Big Red Book
Celebrating television's This Is Your Life
Dennis TAYLOR (1949-)
THIS IS YOUR LIFE - Dennis Taylor, snooker player, was surprised by Eamonn Andrews while being photographed for Thames Sport in the foyer of Thames Television's Euston Road Studios.
Dennis, who was born in Coalisland, County Tyrone, worked part-time in a cinema and dance hall to pay for his early snooker sessions. After moving to Darwen in Lancashire, he found work in a paper mill but continued playing snooker in local clubs.
He turned professional in 1972 and made his debut at the World Snooker Championship a year later. With his distinctive glasses, he became a familiar figure on the snooker circuit throughout the 1970s. He won the 1985 World Snooker Championship, defeating the defending champion, Steve Davis, in a final that attracted a record-breaking 18.5 million television viewers.
"You must be kidding!"
programme details...
- Edition No: 680
- Subject No: 674
- Broadcast date: Wed 23 Oct 1985
- Broadcast time: 7.00-7.30pm
- Recorded: Thu 17 Oct 1985
- Venue: Royalty Theatre
- Series: 26
- Edition: 2
- Code name: Black
on the guest list...
- Dickie Davies
- Cliff Thorburn
- Kirk Stevens
- Tony Knowles
- Terry Griffiths
- Jim Meadowcroft
- Willie Thorne
- Doug Mountjoy
- David Taylor
- John Virgo
- Tony Meo
- Eugene Crozier
- Barry Hearn
- Mark Wildman
- Ray Edmonds
- John Pulman
- Rex Williams
- Trevor East
- Jack Karnehm
- Patricia - wife
- Brendan - son
- Damian - son
- Denise - daughter
- Steve Davis
- Tommy - father
- Martin - brother
- Brenda - sister
- Molly - sister
- Jean - sister
- Margaret - sister
- unnamed family members
- Brian - brother
- Barry Cullen
- Gerry Shields
- Plunkett Cullen
- Gerry Cullen
- Harry Magee
- Louis Conlon
- Malarkey Campbell
- Joe Gervin
- Peter Campbell
- Frank Carson
- Roy Walker
- Jimmy Cricket
- John Dillon
- Joe Dolan
- Ben Dolan
- Desmond Doherty
- Donal Aughey
- Sheila - aunt
- Tommy Whitehead
- Alex Higgins
- Bridget Gervin Filmed tribute:
- Barry McGuigan
related appearances...
- Terry Griffiths - Jan 1980
- Joe Johnson - Nov 1986
- Jimmy Cricket - Nov 1987
- Barry McGuigan - Dec 1988
- Bobby Davro - Apr 1990
- John Virgo - Jan 1996
- Roy Walker - Sep 1998
- David Vine - Feb 2000
- Ian Woosnam - Jan 2002
production team...
- Researcher: Miriam O'Callaghan
- Writer: Roy Bottomley
- Directors: Terry Yarwood, Michael D Kent
- Associate Producer: Brian Klein
- Producer: Malcolm Morris
- names above in bold indicate subjects of This Is Your Life
cueing the stars of snooker
Screenshots of Dennis Taylor This Is Your Life
Series 26 subjects
William Roache | Dennis Taylor | Elisabeth Welch | Sheila Mercier | Richard Branson | Maurice Denham | David EllawayTerry O'Neill | Gerry Marsden | Joyce Carey | Chas n Dave | Oliver Reed | Felix Bowness | John Harris | Bonnie Langford
Henry Cotton | June McElnea | Derek Jameson | Richard Vernon | Martyn Lewis | Peter Shilton | Ted Rogers
Simon Williams | Larry Slater | Lena Kennedy | Denis Quilley