Big Red Book
Celebrating television's This Is Your Life
As a new decade began, This Is Your Life continued to top the television ratings, and the sight of Eamonn Andrews and his Big Red Book inevitably caused a stir wherever they were spotted!
TV Times magazine marked the new series by interviewing six deserving and recent former subjects - often considered the unsung heroes - who recall what being thrown into the spotlight meant to them. While this series included another such worthy subject for its Christmas Day broadcast - a Chester housewife who, for over 27 years, was a foster mother to more than 150 children.
Although smaller in size than the New London Theatre, the programme's new home - Royalty Theatre - still offered a sense of occasion as Eamonn Andrews led each subject through the audience and up onto the theatre's large stage - which allowed for those longer guest lists!
More behind-the-scenes secrets are revealed by producer Jack Crawshaw as he looks back on his years working on the programme in a TV Times feature, bridging this series and the next, which will be Jack's last one as producer.
related pages...
the show's fifty year history
Royalty plans future as opera-dance venue in Thames TV tie-up
The Stage reports on This Is Your Life's new home
Magic Book That Opens New Chapters Of Life
TV Times feature on 'The Unsung Heroes'
A selection of reader's letters from TV Times
Jack Crawshaw reviews his time on This Is Your Life
| Joe LOSS | Musician and band leader | 15 October 1980 |
| Julie GOODYEAR | Actress | 22 October 1980 |
| Lawrie MCMENEMY | Football manager | 29 October 1980 |
| Peter BOWLES | Actor | 5 November 1980 |
| Mike YARWOOD | Winchman | 12 November 1980 |
| John SCHLESINGER | Film director | 19 November 1980 |
| Andrew LLOYD WEBBER | Composer | 26 November 1980 |
| Janet BROWN | Actress, comedian and impressionist | 3 December 1980 |
| Rodney BEWES | Actor | 10 December 1980 |
| Russell HARTY | Writer and broadcaster | 17 December 1980 |
| Joan WELLS | Foster mother | 25 December 1980 |
| Billy CONNOLLY | Scottish comedian and musician | 31 December 1980 |
| Bill OWEN | Actor | 7 January 1981 |
| Jeffery ARCHER | Author and former politician | 14 January 1981 |
| Brian JACKS | Olympic judoka | 21 January 1981 |
| Melvin HAYES | Comedy actor | 28 January 1981 |
| Fred HOUSEGO | London taxi driver and Mastermind champion | 4 February 1981 |
| Alex HIGGINS | Snooker player | 11 February 1981 |
| Tim BROOKE-TAYLOR | Comedy actor – member of The Goodies | 18 February 1981 |
| Bernard CRIBBINS | Comedy actor | 25 February 1981 |
| Gemma CRAVEN | Actress and singer | 4 March 1981 |
| Jim WATT | Boxer | 11 March 1981 |
| John THAW | Actor | 18 March 1981 |
| Jonjo O'NEILL | Irish National Hunt jockey | 25 March 1981 |
| Judith CHALMERS | TV presenter | 8 April 1981 |
| Margaret PRICE | Paralympic athlete | 15 April 1981 |
Broadcast details
Thames Television production for ITV26 editions | 26 x 30 minutes
Wednesday | 7.00pm x 25
Thursday | 9.30pm x 1
Production team
Producer: Jack Crawshaw | Directors: Terry Yarwood, Stuart Hall, Paul Stewart Laing | Writers: Tom Brennand, Roy BottomleyResearchers: John Graham, Cathy Parnall, Vivien Lind, Tom Wettengel, Brian Klein, Robin Ellis-Bextor, Katie Lander
Programme Consultants: Tom Brennand, Roy Bottomley | Programme Associate: Maurice Leonard
Production Assistants: Irene Clark, Claire Jenkinson | Designers: George Lack, Graham Guest