This Is Your Life article

ALAN BRIEN

"I WOULDN'T mind an alcoholic. Or a drug fiend. Though I'd draw the line at a sex criminal just out of jail. I did have a murderer lined up at one time."

"Well, he wasn't exactly a murderer. But he'd carried a gun in an armed robbery which ended in a policeman being shot and killed. But it turned out that the policeman's widow was still alive. As soon as we discovered that we cancelled the show, of course. It would have been in very bad taste otherwise."

The speaker was T (for Terence) Leslie Jackson, the producer of television's most popular programme, This Is Your Life. It was watched by more than 10,000,000 viewers every week. And critics allege that 9,000,000 of them tuned in just because they hoped it would be in bad taste.

Last week's issue, which ended with a huge close-up of a wet-eyed, quivering-lipped A E Matthews about to express his gratitude for the experience, was the last in the present series.

Summer search

Now Jackson begins his summer search for new candidates for the hottest seat on television. Though the subjects who appear on This Is Your Life sometimes cry, or lose their voice, or have a mental blackout, or feel faint, or grow white with rage - only one has ever complained about the deception afterwards.

While the programme is on the screen, many of them feel uneasy palpitations as they wonder what forgotten skeleton may be grinning behind the curtain. And several times, Jackson says, people have had to be dropped at the last moment when his researchers turned up some grisly weakness or juicy episode from the past which could not be glossed over.

"The subject knows that our aim is to honour him. But of course none of us can ever be sure that something won't slip through accidentally which might be ruinous. So we comb over his life carefully."

This Is Your Life originated in America, and when Jackson saw the American edition his first reaction was - "This is the most terrifying show I have ever seen." His second reaction was "Let me get my hands on it. I'll do it without a salary."

The British version is much more restrained, tactful, and sober, according to Leslie Jackson. "In America they really turn on all the taps," he said.

"I never use a close-up if I can avoid it on a face that is obviously overcome with emotion. With Anna Neagle, for example, I kept the cameras off her as much as I could when she broke down. Sensationalism doesn't pay. This is light entertainment."

Viewers sometimes write in to complain that Jackson is wasting their license money by flying in guests all the way from America for a three-minute appearance. "In fact This Is Your Life is a comparatively cheap programme."

Well kept

"It costs about two thirds the amount of a half-hour variety show. Often it is far cheaper to bring the person 1,000 miles to the studio than to fly a camera team to film him," said Jackson. Despite all the publicity which Leslie Jackson's elaborate precautions have received, secrecy is the least of his worries. "You'd be surprised how well most people can keep a secret. They are thrilled by being in on the whole plan."

"They know that if they drop the slightest hint, it will ruin the tribute which is being paid to their friend or relative. Most of our leaks are entirely accidental. The subject never, never has the slightest suspicion of what's coming to him."