John McLaughlin.

For 34 years, John McLaughlin never missed a taping of his Sunday morning political panel show, The McLaughlin Group. His streak came to an end on Sunday, when he felt too ill to come into the studio. On Tuesday morning, McLaughlin died at the age of 89.

After years working as a Jesuit priest and Nixon speechwriter, McLaughlin became a pioneering pundit-provocateur, creating his famously combative program in 1982. The McLaughlin Group became a staple in many American living rooms — particularly those occupied by nerdy children and their dads.

Used to watch the McLaughlin Group almost every Sunday with my dad. Was probably a bad influence, but I loved it. — Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias) August 16, 2016

Sad to hear about the death of John McLaughlin at age 89. Watched @McLaughlinGroup every weekend as a kid. (I was that kind of kid...) — Michael Tracey (@mtracey) August 16, 2016

same — Rebecca Sinderbrand (@sinderbrand) August 16, 2016

The show served as fodder for a series of beloved Saturday Night Live sketches.

FOUND IT... This was my fav McLaughlin Group cold open on SNL https://t.co/vJtx3ak18p ("WRONG! They were all equally fab") — Shawn Pasternak (@ShawnCP92) August 16, 2016

In 1984, McLaughlin likened his show’s mission to that of a diamond cutter.

“If he hits it at precisely the right angle, with precisely the right percussion or beat or thrust, that can explode into a brilliant illumination, and that is what we try to provide on the program.”