What happened to the golden age of Rom-Coms? Emmanuel and Kai tell the story of the Rom-Com boom via the career of its biggest star, Meg Ryan. From When Harry Met Sally, to one of the more infamous talk show appearances of all time, we unpack Meg Ryan’s appeal, and what we actually want from love in the movies.

Additional archive: When Harry Met Sally, Castle Rock Entertainment, 1989; Burger King commercial, Burger King Company LLC, 1982

Connect with the team! 
Follow our hosts Kai Wright and Emmanuel Dzotsi
Follow Pushkin on Instagram, LinkedIn or X 
Follow BBC Podcasts on YouTube and Instagram

What happened to the golden age of Rom-Coms? Emmanuel and Kai tell the story of the Rom-Com boom via the career of its biggest star, Meg Ryan. From When Harry Met Sally, to one of the more infamous talk show appearances of all time, we unpack Meg Ryan&rsquo;s appeal, and what we actually want from love in the movies.
Additional archive: When Harry Met Sally, Castle Rock Entertainment, 1989; Burger King commercial, Burger King Company LLC, 1982
Connect with the team!&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>Follow our hosts <a href="https://www.instagram.com/kai_wright/">Kai Wright</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/newsmanual_/reels/">Emmanuel Dzotsi</a></li>
<li>Follow Pushkin on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/pushkinpods/">Instagram</a>,<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/pushkin-industries/posts/?feedView=all"> LinkedIn</a> or <a href="https://x.com/pushkinpods?lang=en">X</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li>Follow BBC Podcasts on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@bbcpodcasts">YouTube</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/bbcpodcasts/">Instagram</a></li>
</ul>

Every legend has a twist. From pop culture icons to music and comedy greats, award-winning journalists Kai Wright and Emmanuel Dzotsi dig into the BBC archive to unpick the story behind the icons who shape our culture.

Each week on Big Lives, Kai and Emmanuel take an iconic figure — from musical trailblazers like David Bowie, Amy Winehouse and Tina Turner to stars of the screen like Richard Pryor, Meg Ryan and Jane Fonda — and dissect their lives. Join them as they see these icons in a new light, uncover deep cuts from the BBC's archive, and learn how each legend set the stage for our contemporary cultural landscape. 

After all, you can't understand today's culture until you understand the icons who built it. Smart, curious, and full of heart.

Listen ad-free with a Pushkin+ subscription. Sign up on the Big Lives show page on Apple Podcasts or at pushkin.fm/plus. Subscribe to BBC on Apple Podcasts and on BBC.com.

Every legend has a twist. From pop culture icons to music and comedy greats, award-winning journalists Kai Wright and Emmanuel Dzotsi dig into the BBC archive to unpick the story behind the icons who shape our culture.
Each week on Big Lives, Kai and Emmanuel take an iconic figure &mdash; from musical trailblazers like David Bowie, Amy Winehouse and Tina Turner to stars of the screen like Richard Pryor, Meg Ryan and Jane Fonda &mdash; and dissect their lives. Join them as they see these icons in a new light, uncover deep cuts from the BBC's archive, and learn how each legend set the stage for our contemporary cultural landscape.&nbsp; After all, you can't understand today's culture until you understand the icons who built it. Smart, curious, and full of heart.
Listen ad-free with a Pushkin+ subscription. Sign up on the Big Lives show page on Apple Podcasts or at pushkin.fm/plus. Subscribe to BBC on Apple Podcasts and on BBC.com.

Big Lives

Every legend has a twist. From pop culture icons to music and comedy greats, award-winning journalists Kai Wright and Emmanuel Dzotsi dig into the BBC archive to unpick the story behind the icons who shape our culture.
Each week on Big Lives, Kai and Emmanuel take an iconic figure — from musical trailblazers like David Bowie, Amy Winehouse and Tina Turner to stars of the screen like Richard Pryor, Meg Ryan and Jane Fonda — and dissect their lives. Join them as they see these icons in a new light, uncover deep cuts from the BBC's archive, and learn how each legend set the stage for our contemporary cultural landscape. 

After all, you can't understand today's culture until you understand the icons who built it. Smart, curious, and full of heart. 

From Pushkin Industries and BBC Studios, Big Lives drops new episodes on Mondays.

Every legend has a twist. From pop culture icons to music and comedy greats, award-winning journalists Kai Wright and Emmanuel Dzotsi dig into the BBC archive to unpick the story behind the icons who shape our culture. Each week on Big Lives, Kai and Emmanuel take an iconic figure &mdash; from musical trailblazers like David Bowie, Amy Winehouse and Tina Turner to stars of the screen like Richard Pryor, Meg Ryan and Jane Fonda &mdash; and dissect their lives. Join them as they see these icons in a new light, uncover deep cuts from the BBC's archive, and learn how each legend set the stage for our contemporary cultural landscape.&nbsp; After all, you can't understand today's culture until you understand the icons who built it. Smart, curious, and full of heart.&nbsp; From Pushkin Industries and BBC Studios, Big Lives drops new episodes on Mondays.

Meg Ryan and the Golden Age of Rom‑Coms

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/b656dd4c-3d0e-404b-bd33-b452013e2a9f/transcript