This Is Your Life: Richard Briers 1

Richard BRIERS (1934-2013)

THIS IS YOUR LIFE - Richard Briers, actor, was surprised by Eamonn Andrews.

Richard, who was born in Raynes Park, Surrey, left school with no formal qualifications and worked as a clerk before his national service, which was spent at RAF Northwood. While in the RAF, Richard got his first taste for acting, and after he left the forces, he studied at RADA, graduating with a silver medal and winning a scholarship with the Liverpool Repertory Company.

He made his television debut in 1961 in the television play The Murder Club, followed by roles in the Jimmy Edwards comedy vehicle The Seven Faces of Jim, and then the lead in the BBC sitcom Marriage Lines, which ran for five series between 1961 and 1966 and made him a household name.

Richard Briers was a subject of This Is Your Life on two occasions – surprised again by Michael Aspel in February 1994 at Thames Television's Teddington Studios.

programme details...

Edition No: 333
Subject No: 334
Broadcast live: Wed 3 May 1972
Broadcast time: 7.00-7.30pm
Venue: unknown
Series: 12
Edition: 25

on the guest list...

Constance McDonnell
Harold French
Julie Ege
Ronald Fraser
Prunella Scales

production team...

Researcher: unknown
Writer: unknown
Director: Margery Baker
Producer: Malcolm Morris

names above in bold indicate subjects of This Is Your Life

related pages...

Richard Briers

second tribute

The Good Life

the sitcom stars

Life Second Time Around

surprised again!

Harold French

James Hogg recalls this edition of This Is Your Life in his book, More Than Just a Good Life...

The 'big red book' that was handed to Richard at the end of his first appearance on This Is Your Life in 1972 (he was the subject again in 1994) reveals that the person who thought Richard might benefit from owning a copy of Laurence Irving's homage to his revered grandfather was a Mrs Constance McDonnell, a friend of the family who had emigrated to Australia with her family in the 1950s. So significant was her gift, even in the eyes of the producers at ITV, that she was flown over as a surprise guest.

A few months after they filmed Rentadick, Richard was 'surprised' by Eamonn Andrews for an episode of This Is Your Life and Julie Ege was the 'surprise' guest at the end. Her sense of humour, however, almost got the better of her as, just for a laugh, she thought it would be fun to call Richard up the day before and give the game away, proving perhaps that she hadn't quite grasped the concept of the show. Fortunately for Eamonn, Julie made her intentions known to a friend who advised her against the course of action and a disaster was averted.

'I think that show was quite difficult for Dad,' explains Kate, 'as it featured a lot of people from school and from his first job, which he wasn't keen on revisiting. Having people like Julie and Harold French on the show brought him back into the present day and made the whole thing bearable. Just!'

Series 12 subjects