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Celebrating television's This Is Your Life

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THIS IS YOUR LIFE - Petula Clark, singer and actress, was surprised by Michael Aspel during the curtain call of the musical Sunset Boulevard at London's Adelphi Theatre, from where the programme was then recorded.

After a successful career as a child entertainer during the 1940s and a recording artist and teenage film star in the 1950s, Petula gained international recognition with the enormous popularity of the hit single Downtown, released in 1964.

A career as a French language chanteuse and transatlantic pop icon in the sixties led to a stellar career in television and musical theatre through the seventies to the nineties. Throughout this later period, Petula continued to tour internationally with her own shows, and record new material - she has sold more than 30 million records and won more gold discs than any other British female artist.

Petula Clark was a subject of This Is Your Life on three occasions – previously surprised by Eamonn Andrews in February 1964 at the BBC Television Theatre, and again in April 1975 at the ABC Television Studios in Borehamwood, – the only subject to receive the tribute three times.

"It's not me! You're joking. You can't do this!"

programme details...

• Edition No: 947
• Subject No: third timer
• Broadcast date: Wed 6 Mar 1996
• Broadcast time: 7.00-7.30pm
• Recorded: Fri 1 Mar 1996
• Venue: Adelphi Theatre
• Series: 36
• Edition: 27
• Code name: Dusk

on the guest list...

• Ann - stepmother
• Christopher - brother
• Malcolm - brother
• David Cassidy
• Claude Wolff - husband
• Sacha Distel
• Kate - daughter
• Patrick - son
• Trevor Nunn
• David Tomlinson
• Tony Hatch
• Sian Phillips
• Honor Blackman
• Dave Willetts
• Jonathon Morris
Filmed tributes:
• Barbara - daughter
• Roget - son-in-law
• Peter Ustinov
• Anthony Newley

related appearances...

• Sacha Distel - Dec 1971
• John Gregson - Apr 1973
• Peter Ustinov - Nov 1977
• Michael Parkinson - Nov 1978
• Stephane Grappelli - Feb 1979
• Charles Aznavour - Dec 1979
• Robin Bailey - Jan 1982
• Kenny Dalglish - Feb 1983
• Tony Hatch and Jackie Trent - Feb 1991
• Dave Willetts - Mar 1991
• Anthony Newley - Dec 1992
• Bill Kenwright - Feb 1994
• David Cassidy - Mar 1994
• Peter Ustinov - Dec 1994
• Chili Bouchier - Feb 1996
• Don Black - Nov 1996

production team...

• Researchers: Sue Green, Elizabeth Ross
• Writer: Alec Lom
• Director: Brian Klein
• Associate Producer: John Graham
• Executive Producer: Peter Estall
• Producer: Malcolm Morris

• names above in bold indicate subjects of This Is Your Life

Petula Clark

first tribute

Petula Clark

second tribute

A Song For Life

it's the singer not the song

Life is a Cabaret

a musical theatre chorus line

Life Second Time Around

surprised again!

Timeline

the show's fifty year history

The Night We Shocked Petula

TV Times photo feature on Petula Clark's second This Is Your Life surprise

Surprise flies supersonic

TV Times photo feature

Ratings slump sounds death knell for This Is Your Life

Press speculation on the future of This Is Your Life

Honor Blackman

Sacha Distel

Sian Phillips

Peter Ustinov

Screenshots of Petula Clark This Is Your Life