Big Red Book
Celebrating television's This Is Your Life
John CRAVEN OBE (1940-)
THIS IS YOUR LIFE - John Craven, television presenter, was surprised by Michael Aspel while recording a feature about the Met Office forecaster Helen Young for the BBC countryside news programme Countryfile at the weather studios at BBC Television Centre.
John, who was born in Leeds, began his career as a junior reporter with the Harrogate Advertiser before working for the Yorkshire Post. He joined BBC Newcastle to work as a scriptwriter and newsreader on local radio and television and then moved to BBC Bristol in 1970 as a television news reporter.
In 1972, John began presenting Newsround, the world's first news programme for children, which became one of the most influential shows on BBC Television. At the same time, he also appeared on other children's programmes, such as The Multi-Coloured Swap Shop and Saturday Superstore. As the first television newsreader not to wear a tie, John presented more than 3000 editions of Newsround over 17 years before leaving the programme in 1989 to present Countryfile.
"Oh never! Michael!"
programme details...
- Edition No: 1042
- Subject No: 1017
- Broadcast date: Mon 6 Mar 2000
- Broadcast time: 8.30-9.00pm
- Recorded: Wed 23 Feb 2000
- Venue: Teddington Studios
- Series: 40
- Edition: 17
- Code name: Paper
on the guest list...
- Emma - daughter
- Victoria - daughter
- Jean - sister
- Marilyn - wife
- Noel Edmonds
- Rosemary Gill
- Michaela Strachan
- Charlotte Smith
- Rupert Segar
- Mike Judge
- Sue Rose
- John Exelby
- Edward Barnes
- Reginald Turnill
- Richard Whitmore
- Maggie Philbin
- Mike Read
- Jessie - granddaughter
- Alastair - son-in-law
- Charlie - grandson
- John Beal Filmed tributes:
- Michael Buerk
- Juliet Morris
- David Bellamy
related appearance...
- Valerie Singleton - May 2001
production team...
- Researcher: Ruth Malone
- Writer: Ian Brown
- Director: John Gorman
- Associate Producer: Helen Gordon-Smith
- Executive Producer: John Longley
- Series Producer: Jack Crawshaw
- Producer: Sue Green
- names above in bold indicate subjects of This Is Your Life
reporting the news
Screenshots of John Craven This Is Your Life
Series 40 subjects
Roger Black | Hewitt Clark | Martin Kemp | Denise Welch | Rudolph Walker | Martin Jarvis | Stuart Hall | Rita TushinghamLen Vale-Onslow | Dale Winton | Ian Wright | Marguerite Patten | Eddie Jordan | Dave Lee Travis | Harry Hill
David Vine | John Craven | Richard Dunwoody | Tom Baker | Laurie Holloway | Kay Mellor | Mark Wingett
Christopher Timothy | Suggs | Jason Leonard | Desmond Wilcox | Roger Kendall | Daniel O'Donnell