Big Red Book
Celebrating television's This Is Your Life
a brief biography
the producers who steered the programme's success
the genesis of the programme
Maryan Rawicz and Walter Landauer
Bristol Evening Post 26 April 1958
We say adieu to This Is Your Life on May 5, when the final programme in the current series completes the third series, during which 67 different life stories have been presented.
Eamonn Andrews was the original "victim" when This Is Your Life made its debut in July 1955, and he has compered every programme since that date. Leslie Jackson, who has been the producer throughout, says, in answer to the suggestion that the surprise expressed by the victims as their name is called is not always genuine.
"An average of four weeks of research is spent on preparing each of these programmes, but it has been known for us to mount a completely new show at only 48 hours' notice. There was one occasion when five different life stories collapsed round our ears and the programme was saved by the sixth."
The Northern Whig and Belfast Post 28 April 1958
THE final programme in the current series of This Is Your Life will be on Monday, May 5. This completes the third separate series of these shows, during which time 67 different life stories have been presented.
Eamonn Andrews, the original "victim" when This Is Your Life made its debut in July 1955, has compered every programme. And Leslie Jackson has been the producer throughout.
It has been suggested from time to time that the surprise expressed by the "victims" as their name is called is not always genuine. Leslie Jackson has something to say on the subject.
"An average of four weeks of research is spent on preparing each of these programmes, but it has been known for us to mount a completely new show at only 48 hours' notice," he says. "In most cases this is, in fact, because the subject either finds out what is going on or is suspected to have found out."
There was one occasion, he points out, when five different life stories "collapsed round our ears and the programme was saved by the sixth."
The Lincolnshire Echo 1 May 1958
FINAL programme in the current series of This Is Your Life programmes will be on Monday. This completes the third separate series of these shows, during which time, 67 different life stories have been presented.
Eamonn Andrews, the original "victim" when This Is Your Life made its debut in July 1955, has compered every programme since that date. And Leslie Jackson has been the producer throughout.
It has been suggested from time to time that the surprise expressed by the "victim" as their name is called is not always genuine. Leslie Jackson has something to say on this subject.
"An average of four weeks of research is spent on preparing each of these programmes, but it has been known for us to mount a completely new show at only 48 hours' notice," he says. "In most cases, this is, in fact, because the subject either finds out what is going on, or is suspected to have found out."
"There was one occasion when five different life stories collapsed round our ears, and the programme was saved by the sixth," he adds.
The Guardian 2 May 1958
THE final programme in the current series of This Is Your Life programmes will be on Monday. This completes the third separate series of these shows, during which time 67 different life stories have been presented.
Eamonn Andrews, the original "victim" when This Is Your Life made its debut on BBC Television on 29th July, 1955, has compered every programme since that date. And Leslie Jackson has been the producer throughout.
It has been suggested from time to time that the surprise expressed by the "victims" as their name is called is not always genuine. Leslie Jackson has something to say on this subject.
"An average of four weeks of research is spent on preparing each of these programmes, but it has been known for us to mount a completely new show at only 48 hours' notice," he says. "In most cases this is, in fact, because the subject either finds out what is going on or is suspected to have found out."
"There was one occasion when five different life stories collapsed round our ears and the programme was saved by the sixth."
Radio Times 4 May 1958
A great many people have written to us in the past suggesting that This Is Your Life should one day turn the tables on Eamonn Andrews and present his life for the benefit of his millions of admirers. For the record, and for those who did not see the programme, the very first edition in July 1955 did just that, and although Eamonn was taken aback at the time, he has never since regretted it, for it has enabled him to appreciate fully the feelings of the many subjects he has introduced during the long and successful run.
This Monday sees the last in the present series, but Eamonn will, of course, still be seen and heard in a number of programmes in the coming weeks. Apart from What's My Line?, and his various sporting commitments, he has recently been winning himself a new band of followers for his Saturday-night series Toast of the Town in the Home Service in which he salutes the stars and personalities of the entertainment world.
This Saturday his toast-list bears the names of Vic Oliver, Rawicz and Landauer, Diana Wynyard and Michael Gwynn, Dorothy Reynolds, Julian Slade and the cast of Free as Air, Terry Scott, David Hughes coupled with the name of Irving Berlin, and that vigorous and sparkling singer, Eve Boswell.
Although Eamonn is shortly going to America for a while, he has pre-recorded a number of editions of Toast of the Town, which will run until the end of June.
The Liverpool Echo 5 May 1958
Norman Cook's TV News
TO-NIGHT'S edition of This Is Your Life (BBC 8.45 pm) ends the current series. This has been the third series of these programmes and the total of life stories presented now stands at 67.
The first This Is Your Life was seen by televiewers on July 29, 1955, when the subject was Eamonn Andrews. Since that date he has compered every programme in the three series.
Leslie Jackson, who has produced them all, tends to fly off the handle when viewers suggest that some of the "victims" are not quite as surprised when their name is called as they might seem to be.
"We take every possible precaution to ensure complete surprise," he says. "Sometimes the victims have discovered what was going on, and in such cases we have promptly scrapped the programme."
"Usually we have spent about four weeks on research for each of these programmes. But, in cases when the subject has found out or has been suspected to have found out that we were planning to feature him or her, we have arranged substitute programmes at only 48 hours' notice."
"There was one occasion when five different life stories collapsed around our ears and the programme was saved only by the sixth attempt."
Will there be a fourth series of This Is Your Life?
Say the BBC: "We have no further plans for the summer. And as far as autumn goes, we haven't done anything about it yet."
Manchester Evening News 5 May 1958
ON TV TONIGHT
CHIEF inquisitor Eamonn Andrews signs off the last of the current This Is Your Life series on BBC tonight. "Then I expect to be out of circulation until the start of the football season," he told me.
"I like to take a three-month break every year," said Eamonn. "The rest of the time is such a rush I really need it."
In a fortnight he leaves his Lancaster Gate flat to fly off for a month in the United States. But it's a bit of a busman's holiday. He will appear on the panel in the American versions of "What's My Line?" and "Tell The Truth."
"As I'm in the chair so much at home it makes a pleasant change to ask the questions," he said.
"I'll also be looking for new ideas to bring back. While I'm in America I watch so much TV I get square-eyed."
Next on the list is a holiday. Where?
"I don't know yet," said Eamonn. "We haven't had time to plan anything."
Daily Mirror 5 May 1958
For Eamonn, tonight's show may become...
By Richard Sear
EAMONN ANDREWS may be in for a tough time tonight.
He will introduce the last programme of the current This Is Your Life series on BBC-TV at 9.0
And the show's producer, Leslie Jackson, says: "I expect this one will give us more headaches than any show we have done."
For the character whose life story will be spotlighted may "ab-lib" his (or her) way through the show.
Jackson thinks that it is quite on the cards that the carefully prepared plans for the shape of the programme may all have to be ditched - while the show is on the air.
"Eamonn Andrews will have to be on his toes more than ever before," says Jackson.
After its summer rest, This Is Your Life returns in the autumn to put the focus on little-known people who have made their mark in life.
Coventry Evening Telegraph 5 May 1958
Tonight's Television and Radio
By MONITOR
For the last time in the present This Is Your Life series, a surprised and probably embarrassed "victim" will be escorted to the stage tonight (9.0) for Eamonn Andrews to recount his life story.
Are the subjects of the programme genuinely surprised? Leslie Jackson, the producer, would be surprised if they weren't.
He told me: "An average of four weeks of research is spent on preparing each of these programmes."
But in some cases - because the subject found out or suspected he was to be featured - a completely new show has been prepared in 48 hours.
Once five different life stories "collapsed" and the programme was saved by a sixth.
Nottingham Evening News 5 May 1958
THE 67th "victim" of Mr T Leslie Jackson, BBC producer, and his spies will tonight be led before the cameras which will lay bare his life story to millions of people. This is the last of the current series of This Is Your Life and the third series put on in this country.
It is one of the BBC's top-ranking programmes, so there is no doubt it will return in the autumn. Indeed, Eamonn Andrews, who has compered every programme except the first one, when he was himself the "victim," is off to America in a fortnight's time to keep abreast of the latest developments in American television's version of This Is Your Life and "What's My Line?" He will also be investigating new television shows as well as appearing in others.
Mr Jackson has often had to answer the question whether the victim's surprise when his name is called is genuine. He reiterates that if there is the slightest suspicion of a leak, the subject concerned is dropped. "There was one occasion when five different life stories collapsed round our ears and the programme was saved by the sixth," he says.
Evening Sentinel 5 May 1958
TONIGHT'S This Is Your Life, on BBC television, is the last in the current series. It completes the third separate series of these shows during which time 67 different life stories have been presented.
Eamonn Andrews, the original "victim" when This Is Your Life made its debut on July 29th, 1955, has compered every programme since that date, and Leslie Jackson has been the producer throughout.
The Scotsman 5 May 1958
TV & RADIO
The final programme in the current series of This Is Your Life will be televised tonight (BBC 8.45). This completes the third separate series of these shows during which time sixty-seven different life stories have been presented. Eamonn Andrews, the original "victim" when the programme made its debut in July, 1955, has compered every programme since that date. And Leslie Jackson has been the producer throughout.