Man Alive has profiled and interviewed many of the world’s most important religious figures, from Mother Teresa to the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. An October 8, 1986, interview with the Aga Khan was this religious leader’s first formal North American interview. He had declined previous requests from such well-known shows as the Columbia Broadcasting System’s (CBS’s) 60 Minutes in favor of Man Alive because of the show’s reputation for balance and the relaxed, soft-spoken interviewing style of the show’s host, Roy Bonisteel. Many Man Alive interviews were marked by their candidness and honesty, as in the case of Archbishop Tutu, who related how Jackie Robinson and Lena Horne were his boyhood heroes.

Bonisteel, the show’s host for 22 seasons and so identified with it that many mistake him for a minister, is a journalist by training. He had been producing radio shows for the United Church of Canada in the mid- 1960s, when he was approached to be the host of the new television program. By the time he left, he had be- come the longest-running host of any information program in Canada. He was succeeded by Peter Downie, former cohost of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s (CBC’s) Midday current affairs program in the fall of 1989. Man Alive observed its 25th anniversary with a one-hour special in February 1992 that celebrated not only its longevity but also the diversity of its programming.

Throughout its history, the show has consistently provided programming that appeals to a broad audience, and this has been one of the keys to its success. It has delved into a variety of topics, from UFOs to the threat of nuclear war, from father–son relationships to life in a maximum-security hospital for the criminally insane. Nor has it avoided controversial and unpopular subjects, such as the Vatican bank scandal, sexual abuse in the church, or aid to El Salvador. Some of the show’s most critically acclaimed episodes have been those that have chronicled very personal human dramas, such as the story of David McFarlane, who met the challenges presented by his Down syndrome to star in a television drama, or the story of the Rubineks, Holocaust survivors, and their moving return to Poland after 40 years. Despite the changing nature of television audiences and serious budgetary constraints, Man Alive continues the tradition of providing an informative and well-balanced examination of relevant social issues and contemporary ethical questions.