Brian Linehan
Encyclopedia
Brian Richard Linehan was a Canadian television
host from Hamilton, Ontario
. Linehan was best known for his celebrity
interviews. Linehan was one of seven children. His estranged Irish
father, Les, worked at one of the local steel mills, Dofasco
and his Serbian
mother, Sava (née Kotur), was later remarried to a post World War II
Serb immigrant, Jovan Rodic Sr. He too, was a steel worker.
Linehan was renowned for his composure, interview skills and meticulous research, often leading to in-depth questions that could last for minutes. His guests often responded to his questions with astonishment saying, "How did you know that?" His interviewing style was parodied on SCTV
by Martin Short
, as "Brock Linehan".
He was first the host of City Lights, a program produced by CityTV
in Toronto
, and syndicated throughout Canada
and the United States
, running from 1973 to 1989.
After taking time off, he spent the early 1990s doing publicity interviews in Hollywood. In the late 1990s he hosted a second show entitled Linehan
, which was produced for CHCH-TV
in Hamilton, Ontario
. He was also a long-time entertainment reporter on CFRB radio.
Linehan was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2001 and died in 2004.
Excerpts from a September 2007 article in Ryerson Review of Journalism
include the following:
"Linehan had a flair for attentive, easy colloquy that extended beyond celebrities. At a memorial for Linehan at Toronto’s Winter Garden Theatre, actress Sharon Gless
told a touching story about something that happened after a dinner with Linehan. “I walked him over to Al, my driver, who’s here tonight. And I said, ‘Brian, I’d like you to meet Al. Al, this is Brian Linehan.’ And they talked for a while, and apparently had a lovely talk, and I was just watching. We got in the car and Al stopped talking. I said, ‘Are you okay?’ He said ‘Yeah.’ I said, ‘What’s wrong?’ He said, ‘I have never met a man before who looked me in the eye like that. I have never met a man before who really was interested in everything that I said. He actually let me finish all my sentences before interrupting,’ like people tend to do, you know? And he had tears in his eyes.”
Another touching story involved Linehan befriending a flight attendant on one of his Air Canada jaunts. He saw her occasionally when travelling, and they kept in touch. When he later discovered that she had breast cancer, he tracked her down, and went to visit her at the hospital.
Brian Linehan's ashes were scattered outside the Toronto home he had shared with a long-time partner, Zane Wagman, who had committed suicide two years before. He left his estate to the Brian Linehan Charitable Foundation, which attempts to raise the profile of Canadian talent and supports the creation of a Canadian star system.
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
host from Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
. Linehan was best known for his celebrity
Celebrity
A celebrity, also referred to as a celeb in popular culture, is a person who has a prominent profile and commands a great degree of public fascination and influence in day-to-day media...
interviews. Linehan was one of seven children. His estranged Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
father, Les, worked at one of the local steel mills, Dofasco
Dofasco
Dofasco is a steel company based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, which is also home to longtime Canadian rival Stelco. Dofasco is currently a standalone subsidiary of ArcelorMittal, the world's largest steel producer. Previously ordered by the U.S...
and his Serbian
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
mother, Sava (née Kotur), was later remarried to a post World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Serb immigrant, Jovan Rodic Sr. He too, was a steel worker.
Linehan was renowned for his composure, interview skills and meticulous research, often leading to in-depth questions that could last for minutes. His guests often responded to his questions with astonishment saying, "How did you know that?" His interviewing style was parodied on SCTV
Second City Television
Second City Television is a Canadian television sketch comedy show offshoot from Toronto's The Second City troupe that ran between 1976 and 1984.- Premise :...
by Martin Short
Martin Short
Martin Hayter Short, CM is a Canadian actor, comedian, writer, singer and producer. He is best-known for his comedy work, particularly on the TV programs SCTV and Saturday Night Live...
, as "Brock Linehan".
He was first the host of City Lights, a program produced by CityTV
Citytv
Citytv is a Canadian English language television system owned and operated by Rogers Communications under its Rogers Broadcasting Ltd. division...
in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, and syndicated throughout Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, running from 1973 to 1989.
After taking time off, he spent the early 1990s doing publicity interviews in Hollywood. In the late 1990s he hosted a second show entitled Linehan
Linehan
Linehan is a surname of Irish origin, and may refer to:* Alfie Linehan , Irish former cricketer* Brian Linehan , Canadian television host* Graham Linehan , Irish television writer and director...
, which was produced for CHCH-TV
CHCH-TV
CHCH-DT, channel 11, is a television station originating in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, with transmitters located throughout Ontario. CHCH currently operates as an independent station, having previously served as a CBC Television affiliate, and more recently as the flagship station of the...
in Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
. He was also a long-time entertainment reporter on CFRB radio.
Linehan was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2001 and died in 2004.
Excerpts from a September 2007 article in Ryerson Review of Journalism
Ryerson Review of Journalism
The Ryerson Review of Journalism is a Canadian magazine, published twice annually by final year journalism students at Ryerson University. The magazine profiles personalities, issues and controversies in Canadian media. In addition to the features in the printed magazine, weekly online features...
include the following:
"Linehan had a flair for attentive, easy colloquy that extended beyond celebrities. At a memorial for Linehan at Toronto’s Winter Garden Theatre, actress Sharon Gless
Sharon Gless
Sharon Marguerite Gless is an American character actress of stage, film and television, who is best known for her roles as Maggie Philbin on Switch , as Sgt. Christine Cagney in the police procedural drama series Cagney & Lacey and as Debbie Novotny in the Showtime cable television series Queer...
told a touching story about something that happened after a dinner with Linehan. “I walked him over to Al, my driver, who’s here tonight. And I said, ‘Brian, I’d like you to meet Al. Al, this is Brian Linehan.’ And they talked for a while, and apparently had a lovely talk, and I was just watching. We got in the car and Al stopped talking. I said, ‘Are you okay?’ He said ‘Yeah.’ I said, ‘What’s wrong?’ He said, ‘I have never met a man before who looked me in the eye like that. I have never met a man before who really was interested in everything that I said. He actually let me finish all my sentences before interrupting,’ like people tend to do, you know? And he had tears in his eyes.”
Another touching story involved Linehan befriending a flight attendant on one of his Air Canada jaunts. He saw her occasionally when travelling, and they kept in touch. When he later discovered that she had breast cancer, he tracked her down, and went to visit her at the hospital.
Brian Linehan's ashes were scattered outside the Toronto home he had shared with a long-time partner, Zane Wagman, who had committed suicide two years before. He left his estate to the Brian Linehan Charitable Foundation, which attempts to raise the profile of Canadian talent and supports the creation of a Canadian star system.