A TV legend who died last year is set to ‘continue as the chat show king’ from beyond the grave.
Sir Michael Parkinson, whose TV career spanned seven decades, died last year aged 88.
Throughout his illustrious career, the broadcaster interviewed some of the most famous people in the world, including Ingrid Bergmann, Fred Astair, Lauren Bacall, Sir Elton John, Muhammad Ali and Meg Ryan, to name a few.
He fronted his own BBC chat show Parkinson from 1971 to 1982 and then from 1998 to 2007, with the programme switching to ITV for its final three years.
However now there now plans to utilise artificial intelligence to allow him to continue interviewing.
The technology ‘will be used to recreate Parky’s distinctive voice as he quizzes famous names for a podcast’.
‘The fact that a bizarre project like this is being pursued is a measure of just how adored Parky was and how missed he now is,’ a source said.
‘Although it sounds strange, using AI like this will keep the memory of the grand inquisitor alive and remember him for doing what he did best — grilling famous people,’ they added when speaking to The Sun.
His son Mike Parkinson has given his backing to the project for which a string of potential interview subjects have been identified.
The eight-part unscripted series, Virtually Parkinson, will allow new guests to be questioned in Parkinson’s famous relaxed style, with the full backing of his family and estate, as reported by The Guardian.
Made by Deep Fusion Films, the podcast is believed to be the first to be entirely presented by an AI host.
‘We’re going for a new generation of guest talent, but that doesn’t mean he would not go back again to people he interviewed before,’ Mike told the publication.
‘Doing this now, trying something so new, we feel a bit like he must have felt back in 1971 when his show started.’
The AI version of Parkinson will be driven by data culled from his back catalogue of hundreds of VIP interviews and will not be an approximation of his voice – it will be his.
‘It’s exactly how he delivered his questions – even the pacing is the same. It stills people when they hear it,’ Mike added.
The producers are now in the process of approaching celebrities to take part.
One of the broadcasters most memorable interviews was a 2003 chat with actress Meg Ryan.
The Hollywood star appeared on Parkinson’s show to promote her critically panned thriller In The Cut but they had a frosty exchange, with Ryan going so far as to tell him to ‘wrap it up’.
Sat next to Ryan were Trinny Woodall and Susannah Constantine, hosts of What Not To Wear.
This week Trinny reflected on having a front-row seat for the ‘iconic’ moment.
‘I do remember something very specifically, god rest Mr. Parkinson,’ she said on Nick Grimshaw and Angela Hartnett’s Waitrose podcast Dish.
She went on to reveal that the talk show host ‘whispered in my ear’ and used some colourful language to describe the actress.
Trinny backed up Parkinson, blasting Ryan for refusing to respond to simple questions despite being ‘paid millions’ to encourage viewers to watch her movie.
In 2021, Parkinson offered an apology to Ryan, admitting: ‘I wish I hadn’t lost my temper with Meg Ryan. I wish I’d dealt with it in a more courteous manner.’
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