Big Red Book
Celebrating television's This Is Your Life
For the first time since 1969, the broadcast time for This Is Your Life was changed to 8pm due to ITV shuffling their Wednesday evening schedules.
TV Times magazine marked the launch of the new series with a feature reflecting on the life of presenter Eamonn Andrews, titled The seven ages of Eamonn.
This series was book-ended with extended editions - opening with a tribute to a well-loved actor who was previously surprised in 1960 and closing with an hour-long special dedicated to one of Britain's best-loved entertainers.
Also notable in this series is the only known occasion when a subject dropped the big red book while taking applause from the studio audience at the end of the programme!
And a certain actress honoured in this series met a certain singer - honoured in the next series - while appearing on a certain edition of This Is Your Life in 1980, and they married the year after.
related pages...
| John MILLS | Actor | 26 October 1983 |
| Norman PARKINSON | Photographer | 2 November 1983 |
| Chaim TOPOL | Actor | 9 November 1983 |
| Pat JENNINGS | Irish footballer | 16 November 1983 |
| Susannah YORK | Actress | 23 November 1983 |
| Stuart HENRY | Disc jockey and multiple sclerosis sufferer | 30 November 1983 |
| George THOMAS | Politician | 7 December 1983 |
| Richard NOBLE | Land speed record breaker | 14 December 1983 |
| Matthew KELLY | Actor and television presenter | 21 December 1983 |
| Gloria CAMERON | Charity worker | 27 December 1983 |
| Geraint EVANS | Welsh baritone | 4 January 1984 |
| Matthew LETHBRIDGE | Lifeboat coxswain | 11 January 1984 |
| Liza GODDARD | Actress | 18 January 1984 |
| Terry LAWLESS | Boxing manager and trainer | 25 January 1984 |
| Jim DAVIDSON | Comedian | 1 February 1984 |
| Chris GITTINS | Actor | 8 February 1984 |
| Bob TODD | Comedy actor | 15 February 1984 |
| Nerys HUGHES | Actress | 22 February 1984 |
| Mike SPRING | Disabled rower | 29 February 1984 |
| Eddie MACKEN | Irish showjumper | 7 March 1984 |
| Freddie STARR | Comedian | 14 March 1984 |
| Kathy STAFF | Actress | 21 March 1984 |
| Jenny PITMAN | Racehorse trainer and author | 28 March 1984 |
| Brian BLESSED | Actor | 4 April 1984 |
| Laddie LUCAS | RAF officer, politician, writer and golfer | 11 April 1984 |
| Danny LA RUE | Entertainer | 18 April 1984 |
Broadcast details
Thames Television production for ITV26 editions | 23 x 30 minutes | 1 x 45 minutes | 2 x 60 minutes
Wednesday | 8.00pm x 25
Tuesday | 7.00pm x 1
Production team
Producer: Malcolm Morris | Associate Producer: Brian Klein | Directors: Terry Yarwood, Michael D KentWriters: Tom Brennand, Roy Bottomley, Norman Giller | Programme Consultants: Tom Brennand, Roy Bottomley
Researchers: Colin Williams, Vivien Rose, Miriam O'Callaghan, David Mason, Tom Wettengel, Michael Waterhouse
Claudia Horvath, Angela Clark, Claire Jenkinson | Programme Associate: John Graham
Production Assistants: Irene Clark, Claire Jenkinson, Susie Hart | Designer: Jane Krall