This Is Your Life

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For the Switchfoot song, see This Is Your Life (song)

This Is Your Life was a television documentary series hosted by its producer, Ralph Edwards. It originally aired in the United States from 1952 to 1961, and again in 1972 on NBC. It originated as a radio show airing from 1948 to 1952 on NBC Radio. A version of it continued to air in the United Kingdom on BBC1 from 1955 to 2003, and another version is still running in Australia. It has also been broadcast from time to time in New Zealand.

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[edit] The concept

The format of the show was simple: the host would surprise someone (usually a celebrity or public figure, occasionally an ordinary citizen) and, consulting his "red book," conduct a biography of the subject in a television studio. The subject would be presented with family members and old friends, reunited with old acquaintances, and often shed a tear when a personal tragedy was recounted.

The 1950s edition of the show was aired live before a theater audience. The celebrity guests were ambushed by Ralph Edwards and confronted by the microphone and cameras. They made their way to the studio during the first commercial break. Most of the honorees quickly got over their initial shock and enjoyed meeting bygone friends again. Pioneer movie producer Mack Sennett's response was typical: he hated being caught off-guard, but as the tribute progressed he relaxed, and by the end of the show he was quite pleased with the experience.

Advance planning for the broadcast meant that, inevitably, certain celebrities would know in advance about the surprise. Carl Reiner later admitted that he knew beforehand about his appearance. Some were notified in advance because of medical conditions, including Eddie Cantor, due to his heart condition, and Lillian Roth, who had recovered from alcoholism.

Some celebrities were unpleasantly surprised. Angie Dickinson refused to appear,[1] and Stan Laurel of Laurel and Hardy was angered by being "tricked" into what would be the team's only American television appearance on December 1, 1954. The meticulous Laurel later said, "[Oliver Hardy] and I were always planning to do something on TV. But we never dreamed that we would make our television debut on an unrehearsed network program... I was damned if I was going to put on a free show for them," although he mellowed in later years when so many viewers told him how much they enjoyed the show. Lowell Thomas was probably the most hostile and annoyed on-air guest. When host Ralph Edwards tried to assure him that he would enjoy what was to come, Thomas replied, "I doubt that very much."

[edit] Attempted revivals

Edwards would revive the series twice in syndication, the first one with Edwards again as host and in 1983 with Joseph Campanella. Both failed to capture the magic of the original series, mostly due to the series being filmed or taped and in the case of the '71-'72 version some stations that aired it gave away the surprise elements in ads and promos for the show.

In November 2005, ABC announced that it was developing a new version of the show, to be hosted by Regis Philbin. Coincidentally, the show's creator, Ralph Edwards, died not long after the announcement was made. In August 2006, Philbin decided not to renew his contract with the show (he was committed to hosting America's Got Talent on NBC), and ABC is considering moving forward with another host. [2] [3]

[edit] The UK version

The show was adapted in several countries, including the United Kingdom, where it was launched in 1955 on the BBC and was presented by Eamonn Andrews (who also ended up being the first "victim"). It ended in 1964 when Eamonn Andrews moved to ABC, but it was revived on ITV (produced by Thames Television) in 1969, and Michael Aspel (himself a "victim" in 1980) became presenter after Andrews died in 1987. It returned to the BBC in 1993, though it was still produced independently by Thames Television, and was axed in 2003.

Guests on the UK version included Muhammad Ali, David Nixon, Frankie Howerd, David Jason, Anne Kirkbride, Lord Mountbatten, Frank Skinner, Jim Davidson, Joan Collins, Bernard Manning, Shirley Bassey, Stephen Behan father of Brendan Behan and Dominic Behan, Windsor Davies, Sydney MacEwan, Peter Davison, Alfred Marks, Brian Rix, George Best, Spike Milligan, Jon Pertwee, Eric Sykes, Marty Wilde, Bernard Braden, Paul Young, Christopher Timothy, The Bee Gees, Bill Oddie, Tim Brooke-Taylor, producer Bill Kenwright, Barbara Windsor, DJ John Peel, and Lynn Redgrave in December 1996, who was caught while taking her bow in her one-woman show on stage at the Haymarket Theatre, the only time the Redgrave clan was seen together onstage at the same time.

Footballer Danny Blanchflower turned down the "red book" on the British show in February 1961, as did author Richard Gordon (of Doctor in the House fame) in 1974. In 2001 Bill Oddie (of The Goodies) initially turned it down, but changed his mind and appeared on the show. Actor Richard Beckinsale was a feature on the show shortly after his 31st birthday, 8 months before his death.

A few celebrities have appeared on the show twice, though, such as Bob Monkhouse and Eamonn Andrews himself. On 10 December 1969, the 20-year-old model Twiggy became the UK show's youngest "victim" - a record which still stood when the programme was axed. Originally it included ordinary people who had done extraordinary things in their lives. In later years, following a persistent criticism of only deeming celebrities worthy of being featured on the show, 'ordinary' people were featured again, such as a Red Cross volunteer, and other charity workers.

SMG Productions now holds the production rights to the programme, currently being developed for ITV1.

[edit] The Australian version

In Australia, the show was aired on the Nine Network on Thursday nights for a relatively short annual season. It began in 1975 on the Seven Network, hosted by Michael Willesee. Subsequent seasons were compered by Digby Wolfe (1976) and Roger Climpson (1977 - 1980). The program was re-launched on the Nine Network in 1995, hosted by Mike Munro.

[edit] The New Zealand version

35 New Zealanders have been honoured in the New Zealand version of the show, which has been broadcast on and off since about the mid-1980s on Television New Zealand's Channel One. It was originally hosted by Bob Parker, but more recent episodes have been presented by Paul Holmes. The last This Is Your Life programme in New Zealand aired in September 2000. The subject of that episode was the great New Zealand runner, Peter Snell. However, a 36th New Zealander is to be honoured in a show that will be broadcast on 9 April 2007 and hosted by Paul Henry. Previous subjects of the show have included prominent figures in sports (such as Snell, John Walker, Sir Peter Blake, Mark Todd, Lance Cairns and Colin Meads), the arts (like Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, who also once appeared on the British edition of the show, Dame Malvina Major, Rob Guest and Sir Howard Morrison), politics (e.g. Sonja Davies and Dame Cath Tizard), broadcasting (like Selwyn Toogood and Davina Whitehouse) and the military (Charles Upham). Mountaineer and explorer Sir Edmund Hillary was one of the first "victims" of the New Zealand version.

[edit] Spoofs

[edit] References

  1. ^ Armor Archerd: This is Angie Dickinson's Life, 16 November 2005
  2. ^ "ABC Contemplates Life Without Regis", Broadcasting & Cable, August 30, 2006.
  3. ^ "TV Q&A with Rob Owen", Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, August 25, 2006.

[edit] External links

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