This Is Your Life: Paul Daniels

Paul DANIELS (1938-2016)

THIS IS YOUR LIFE - Paul Daniels, magician and television presenter, was surprised by Michael Aspel at Davenport's Magic Shop in London's Charing Cross, having been led to believe he was there to watch a demonstration of a magical fishing rod used by an old-time magician called Chung Ling Soo.

Paul, who was born in Middlesborough, began performing magic as a hobby at the age of 11. Having entertained troops during his national service, he continued to develop his magic by performing in northern working men's clubs in the evenings while working in his family grocery business, winning the North's top magician award in 1964.

Having made his television debut on the ITV talent show Opportunity Knocks in 1970, Paul later achieved fame through his BBC television series, appearances on five Royal Variety Performances, and hosting the BBC quiz shows Odd One Out and Every Second Counts. Following a record-breaking run of 61 weeks at London's Prince of Wales Theatre between 1980 and 1982, he was named the 'Magician of the Year' by the Academy of Magical Arts in 1983 - the first magician from outside the United States to receive it.

programme details...

Edition No: 740
Subject No: 734
Broadcast date: Wed 2 Nov 1988
Broadcast time: 7.00-7.30pm
Recorded: Wed 5 Oct 1988
Venue: Teddington Studios
Series: 29
Edition: 3
Code name: Father

on the guest list...

Mac Wilson
Geoffrey Atkins
Gil Leaney
Ali Bongo
Terry Herbert
The Great Kovari
Rovi
Alan Shackson
Ann Shackson
Terry Seabrooke
John Wade
Jay Marshall
John Fisher
members of the South Bank Methodist Youth Club
members of the Middlesbrough Circle of Magicians
Duncan Goodhew
Bert Weedon
David Berglas
Marti Caine
Debbie McGee - wife
Hughie - father
Nancy - mother
Trevor - brother
Rosie - sister-in-law
Mark - nephew
David - nephew
Ruth Jones
Peter Schollick
Bill Wright
Paul - son
Martin - son
Gary - son
Martin Marshall
Robert Powell
Johnny Paul
Max Bygraves
David Copperfield
Harry Blackstone
members of The Academy of Magical Arts

production team...

Researcher: Louise Clover
Writer: Norman Giller
Directors: Brian Klein, David Clark
Producer: Malcolm Morris

names above in bold indicate subjects of This Is Your Life

related pages...

That's Entertainment

there's no business like it

The Night of 1000 Lives

a celebration of a thousand editions

Just A Few Words Of Thanks

Michael Aspel's weekly TV Times column

The Night Gary Glitter Fans Nearly Killed Me!

TV Times interviews producer Malcolm Morris

Screenshots of Paul Daniels This Is Your Life

Marti Caine recalls this edition of This Is Your Life in her autobiography, A Coward's Chronicles...

Wednesday 5 October

Today is Paul Daniels' This Is Your Life and I'm a surprise guest. A car is picking me up at 1.30 to take me to Thames TV to be made up as a Chinese coolie. That's all I know.

Two other unlikely 'coolies' were already in make-up having the final touches applied; one was Bert Weedon, the other Duncan Goodhew – both good-natured souls. The make-up girl went to work on me as Duncan and I reminisced about the last time we'd worked together.

Bert and Duncan were as uninformed as I regarding the forthcoming events of the programme. If the subject finds out he or she is being 'done', the programme is cancelled.

They got me in 1979 when Eamonn Andrews hosted the show. I had absolutely no idea and put Malc's brief disappearances and inexplicable whispered phone calls down to the fact he was being unfaithful to his mistress. I had secretly harboured a vague desire to be a subject (Vague desire? You used to stay in every Wednesday to see if it was you!), and was delighted by the accolade. I hoped Paul would be.

Just as my make-up was finished an old mandarin shuffled in, slit-eyed and moustached, and said, 'Hello' in Michael Aspel's voice. He was quite unrecognisable. He explained the set-up; Duncan and I were to pull an Aspel-laden rickshaw through the busy streets of Charing Cross – ignoring the irate rush-hour traffic, which was being held up by an army of floor assistants – to the steps of Charing Cross underground station. From there we had to shuffle down the underground to Davenports Magic Shop, where Paul had been lured in order to buy an ancient Chinese trick, hence the coolie gear.

It's a wonderful shop, with a little theatre at the back to demonstrate various rare feats of magic to interested parties.

Duncan, Bert and I were to secrete ourselves behind the curtains along with Aspel, who was to demonstrate the trick with the help of his three 'assistants'. Paul came in and didn't seem at all surprised by the theatrics when the curtains opened revealing the four of us. He didn't recognise Aspel until the red book was produced from the wide sleeves of his costume and in his best mandarin accent he said, 'Paul Daniels – This Is Your Rife.'

Series 29 subjects