Sir Michael Parkinson was a journalist, broadcaster, and arguably Britain’s greatest television chat show host. During a TV career than spanned six decades, Parky interviewed hundreds of the world's most famous stars. Sir Michael died on 16th August 2023. For Last Word, John Wilson talks to Sir Michael's son Mike about his father's life and career. Starting with his upbringing in a council house in Cudworth, near Barnsley, discussing his relationship with his parents, and later with his wife Mary. In this revealing special edition, Mike says his father was "constantly questioning himself" after joining the mainstream media and "didn't have as much self-confidence as he appears". He also tells of how despite going on to success at both Granada Television and ITV, Sir Michael harboured "an innate distrust of the establishment. Presented by John Wilson
Produced by Ed Prendeville

SPECIAL EDITION: Michael Parkinson

Radio 4's weekly obituary programme, telling the life stories of those who have died recently

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Matthew Bannister on Dame Shirley Conran, the journalist and author best known for her books “Superwoman” and “Lace”. Baroness Doreen Massey, the educator and former director of the Family Planning Association Beverly LaHaye the founder of Concerned Women of America who campaigned to stop the Equal Rights Amendment. Steve Albini, the controversial musician who worked many influential albums including Nirvava’s “In Utero”. Producer: Ed Prendeville Archive used:
National Women’s Coalition for Life, National Cable Satellite Corporation, C-Span, 03/04/1992; Former President Trump Speaks at Concerned Women for America Summit, National Cable Satellite Corporation, C-Span, 15/09/2023; Beverly LaHaye, Concernedwomen.org, 23/02/2017; President Reagan's Remarks at Convention of Concerned Women for America, Reagan Library, YouTube upload, 28/11/2017; The PTL Club, The PTL Club – Heritage USA, YouTube upload, 12/08/2022; Woman's Hour, 07/11/2014; Woman's Hour, 02/08/2012; Graham Norton, BBC Radio 2, 14/07/2012; The Stephen McCauley Show, BBC Radio Ulster, 29/08/2022; House of Lords, parliament.tv, 24/04/2019; Baroness Massey Stories of Democracy, House of Lords, YouTube upload, 22/11/2012

Dame Shirley Conran, Doreen Massey, Beverley LaHaye, Steve Albini

Matthew Bannister on Anne Dagg, the Canadian biologist known as The Woman Who Loves Giraffes for her lifelong study of the animals. Professor Ross Anderson, the computer scientist who was a leading expert on data protection and online security. Reverend Cecil Murray, the pastor of the First African Methodist Episcopal Church in Los Angeles who played a pivotal role during the riots of 1992. Kris Hellenga, who was diagnosed with breast cancer aged 23 and set up the charity Coppafeel to encourage other young women to check their breasts. Producer: Ed Prendeville Archive used:
Archive of Anne Dagg, The Woman who loves Giraffes, Pursuing Giraffe Adventures Inc, 2018; Newsnight, BBC Two, 01/07/1992; Newsnight, BBC Two, 11/02/2010; Ross Anderson Interviewed by Elisabetta Mori, Archives of IT, YouTube Upload, 20/03/2024; Digitalize in Stockholm ’22, DigitalFuturesHub, YouTube Upload, 28/10/22; USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture, YouTube Upload 22/02/2021; BBC Radio Cornwall, 12/10/2021;

Anne Dagg, Ross Anderson, Cecil Murray, Kris Hallenga

Matthew Bannister on an author, a campaigner, an Olympic medallist, a conductor

C.J.Sansom, Olga Fikotová-Connolly, Dr Jenny Vaughan OBE, Sir Andrew Davies

Matthew Bannister on The American journalist Terry Anderson who was held captive in Lebanon for almost seven years. In an emotional interview, his daughter Sulome tells us how she followed in his footsteps as she tried to connect with a father she met for the first time when she was seven years old.  Lord Field who, the Labour MP Frank Field who campaigned tirelessly for welfare reform. Trina Robbins the feminist cartoonist and writer who was the first woman to illustrate the Wonder Woman comics. Ann Trevenen Jenkin the first woman Grand Bard of Cornwall and a founding member of the Cornish nationalist party Mebyon Kernow. Interviewee: Sulome Anderson
Interviewee: Ellin Stein
Interviewee: Liam Halligan
Interviewee: Loveday Jenkin  Producer: Gareth Nelson-Davies Archive Used: Sulome Anderson writes a letter to her father on his birthday, BBC News, 07/10/1991;  Terry Anderson release, Live press conference, BBC News, 04/12/1991; Terry Anderson interview, BBC Radio 1, 01/01/2000; Terry Anderson on What It’s Like to Live as a Hezbollah Hostage, Slate. YouTube Channel uploaded, 17/11/2014; Trina Robbins, Meet Trina Robbins, the first woman to draw Wonder Woman for D.C. Comics, KTVU FOX 2 San Francisco, YouTube uploaded 30/03/2023; Frank Field MP interview, Straight Talk, BBC News, 19/06/2010; Frank Field, Profile, BBC Radio 4, 13/12/2014; Frank Field, Lent Talks, BBC Radio 4, 01/04/2009; Ann Trevenen Jenkin interviewed by Carmen Talbot for Dreadnought South West’s Rebellious Sounds Archive, 2019; Ann Trevenen Jenkin interview,  Cornish March, BBC News, 21/06/1997;

Terry Anderson, Trina Robbins, Lord Field, Ann Trevenen Jenkin

Sulome Anderson first met her father – journalist Terry Anderson – at the American Embassy in Damascus. She was seven years old and he had just been released from nearly seven years as a hostage in Lebanon. She desperately wanted to build a relationship with him, even going so far as to become a war correspondent herself and tracking down and meeting one of his captors. But Terry’s traumatic experiences made the task very challenging. When she was nearly kidnapped in the Middle East herself, she became determined to break out of the “cycle of fascination with war” that had bedevilled the family. In this moving interview recorded shortly after Terry’s death she speaks candidly about the pressures they faced.                                                                                                              
Presented by Matthew Banister
Produced by Gareth Nelson-Davies and Eirian Jones

SPECIAL EDITION: Michael Parkinson

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