# Lifelines (TV series)

Lifelines is an Irish television chat show presented by broadcaster Liam Ó Murchú. Filmed in front of a studio audience, each programme is devoted to a special celebrity guest. The programme ran for four series from 1993 until 1996.

## History

Lifelines was initially devised as an appropriate summer replacement for RTÉ's flagship Friday night chat show The Late Late Show. The show was presented by Liam Ó Murchú, the former host of Trom agus Éadrom, a bi-lingual chat show that was broadcast in the 1970s and 1980s. The first series began on 18 June 1993 and featured seven episodes. Lifelines proved popular and returned for a second series of seven episodes on 17 April 1994. By now the show was given its own timeslot on Sunday evenings straight after the Nine O'Clock News. It complemented RTÉ's two other chat shows, The Late Late Show and Kenny Live, which were broadcast on Friday and Saturday nights respectively. A third series of Lifelines returned on 16 April 1995 and lasted for an extended run of ten episodes. The fourth and final series began on 7 January 1996 and ran for twelve episodes.

### Production

The first three series of Lifelines were broadcast from Studio 1 in the RTÉ Television Centre at Donnybrook, Dublin 4. As RTÉ's biggest at the time, the studio held 120 audience members. The final series of the show was broadcast from Studio 4, a new studio specifically adapted to cater for large productions. The size of the audience also increased to 200.

### Format

Lifelines featured a special guest in profile every week. The show featured interviews with the special guest and their friends, as well as live music from guest music groups. The show was described as This Is Your Life without the surprise.

## Episodes
### Series 1

| # | Special guest(s) | Date |
| 1 | The O'Regan family | 18 June 1993 (1993-06-18) |
| 2 | The Marcus family | 25 June 1993 (1993-06-25) |
| 3 | Clannad | 2 July 1993 (1993-07-02) |
| 4 | Sam McAughtry | 9 July 1993 (1993-07-09) |
| 5 | Sandy Kelly | 16 July 1993 (1993-07-16) |
| 6 | Michael Carruth | 23 July 1993 (1993-07-23) |
| 7 | Frank Patterson | 30 July 1993 (1993-07-30) |

### Series 2

| # | Special guest(s) | Date |
| 8 | John McNally | 17 April 1994 (1994-04-17) |
| 9 | Eleanor McEvoy | 24 April 1994 (1994-04-24) |
| 10 | Maureen Potter | 1 May 1994 (1994-05-01) |
| 11 | The All Priests Show | 8 May 1994 (1994-05-08) |
| 12 | Paddy Cole's Jazz Scene | 15 May 1994 (1994-05-15) |
| 13 | The Clancy Brothers | 22 May 1994 (1994-05-22) |
| 14 | Phil Coulter | 29 May 1994 (1994-05-29) |

### Series 3

| # | Special guest(s) | Date |
| 15 | Maureen Toal | 16 April 1995 (1995-04-16) |
| 16 | Pete St. John | 23 April 1995 (1995-04-23) |
| 17 | Eileen Reid | 30 April 1995 (1995-04-30) |
| 18 | Eurovision winners special | 7 May 1995 (1995-05-07) |
| 19 | David Ervine | 14 May 1995 (1995-05-14) |
| 20 | Brídín Twist | 21 May 1995 (1995-05-21) |
| 21 | Michael Collins special | 28 May 1995 (1995-05-28) |
| 22 | Eamon Kelly | 11 June 1995 (1995-06-11) |
| 23 | Philomena Begley | 18 June 1995 (1995-06-18) |
| 24 | Jack Boothman | 25 June 1995 (1995-06-25) |

### Series 4

| # | Special guest(s) | Date |
| 25 | Mick Lally | 7 January 1996 (1996-01-07) |
| 26 | Tony Ward | 14 January 1996 (1996-01-14) |
| 27 | Susan McCann | 21 January 1996 (1996-01-21) |
| 28 | Brendan Kennelly | 28 January 1996 (1996-01-28) |
| 29 | Catherine McGuinness | 4 February 1996 (1996-02-04) |
| 30 | Twink | 11 February 1996 (1996-02-11) |
| 31 | Fred O'Donovan | 18 February 1996 (1996-02-18) |
| 32 | Mary O'Rourke | 25 February 1996 (1996-02-25) |
| 33 | Mick Clerkin | 10 March 1996 (1996-03-10) |
| 34 | St. Patrick's Day special | 17 March 1996 (1996-03-17) |
| 35 | Frank Feely | 24 March 1996 (1996-03-24) |
| 36 | Stockton's Wing | 31 March 1996 (1996-03-31) |