Big Red Book
Celebrating television's This Is Your Life
The new series saw the programme's ingenious 'pick-ups' continue to capture the audience's attention. For example, in the opening edition Eamonn Andrews, suitably adorned in nuptial attire, ambushed a jump jockey who became the second This Is Your Life subject to be surprised on their wedding day. For another encounter, the presenter is launched, rather unsuccessfully, from a cannon to present the Big Red Book to a top comedy double act of the day!
TV Times magazine marked the new series with a specially commissioned photocall of the entire This Is Your Life production team.
An extra edition of the programme on Christmas Day, just 48 hours after the weekly Life was broadcast, resulted in the rare event of two This Is Your Life editions in one week.
The latest broadcast time for an edition of This Is Your Life occurred this series when a specially extended edition featuring a well-known record producer – was scheduled at 11pm on New Year's Eve.
And this series marked the last to be produced by Jack Crawshaw, whose final edition was the show's second hour-long special, which saluted one of Britain's most famous and decorated war heroes.
related pages...
the special editions
the show's fifty year history
A TV Times photocall for the production team
| Bob CHAMPION | Jockey | 13 October 1981 |
| Bill FRASER | Actor | 21 October 1981 |
| Wayne SLEEP | Dancer | 28 October 1981 |
| Ian BOTHAM | Cricketer | 4 November 1981 |
| CANNON and BALL | Comedy double act | 11 November 1981 |
| Rob BUCKMAN | Doctor, comedian and author | 18 November 1981 |
| Angela RIPPON | Journalist, newsreader, presenter and writer | 25 November 1981 |
| Julia MCKENZIE | Actress and singer | 2 December 1981 |
| Jackie MILBURN | Former footballer | 9 December 1981 |
| Paul SHANE | Comedian and actor | 16 December 1981 |
| Peter ADAMSON | Actor | 23 December 1981 |
| Kiri TE KANAWA | Opera singer | 25 December 1981 |
| Mickie MOST | Record producer | 31 December 1981 |
| Anita HARRIS | Actress, singer and entertainer | 6 January 1982 |
| Mike BRACE | Social worker and sportsman | 13 January 1982 |
| Faith BROWN | Singer, comedienne and impressionist | 20 January 1982 |
| Robin BAILEY | Actor | 27 January 1982 |
| Rod HULL | Comedian and entertainer | 3 February 1982 |
| Bob MONKHOUSE | Comedian and entertainer | 10 February 1982 |
| John TOSHACK | Footballer and football manager | 17 February 1982 |
| Wally HERBERT | Polar explorer | 24 February 1982 |
| Joe GORMLEY | Trade unionist | 3 March 1982 |
| Roger WHITTAKER | Singer-songwriter and musician | 10 March 1982 |
| Alan WHICKER | Journalist and broadcaster | 17 March 1982 |
| Peter DAVISON | Actor | 24 March 1982 |
| Douglas BADER | Royal Air Force flying ace | 31 March 1982 |
Broadcast details
Thames Television production for ITV26 editions | 24 x 30 minutes | 1 x 60 minutes | 1 x 45 minutes
Wednesday | 7.00pm x 22 | 8.00pm x 1
Tuesday | 7.30pm x 1
Thursday | 11.00pm x 1
Friday | 5.15pm x 1
13 October 1981 edition broadcast on Tuesday at 7.30pm for unknown reason
25 December 1981 and 31 December 1981 editions broadcast at irregular time due to Christmas and New Year schedules
31 March 1982 edition broadcast at 8pm due to being an extended edition
Production team
Created by: Ralph EdwardsProducer: Jack Crawshaw
Directors: Terry Yarwood, Paul Stewart Laing | Writers: Tom Brennand, Roy Bottomley, Maurice Leonard
Researchers: John Graham, Cathy Parnall, Vivien Lind, Tom Wettengel, Brian Klein, Katie Lander, Maurice Leonard
Programme Consultants: Tom Brennand, Roy Bottomley | Programme Associate: Maurice Leonard
Production Assistants: Irene Clark, Claire Jenkinson | Designers: Peter Joyce, Eric Briers
Engineering Managers: Peter Sampson, Nigel Spong, Norman Andrews
Lighting Directors: Brian Turner, Harry Holton, Ken Craik, Ray Nicholson, Dennis Bowden-Williams, John O'Brien, Jack Archer, Grant Feltham
Senior Cameramen: Gerry Whitney, Des Hymers, David Petrie, Peter Hodgson, Peter Shaw, John Chapman
Sound Supervisors: Tony Morley, Leo Goldthorpe, Peter Stoddart, Ivan Ager, Ron Ferris
Vision Control: Tony Ball, Ian Jones, Keith Thomas, Tony Baldwin, Jim Fergus-Smith, Des Tope, Steve Jones
Vision Mixers: Kathleen Lenane, Kenneth Angus, John Cooper, Peter Turl, Marj Collender, Janice Reed
Make-up Supervisors: Mimi Kimmins, Jeannie MacKenzie, Pauline Roxburgh, Carole Bernard
Wardrobe Supervisors: Sandra Jeffrey, Ruth Moth
Floor Managers: David London, Russell Norman, Ken Dodds, Maurice Langston, Robert Hughes, Bill Allan, John Sanders
Production Team: Lin Burnett, Roy Fewins, Alan Ritchie, Judy Webbe, Alan Tingay, Claire Jenkinson, Bill Saint