AI-powered Michael Parkinson podcast to launch, working with family estate

Deep Fusion Films has announced the commission of a new 8-part podcast series Virtually Parkinson hosted by an AI replica of the late Sir Michael Parkinson to be launched later this year.

Best known for his talk show Parkinson, Sir Michael Parkinson, who died last year, was one of the UK’s most respected TV presenters, broadcasters and journalists whose career spanned seven decades. The podcast series will be a completely unscripted conversation between a guest and an AI version of Sir Michael Parkinson.

The AI ‘Michael Parkinson’ is built using knowledge garnered from his career, including his back-catalogue of over 2000 interviews with some of the most important cultural figures of our time. This approach enables AI Michael to converse in an authentic manner and offers podcast guests a true-to-life experience.

The podcast was commissioned by Night Train Digital, a new digital content agency specializing in content strategy, distribution, and the development of digital brands. Part of the Night Train Media Group, Night Train Digital is also managing the official Michael Parkinson YouTube channel. This digital hub will feature podcast highlights alongside a curated collection of archival footage, ensuring that Michael Parkinson’s work continues to inspire and engage new generations of viewers and listeners.

"We couldn’t be more proud to announce this as Night Train Digital’s first major commission. Through this partnership with the team at Deep Fusion, we are creating innovative new content as well as being trusted with such an iconic archive to bring Michael Parkinson to global audiences some of whom have been fans for decades, others who will be discovering him for the first time,” says Caitlin Meek-O’Connor, director of Night Train Digital.

The project is believed to be a world first as it is the first unscripted series to be driven by an AI presenter. The podcast series is planned to be released later this year with the full support and involvement of Michael Parkinson’s family and his Estate.

Deep Fusion Films is at the forefront of developing AI both creatively and ethically across film and podcasts. Virtually Parkinson builds on the co-founders Benjamin Field and Jamie Anderson’s success with the award-winning documentary Gerry Anderson: A Life Uncharted. This which explored the life of the legendary British film and television pioneer Gerry Anderson, creator of Thunderbirds. The documentary was produced by Anderson’s son, Jamie Anderson (Doctor Who), alongside producer and director Benjamin Field. Both Anderson and Field are AI specialists, and they co-founded Deep Fusion Films following the documentary’s success. Notably, A Life Uncharted featured a deepfake recreation of Gerry Anderson, using AI to bring him to life to accompany original archive audio recordings.

Impressed by the company’s creative and ethical approach to technology, Mike Parkinson (Michael Parkinson’s son, pictured above with his father) contacted Deep Fusion about the possibility of creating a new podcast series using his father’s voice to accompany a YouTube channel of archive material preserving his father’s legacy:

“Mike Parkinson suggested using his father’s voice to present a podcast where AI Michael discussed his most notable interviews, which sparked a creative conversation. Building on this, we explored using AI to emulate Parkinson’s iconic interview style, appealing to modern audiences while honouring his legacy. By focusing on the ethics and openly showcasing the AI aspect, we saw a way to create something truly engaging for both longtime fans and new listeners,” said co-founder, executive producer, Benjamin Field,Deep Fusion Films.

Deep Fusion Films has expanded its team to include a new head of creative AI, an AI prompt engineer, researchers, guest bookers, podcast producers and a sound engineer to create and produce this new proprietary technology that connects a number of existing AI tools to create a system named “Squawk”, which allows live humans to have spoken interactions with voices from the past.

AI Michael Parkinson will signpost that the podcast is hosted by AI at the start of every episode and in the third act, the host will debrief with the interviewee about what it was like to be interviewed by an AI. The response to AI Michael Parkinson from those who have had test conversations in the development phase has been overwhelmingly encouraging: “People have been wowed by how accurate and warmly nostalgic the Michael Parkinson voice is and what an interesting and engaging experience it is being interviewed by an AI version of him. Watching his son, Mike’s reaction to hearing his late father speak has also been something really special,” explained Jamie Anderson, co-founder of Deep Fusion Films.

“The podcast is really a tribute to my Dad,” said Mike Parkinson, who worked closely with his father for over 20 years as producer and managing director of production company Parkinson Productions and has been consulted at each step of the AI technology’s development. “I want audiences to marvel at the technology, the cleverness and cheekiness of the concept, but mostly I want them to remember just how good he was at interviewing and enjoy the nostalgia and happy memories. Through this platform, his legacy can continue, entertaining a new generation of fans.”

The podcast series is due to launch in the coming months and prospective guests are being booked. Alongside the new podcast series, there will be a dedicated ‘Michael Parkinson’ YouTube channel that will include archive episodes, clips and compilations from the podcast which will act as a digital hub for Michael Parkinson fans.

About Deep Fusion Films

Deep Fusion Films is a full-scale broadcast production company, operating at the interface of technology, creativity and human stories. Founded in October 2023 by producers Jamie Anderson and Benjamin Field, the Cardiff-based company is committed to using synthetic media ethically to provoke thought, evoke empathy, inspire action, and uphold shared human values and societal ethics. Anderson and Field’s first collaboration was a feature-length biographical documentary about Anderson’s father, legendary Thunderbirds creator Gerry Anderson. In Gerry Anderson: A Life Uncharted (Britbox UK/Abacus Media Rights), deepfake technology was used to ‘ethically’ repurpose intimate audio archive footage and bring Anderson back to the screen to discuss his life and career. Deep Fusion has produced two landmark feature docs in 2024: Hammer: Heroes, Legends and Monsters, a Sky Original feature documentary commissioned to celebrate Hammer Films’ 90th anniversary set to air on Halloween and Hunt: We Need to Talk About James, charting the life of legendary British racing driver James Hunt offering an unprecedentedly intimate look at the life and legacy of the man who helped define the glamour and danger of Formula One, both on and off the track.

About Night Train Digital

Night Train Digital is a forward-thinking media label dedicated to creating, curating, and promoting high-quality digital content for a new generation of audiences. Founded with the vision of embracing the future of entertainment and digital storytelling, Night Train Digital specializes in producing engaging, innovative content across multiple platforms, including YouTube, streaming services, and social media. It is a part of Night Train Media & Eccho Rights and provides digital support to all companies in the group.