Big Red Book
Celebrating television's This Is Your Life
BBC Television again secured Monday evenings at 7.30pm in the schedules as This Is Your Life returned for its fifth series.
The programme reached its 100th edition as its 100th subject is revealed in the second week of the series when a Church of Scotland minister is surprised in an outside broadcast from Edinburgh.
In another edition broadcast away from the programme's regular home of the BBC Television Theatre in London, a Regimental Sergeant Major was surprised at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, where his guests included the first reigning monarch ever to appear on live television - His Majesty King Hussein of Jordan.
Other series highlights include the first subject to be surprised on their wedding day and the first edition to feature a subject of colour.
Two notable articles partly fulfilled the public's continuing appetite for the programme's behind-the-scenes secrets as Radio Times published a minute-by-minute account of the build-up to the 'pick-up' of a subject, while in the BBC Television Annual of 1959, producer Leslie Jackson recalled some heart-stopping moments.
related pages...
the show's fifty year history
the studio look and locations
the producers who steered the programme's success
The Return Of This Is Your Life
Radio Times previews the new series
Behind-the-scenes secrets revealed by Radio Times
'This Is Your Life' But It Dominates MINE!
Producer Leslie Jackson recalls some heart-stopping moments
Radio Times editorial as series 5 comes to an end
| Evelyn LAYE | Actress and singer | 31 August 1959 |
| Donald CASKIE | Church of Scotland minister | 7 September 1959 |
| Eva TURNER | Opera singer and teacher | 14 September 1959 |
| Billy BUTLIN | Entrepreneur | 21 September 1959 |
| James SLATER | Engineer | 28 September 1959 |
| Edmund ARBUTHNOTT | Clergyman and charity worker | 5 October 1959 |
| Louis LANGFORD | Traveller and entrepreneur | 12 October 1959 |
| O P JONES | Retired pilot | 19 October 1959 |
| Richard HEARNE | Actor, comedian and writer | 26 October 1959 |
| Francoise RIGBY | Charity founder | 2 November 1959 |
| John BARCLAY | Charity founder | 9 November 1959 |
| Thomas DRAKE | Physiotherapist | 16 November 1959 |
| William MERRILEES | Police Chief Constable | 23 November 1959 |
| John LORD | Regimental Sergeant Major | 30 November 1959 |
| Russ CONWAY | Pianist and composer | 7 December 1959 |
| Stanley BISHOP | Journalist | 14 December 1959 |
| Leonard STANMORE | Chauffeur | 21 December 1959 |
| Arthur ASKEY | Comedian and actor | 28 December 1959 |
| Robert OLDFIELD | Former Royal Navy stoker | 4 January 1960 |
| Alicia MARKOVA | Ballerina and choreographer | 11 January 1960 |
| Frederic MORENA | Charity founder | 18 January 1960 |
| Hilda ROWCLIFFE | Missionary | 25 January 1960 |
| Thomas SALMON | Humanitarian | 1 February 1960 |
| Harry WELCHMAN | Actor and singer | 8 February 1960 |
| Harry WEBB | Humanitarian | 15 February 1960 |
| Nat GONELLA | Trumpeter and bandleader | 22 February 1960 |
| David BARCLAY | Air Ambulance officer | 29 February 1960 |
| Richard TODD | Actor | 7 March 1960 |
| Thomas BODKIN | Lawyer, art historian and curator | 14 March 1960 |
| Gracie FIELDS | Actress, singer and comedienne | 21 March 1960 |
| Michael ANSELL | Soldier and show jumping rider and administrator | 28 March 1960 |
Broadcast details
BBC Television Service31 editions | 12 x 30 minutes | 19 x 35 minutes
Monday | 7.30pm x 30 | 7.45pm x 1
Production team
Devised by: Ralph EdwardsProducer: T Leslie Jackson | Directors: T Leslie Jackson, Bill Wright, Innis Lloyd
Writers and Researchers: Ken Smith, Peter Moore, Ronald Vivian, Liam Nolan, Nickola Sterne, Shirley Macnab
Music written by: James Turner | Orchestra conducted by: George Clouston | Music arranged by: Alan Bristow
Production Assistants: David Askey, Sydney Lotterby, Nick Burrell-Davis
Special captions: Alfred Wurmser | Cartoons: Tony Hart