More new episodes of Dan Rather's The Big Interview this fall

courtesy AXS TV

I really enjoy this series, so I'm looking forward to catching several of the new episodes...

AXS-TV's popular sit-down series The Big Interview returns for the second-half of its seventh season, premiering Tuesday, Oct. 1 at 8pE/5pP. The series’ fall cycle features 12 all-new 60-minute episodes, as host Dan Rather joins a roster of entertainers for candid conversations providing a unique glimpse into their personal lives, defining moments, and incredible careers.

It kicks off with an in-depth discussion with Brian Johnson, AC/DC frontman and host of AXS TV’s globetrotting music series Brian Johnson: A Life On The Road. The episode finds Johnson talking about dealing with writer’s block while working on AC/DC’s landmark “Back In Black” album in the Bahamas. Feeling completely out of ideas, Johnson sat down for breakfast with legendary producer Mutt Lange. As the pair spoke, a tropical storm rolled in—jolting Johnson’s creativity and planting the seeds for what would become one of AC/DC’s most enduring hits: “Hells Bells.” “Mutt went, ‘Oh, it’s rolling thunder!’ And I went, ‘Rolling thunder, pouring rain, coming on like a hurricane. There’s white lightning flashing,’” Johnson explains. “I mean I literally was giving a weather report.” Though they didn’t know it then, the song would go down as a signature piece for the band, helping secure their place as masters of rock. He continues, “When great things are happening so quickly, you never realize, do you? It’s so fabulous. It just looks so easy. When you try to do it again, it never works!” Watch a clip here.

Elsewhere are appearances by power pop icons Cheap Trick (Oct. 8); legendary chart-toppers Chicago (Oct. 15); beloved heavy metal mainstay Bret Michaels (Oct. 22); the ‘Godfather of Shock Rock’ Alice Cooper (Oct. 29); Country music superstars Little Big Town (Nov. 5); celebrated sportscaster Bob Costas (Nov. 12); influential Talking Heads singer David Byrne (Nov. 19); folk rock heroes America (Nov. 26); Emmy-winning actor Bryan Cranston (Dec. 3); prog rock pioneer Yes’ Jon Anderson (Dec. 10); and Country music legends Alabama (Dec. 17).

“It is a pleasure to have the opportunity to speak with these entertainment icons each week,” Rather said. “It is a rare treat to be able to delve into a side of these artists that the public doesn’t often get to see, as they tell their stories and share their thoughts in their own words. I am humbled that the series has been so warmly received by AXS TV’s audience, and I look forward to showing our viewers what we’ve been working on in this upcoming fall cycle."

BROADCAST SCHEDULE (Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET)

October 1 – Brian Johnson

October 8 – Cheap Trick
October 15 – Chicago
October 22 – Bret Michaels
October 29 – Alice Cooper
November 5 – Little Big Town
November 12 – Bob Costas
November 19 – David Byrne
November 26 – America
December 3 – Bryan Cranston
December 10 – Yes’ Jon Anderson
December 17 – Alabama