Nobody was better than Gerry Anderson at “generating a discussion into a carry-on,” according to anyone who knew him. Eight years after his passing, a brand-new audience is appreciating the broadcaster’s distinctive style from BBC Radio Ulster.
A hypnotized hen is featured in a clip from one of his radio shows that has resurfaced and gained more than two million views on Twitter.
It came from an episode of the television show On The Air from 2011 in which actual audio from Gerry’s daily radio show was animated.
The owner of the hypnotized hen has now shared the story behind the amazing call and expressed his affection for Gerry.
Pat Fairon from County Armagh recalled the words of a friend of hers: “If there was a spark, Gerry would be fanning it till it erupted into an inferno.”
An Additional Squawk
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After hearing about a man who had a method for hypnotizing hens on the show the day before, Pat called the Gerry Anderson Show.
One of his birds was the subject of his test, and “since then, it hasn’t moved,” he says Gerry.
The presenter then encourages Pat and helps him as he awakens the hypnotized bird.
Chaos results as the birds escape through a window and a statue of the Child of Prague is damaged.
In an interview with BBC Radio Foyle on Wednesday, Pat claimed that his past experiences had taught him to be ready for anything.
He said,
“I have a confession to make here.
“I had previously worked with Gerry to get a parrot to speak; they are known to stop talking when a microphone emerges, so I was concerned.”
Thus, he got ready for a “backup squawk”.
He said,
“I hooked up a cackle.”
“If you have rosin, the stuff you put on violin bows, you rub it on the string to give it a little bit of friction. You take a paper cup, poke a hole in it, and thread a bit of string through it so it looks like a tail hanging out of the end of the cup.
And it sounds like the most convincing chicken squawk you’ve ever heard when you pluck it and run your hand down it.
But Pat didn’t require it, he added, and what was heard was real.
“The chicken was there, but I wasn’t sure if she would be able to recover from the “hypnosis.”
“I had no idea what she would do when she finally emerged.
She didn’t require assistance in letting the world know she was liberated and prepared to soar.
The bird was not injured in any way, he stated, and “was a loving hen who continued to be adored.”
“Before his time”
In 1984, Gerry began his career as a radio host. Since then, he has become well-known throughout Northern Ireland.
The whimsical phone calls he received from listeners of his radio show were given a new perspective in the animated On The Air series, which was produced by Belfast-based animation studio Flickerpix.
The hypnotized hen video gained new attention after journalist Paul O’Kane tweeted it on September 21.
Since then, people including Derry Girls author Lisa McGee and broadcaster Lorraine Kelly have shared it.
Its increased success is unquestionably due to Gerry’s distinctive broadcasting style, Pat noted.
In essence, that was the secret to what made Gerry as amazing and as great as he was, according to Pat. “Conversation takes off and turns into a carry on and everyone is involved and feeding into it and generating the craic,” she said.
The late broadcaster’s son, David Anderson, praised the clip’s tremendous success since it resurfaced online.
“I’m not surprised – sure it’s amusing, isn’t it?” his father “probably would have remarked,” the man claimed.
David continued,
“He was deadpan and kind and he knew he was ahead of his time.
“It was always about the work and making sure that people found it amusing.
“I am thrilled to see that coming through; it is terrific.”
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