him.
The legendary British broadcaster died on Wednesday, aged 88.
Even when things didn't go to plan, Parkinson's subjects seemed to make great television.
These are some of the most memorable moments from his decades of interviews.
The boxing champion: Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali was one of the two superstar guests that Parkinson has credited with cementing his show's position as a ratings juggernaut.
He interviewed the boxing icon four times during his career, and described him as "the most extraordinary man I ever met, without a single shred of a doubt".
"When you get that kind of regular, it's God's gift ... Billy and Ali would guarantee you'd see the figures soar," Parkinson said in 2009.
In his first interview in 1971, the man who would become the champion of the world was professing himself the contender, captivating the studio audience with a poem about his upcoming fight against Smokin' Joe Frazier.
In his Parkinson appearance three years later, Ali would come face to face with that very same opponent, with the two almost coming to blows during the interview.
'Wrap it up': Meg Ryan
Far from the warm camaraderie that Parkinson shared with some of his famous guests over the years, his 2003 chat with Hollywood actress Meg Ryan went down in history as one of the frostiest.
Having drilled Ryan on why she'd chosen a career in acting if she didn't enjoy the fame that came with it, Parkinson concluded "it seems you have a problem — one that's not going to be resolved on this show".
"You're wary of journalists, you're wary of me, you're wary of the interview, you don't like being interviewed — I can see it in the way that you sit, the way you are," Parkinson said at one point.
"True," Ryan said.
Parkinson then asked: "If you were me, what would you do now?"
"Just wrap it up," Ryan responded.
Parkinson apologised to Ryan about the way he handled the infamous chat in 2021, conceding in an interview with the Radio Times: "I wish I hadn't lost my temper with Meg Ryan. I wish I'd dealt with it in a more courteous manner.
"I was quite obviously angry with her and it's not my business to be angry towards the guests. I came across as kind of pompous and I could have done better."
The woman 'who broke up the Beatles': John Lennon and Yoko Ono
Among Parkinson's earliest and most famous guests was none other than John Lennon, who appeared in 1971 on two conditions: that he could bring his wife, Yoko Ono, and that Parkinson not bring up his split from the Beatles.
Of course, they would go on to discuss just that, with Parkinson putting to the pair that their new creative phase had alienated them both, particularly Lennon, from the people who originally loved them.
"The alienation started when I met Yoko — people do not seem to like people getting a divorce. It's alright to do it quietly but we can't do it quietly," Lennon replied.
"And so everyone had this obsession that 'John's gone crazy', but all I did was fall in love like a lot of people do who are already married.
"We're not super human, and we really get hurt by abuse. We don't mind criticism of our work as art, but I mean the British press actually called Yoko ugly in the papers and I've never seen that about any woman or man. That's the kind of treatment we were getting at the time and it really hurt us."
Later in the interview, Parkinson threw to Ono, "of course you've become known ... as the woman who broke up the Beatles," but Lennon was quick to jump in: "Listen I tell ya, people on the street, and kids, do not dislike us. It's the media, I'm telling you ... my records still sell well, her records sell alright, so it's not people in general."
Pressed on whether it led to tension in the group, Lennon reminded Parkinson of their terms, whipping out a black sack to wear.
"I said if we talk about the Beatles you're going to get in the bag," Lennon joked.
Parkinson obliged, donning the black gown for the rest of the chat. In later years he remarked: "I would have done it hanging upside down from the Sydney Harbour Bridge just to get John in the studio".
'One of my favourite guests': Barry Humphries and characters
The late Barry Humphries made regular appearances as himself, and iconic characters Dame Edna Everage and Sir Les Patterson on Parkinson's program.
One of the most memorable interviews happened in 2004, when Humphries, being interviewed in character as Dame Edna, strode on to the stage and sat next to British actor Dame Judy Dench and TV personality Sharon Osbourne.
In welcoming his guest, Parkinson described Dame Edna as "a friend of queens, confidant to presidents and their wives, a widow, mother and fashion idol".
At one point, after Dame Edna had accused Parkinson of "touching himself inappropriately" on set, the legendary interviewer laughed so hard he threw to a commercial break.
After Humphries's death earlier this year, Parkinson released a statement saying: "Barry was a cultured, highly intelligent, fascinating man who just happened to create, in Dame Edna Everage, one of the everlasting comedy characters of all time as well as one of my favourite guests on my talk show."
The joke that launched Billy Connolly's career
The Glaswegian comedian Billy Connolly might be a household name now, but in 1975 his fame was mainly confined to Scotland.
That is, until his appearance on Parkinson.
Connolly used the opportunity to tell a joke about a man who murdered his wife — and the punchline was considered particularly edgy to be broadcast at the time.
Aware of what he was about to do, Connolly told Parkinson before he launched into the gag: "I hope I can get away with this."
Connolly would go on to appear on Parkinson's programs 15 times — the most of any guest.
"When I finished that show, I flew back to Glasgow, and I was coming through the airport and the whole airport started to applaud," he said, during an interview on a documentary filmed decades later titled Billy Connolly: Portrait of a Lifetime.
"And I thought, I think I've done something here.
"I never looked back from that moment."
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2023-08-17 11:55:37Z
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