Big Red Book

Celebrating television's This Is Your Life

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THIS IS YOUR LIFE - Susan Hampshire, actress, was surprised by Michael Aspel while having tea at the Ritz in London.

Susan began acting while at school, and made her first film appearance at the age of 9 in Woman in the Hall. Having trained in theatre while working as Assistant Stage Manager at Bognor Regis repertory, she made her West End debut at the age of 18. She later landed the leading role in the 1962 BBC television series What Katy Did. However, it was her role in the 1967 BBC television adaptation of The Forsyte Saga which made her a household name and won her the first of her three Emmy Awards.

She received Emmy Awards for her roles in two other BBC costume dramas, The First Churchills in 1971 and Vanity Fair two years later. Her other television work includes the BBC miniseries The Pallisters and The Barchester Chronicles. Susan was diagnosed as dyslexic at the age of 30, and having wrote about her condition in her 1981 autobiography, Susan's Story, she became a prominent campaigner on dyslexia issues.

"Oh my goodness. Eddie, I never thought you could keep a secret!"

programme details...

• Edition No: 835
• Subject No: 825
• Broadcast date: Wed 8 Apr 1992
• Broadcast time: 7.00-7.30pm
• Recorded: Tue 21 Jan 1992
• Venue: Teddington Studios
• Series: 32
• Edition: 25
• Code name: Dance

on the guest list...

• Eddie Kulukundis - husband
• John - brother
• Jane - sister
• Ann - sister
• Anthony Dowell
• Susan Stranks
• Lady Simone Warner
• Joss Ackland
• Pierre Granier-Deferre
• Christopher - son
• Martin Jarvis
• Philip Latham
• Gerald Harper
• Carol Dowell
Filmed tributes:
• Margaret Tyzack
• Charles Aznavour
• Carla Lane
• Susannah York

related appearances...

• Bill Fraser - Oct 1981
• Keith Barron - Jan 1985
• Stephanie Beacham - Jan 1990
• Barry Foster - Jan 1991
• Kriss Akabusi - May 1995
• Steve Redgrave - Sep 1996
• Tim Healy - Feb 1998
• Roger Black - Nov 1999
• Martin Jarvis - Nov 1999
• The Night of 1000 Lives - Jan 2000
• Dorothy Tutin - Dec 2000
• Julian Fellowes - May 2002

production team...

• Researchers: Ian Brown, Elizabeth Ross
• Writer: Roy Bottomley
• Directors: Brian Klein, Malcolm Morris
• Associate Producer: John Graham
• Producer: Malcolm Morris

• names above in bold indicate subjects of This Is Your Life

An Actor's Life For Me

spotlight on the stars

The Night of 1000 Lives

a celebration of a thousand editions

Gerald Harper

Martin Jarvis

Susannah York

Interviews

Susan Hampshire recalls her experience of This Is Your Life in an exclusive interview recorded in May 2010

Screenshots of Susan Hampshire This Is Your Life - and Susan Hampshire photographed at her home with her big red book in May 2010