Once fierce rivals on Friendly Fire, Irshad Manji and Michael Coren reunite to reflect on their debates, differences and enduring respect

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“Misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows,” William Shakespeare wrote in The Tempest. This quotation has been recast over the centuries. In particular, a popular phrase that many readers are likely familiar with: “Politics makes strange bedfellows.”

Two Canadian media personalities, Irshad Manji and Michael Coren, are a surprisingly good fit in the modern vernacular. Theirs was a fiery political rivalry that gradually evolved into a real (and unforeseen) friendship.

TVO’s long-running current affairs program, The Agenda with Steve Paikin, reunited Manji and Coren in the studio on May 2. Why? They used to appear together on the show’s predecessor, Studio 2, in a weekly segment called Friendly Fire. It ran from 1992 to 1994 and was conducted in a debate-style format. They would discuss contentious issues and attempt to score points against one another. Subtle shades of CNN’s Crossfire were visible, but it wasn’t a carbon copy.

The social media footprint for Friendly Fire is largely non-existent today. There are some older articles, but little else. While video clips have been posted in the past, there’s currently nothing on YouTube, Dailymotion or TVO’s website. (Something could be buried deep in the bowels of the internet, I readily admit.)

Irshad Manji and Michael Coren
Friendly Fire rivals reunite on The Agenda with Steve Paikin.

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