Big Red Book
Celebrating television's This Is Your Life
The Big Red Book
"...the book is the amulet... that is what makes the show work. I could be wearing a barrel – it's the red book they see - and they go crazy..."
That's how Michael Aspel described the effect of the Big Red Book - the icon of This Is Your Life.
Although the Big Red Book is now synonymous with This Is Your Life, it was fifteen years after the programme first aired on British television before it was introduced - in 1970...
related pages...
The Secret Agent Who Made The Big Red Books
interview with the book binders
the genesis of the programme
the producers who steered the programme's success
the iconic titles and theme tunes
the studio look and locations
the applause, laughter and tears
the show's fifty year history
The day we lost The Big Red Book
Further secrets revealed by producer Malcolm Morris
Prop Watch: This is your...big red book
Radio Times looks at the show's true icon
A 'book' was first used on the American version of the programme, which launched on US television in 1952.
It was a simple ring binder which contained the programme's script and would be presented, but not given to, the unsuspecting subject at the point of the surprise, or 'pick-up'.
The programme's presenter would then read the script – which contained the story of the subject's life – from the book during the broadcast before handing it over at the end of the tribute, with the words: 'This is your life'.
Eamonn Andrews read his script from an ordinary ring binder
When the BBC first produced their version of the show in 1955, the book used by Eamonn Andrews appeared to be an ordinary ring binder, similar to the type used on the American version.
The programmes produced during the early BBC period, between 1955 and 1964, were all broadcast in black and white, so the actual colour of the book was unknown to viewers.
In reality, the binders were usually black, green or dark blue and decorated with the show's title, 'This Is Your Life' along with the subject's name.
The binder containing the typewritten script - which often included Eamonn's handwritten changes - was handed to the subject at the end of the programme to keep as a souvenir of their tribute.
David Butler, who became the programme's youngest subject at the age of 17 in 1962, is pictured in 2009 with his dark green book, which contains the script from his edition of the programme
The style of the binders changed slightly over the years, as shown in the selection of photographs below...
A selection of photographs showing subjects being presented with their book (the This Is Your Life script) from Eamonn Andrews - indicating the various styles of presentation used by the BBC between 1955 and 1964. Also shown here is an example of the book's contents, in this case, Eamonn's typewritten script, complete with handwritten changes
In addition to the script, This Is Your Life subjects from this period were given two further souvenirs of their tribute.
Firstly, sometime after the recording or live broadcast, an album containing black and white photographs taken during the show would be delivered to them.
The photograph albums were red in colour – the original Big Red Book? - and contained several 10x8 inch black and white glossy photographs, complete with a guest list, production details, and a specially written tribute on grey title pages.
Clarinettist Acker Bilk with the red photograph album from his 1962 tribute
And secondly, in the days before home video, subjects were also presented with an audio recording of the show on an acetate disc. As most of the programmes produced by the BBC during this period were broadcast live and not visually recorded, these audio recordings, along with the photographs from the red albums, are now the only surviving record of these editions.
The red photograph album and acetate disc presented to comedian Ted Ray following his 1955 tribute
A selection of the photograph albums produced by the BBC between 1955 and 1964, with examples of their contents, including guest lists, production details and a specially written tribute
The BBC cancelled This Is Your Life in 1964 after nine series, but the programme was relaunched five years later by Thames Television for ITV.
The programme was broadcast in colour for the first time, and a new design of the book was introduced for the new series.
The book varied in colour but was mainly dark blue or red with a golden silhouette embossed on the cover.
Eamonn Andrews photographed for TV Times magazine with the new look This Is Your Life book in 1970
The book presented to clown Charlie Cairoli, who was featured as a subject in February 1970
The first sighting of a red book in this new style was in November 1969 for the tribute to footballer Bobby Charlton
However, the new design was short-lived, and the Big Red Book with its gold embossed lettering was first seen at the start of the programme's eleventh series – in a two-part tribute for British-born entertainer Bob Hope, broadcast in November 1970.
The Big Red Book was first seen in November 1970 in a two-part tribute for British-born entertainer Bob Hope
Ironically, some shows were transmitted in black and white during this period due to a technician's strike!
As such, the book was not seen in its full red glory until January 1971, in programme nine of the eleventh series, which featured the Glaswegian ambulance driver Robert Soutter.
The first sighting of the Big Red Book in colour was in the edition featuring the Glaswegian ambulance driver Robert Soutter, broadcast in January 1971
Although no longer given a copy of the script to keep, subjects were still handed the book by Eamonn at the end of their tribute. They then held it proudly as their guests surrounded them while the programme's credits rolled over the audience's applause.
The book would then be returned to the production team, who would remove the script and replace it with photographs taken during the recording.
Sometime later, the book would be delivered to the subject along with an audio recording provided on vinyl, usually housed in a slip folder in the back of the book.
From the late 1970s on, these vinyl recordings were replaced by VHS, and later still DVD, and subjects would often receive both an unedited version and a broadcast version of their tribute.
This would remain the practice until the programme ended in 2003.
The Secret Agent Who Made The Big Red Books
This exclusive article reveals the lengths that the This Is Your Life team went to keep the production of the book top secret
By the mid-1970s, the Big Red Book had become the icon of the show, and along with the programme's titles and familiar theme tune, it was truly embedded in the national consciousness.
For many viewers, the start of each edition was made all the more exciting by the sight of Eamonn Andrews clutching the big red book under his arm and carefully, though not always successfully, concealing the subject's name until the moment of surprise!
A selection of Big Red Books produced by Thames Television between 1969 and 2003, with examples of their contents
The first, presented at the surprise, often contained blank pages or was, in fact, empty.
The second contained the presenter's script for the recording or live programme.
A final souvenir version, containing a collection of large photographs taken during the recording, was later delivered to the subject.
The production team misplaced the Big Red Book in 1985, just minutes before surprising Coronation Street's William Roache, so Eamonn Andrews improvised with a red file borrowed from an office at Granada Studios
The book was disguised as a Royal Navy document to surprise Naomi James in 1979
John Blashford-Snell's Big Red Book was hidden in a folded copy of the Evening Standard newspaper in 1976
Felix Bowness was warming up the This Is Your Life audience in 1986 when his book was produced from a shopping bag belonging to a member of the audience!
Les Dawson was presented with his first book wrapped as a Christmas present in 1971
Alicia Markova's book was gift-wrapped and presented to her by ballet dancer John Gilpin during a party at London's Royal Festival Hall in 1960
Matthew Kelly dropped the Big Red Book while taking applause from the studio audience at the end of his 1983 programme!
Bernard Cribbins, in a car, snatched the Big Red Book from Eamonn Andrews, who was dressed as a Womble and pretended to drive off declaring 'Thanks. I'll read the bugger later...'
A blindfolded Valerie Singleton was asked to guess what her Big Red Book was in 2001
Douglas Fairbanks Jr told Michael Aspel in 1989, "All of it in here? I can't wait to open it and read it!"
Maud Fairman's book included 'the symbols of the season' on its cover for the first Christmas-themed edition in 1956.
John Virgo was surprised in 1995 when a dummy Big Red Book being used in a Generation Game stunt turned out to be the real thing – with his name on it!
The smallest ever Big Red Book was presented to Harry Corbett's creation Sooty in 1988
Chef Gary Rhodes was presented with his Big Red Book under the lid of a serving platter in 1996
The book presented to schoolmaster 'Dapper' Channon in 1958 was decorated in his school colours of white, black and gold
Rod Hull and Emu attacked the Big Red Book when they appeared as guests on the edition featuring Larry Grayson in 1972
Andy Stewart's book was hidden in a specially made tartan wrap in 1975
Zsa Zsa Gabor screamed, "My Life? One Book?" when surprised at her Hollywood home in 1989
At least two books have been produced with braille lettering - the first was presented to Sydney Scroggie in 1964, and a second one to George Shearing in 1991
Peter Ustinov hid his face behind his Big Red Books while taking his applause from the studio audience on each of his two shows - in 1977 and 1994
Several subjects have been surprised by being asked to read the name on the front of the Big Red Book, including Ronald Shiner in 1958 and Alice Goldberger in 1978
Such was the breadth of Bob Monkhouse's second tribute that two Big Red Books were needed - the second one delivered midway through the show by comedian Joe Pasquale.