This Is Your Life 1952
What is This Is Your Life?
This Is Your Life is an American television documentary series broadcast on NBC. The show originated as a radio series on NBC Radio, airing from 1948 to 1952.
- Type
- TV series
- Year
- 1952
- Status
- Ended
- Episodes
- 289
- Runtime
- 60 minutes
- First aired
- Oct 1, 1952
- Last aired
- Apr 30, 1961
- Original language
- EN
- Origin
- US
- Networks
- NBC
- Genres
- Documentary
- Updated
Where to watch
With ads
7plus
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How long to binge?
Estimate the schedule using 289 episodes and an average 60-minute runtime.
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Find the trailer on YouTube ↗Overview
This Is Your Life is an American television documentary series broadcast on NBC. The show originated as a radio series on NBC Radio, airing from 1948 to 1952. It was later adapted for television, with its original host being its producer, who served in this capacity from 1952 to 1961. The series features a host surprising a guest and taking them through their life in front of an audience, with special guest appearances by colleagues, friends, and family. The show was revived in the 1970s and 1980s, with different hosts, including Ralph Edwards, who returned to host some specials before his death in 2005.
Should you watch it?
“Ralph Edwards surprises unsuspecting guests by recounting their personal histories before a live television audience.”
- features surprise appearances from friends and family
- offers a unique look at personal histories
- format relies on catching guests off guard
- episodes follow a highly structured formula
Watch it if you enjoy classic television documentary formats that focus on personal stories and surprise reunions.
The program features unscripted emotional reactions and surprise reunions in a studio setting.
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Cast
Episode guide
Season 1 · 38 episodes
Open the complete Season 1 guide →- E1 Laura Stone Marr Oct 1, 1952
- E2 Jimmy McHugh Oct 8, 1952
- E3 Joan Caulfield Oct 15, 1952
- E4 Mary Ross Oct 22, 1952
- E5 Casey Stengel Oct 29, 1952
- E6 James Templeton Nov 5, 1952
- E7 Jeanette MacDonald Nov 12, 1952
- E8 Billie Clevenger Nov 19, 1952
- E9 Jim McClain Nov 26, 1952
- E10 Mrs. Gus Edwards Dec 3, 1952
- E11 Sara Berner Dec 10, 1952
- E12 Rock Hudson Dec 17, 1952
- E13 Ruth Eiler Dec 24, 1952
- E14 Nellie Lutcher Dec 31, 1952
- E15 Frank Sparks Jan 7, 1953
- E16 Roy Rogers Jan 14, 1953
- E17 Harris Pottier Jan 21, 1953
- E18 Nadia Scarpitti Jan 28, 1953
- E19 Lillian Roth Feb 4, 1953
- E20 Alett Radzai Feb 11, 1953
- E21 Gene Biscailuz Feb 18, 1953
- E22 Dinah Shore Feb 25, 1953
- E23 Frank T. Coffyn Mar 4, 1953
- E24 Helene Ruthling Mar 18, 1953
- E25 Fifi D'Orsay Mar 25, 1953
- E26 Arthur Franz Apr 1, 1953
- E27 Virginia Marmaduke Apr 8, 1953
- E28 Demetros Apostolon Apr 15, 1953
- E29 Eva McGown Apr 22, 1953
- E30 Eddie Janis Apr 29, 1953
- E31 Don DeFore May 6, 1953
- E32 Corny Pearson May 13, 1953
- E33 Fran Allison May 20, 1953
- E34 Hanna Bloch Kohner May 27, 1953
- E35 Ed Wynn Jun 3, 1953
- E36 Pat O'Brien Jun 10, 1953
- E37 Vivian Cosby Jun 17, 1953
- E38 Mary Healy Jun 24, 1953
Season 2 · 39 episodes
- E1 Lily Pons Sep 30, 1953
- E2 John Robinson Cates Oct 7, 1953
- E3 Mrs. Robert L. Vann Oct 14, 1953
- E4 Roy Keyser Oct 21, 1953
- E5 Victor McLaglen Oct 28, 1953
- E6 Lou Babcock Nov 4, 1953
- E7 Eddie LeBaron Nov 11, 1953
- E8 Rachel Mellinger Nov 18, 1953
- E9 Martha Raye Nov 25, 1953
- E10 Eugenia Russel Dec 2, 1953
- E11 Toots Shor Dec 9, 1953
- E12 Edna Gladney Dec 16, 1953
- E13 Eddie Cantor Dec 23, 1953
- E14 Pansy Stockton Dec 30, 1953
- E15 Andrew Griffin Jan 6, 1954
- E16 Hope Emerson Jan 13, 1954
- E17 Douglas Stringfellow Jan 20, 1954
- E18 Danny Thomas Jan 27, 1954
- E19 Alice Marble Feb 3, 1954
- E20 Ruby Bradley Feb 10, 1954
- E21 Gregor Shelkan Feb 17, 1954
- E22 Connie Haines Feb 24, 1954
- E23 Thelma Morgan Mar 3, 1954
- E24 Mack Sennett Mar 10, 1954
- E25 Kate Pelham Newcomb Mar 17, 1954
- E26 Smith Robinson Mar 24, 1954
- E27 Jinx Falkenburg Mar 31, 1954
- E28 Louis Silvie Zamperini Apr 7, 1954
- E29 Hal Foster Apr 14, 1954
- E30 Marjorie Williams Apr 21, 1954
- E31 Jean Hersholt Apr 28, 1954
- E32 George Mardikian May 5, 1954
- E33 Emma Jo Wengert May 12, 1954
- E34 Patrick Joseph Kelly May 19, 1954
- E35 Alicia Alonso May 26, 1954
- E36 Mary Ann Jun 2, 1954
- E37 Tom Moore Jun 9, 1954
- E38 Frances Nickmann Jun 16, 1954
- E39 Gilda Gray Jun 23, 1954
Season 3 · 38 episodes
- E1 Bebe Daniels Lyon Sep 29, 1954
- E2 Kenneth Porter Oct 6, 1954
- E3 Kenyon J. Scudder Oct 13, 1954
- E4 Dorothy Lamour Oct 20, 1954
- E5 Roy Davenport Oct 27, 1954
- E6 Joe E. Brown Nov 3, 1954
- E7 Ruth Lowe Nov 10, 1954
- E8 Norman Vincent Peale Nov 17, 1954
- E9 Nellie Logan Adkins Nov 24, 1954
- E10 Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy Dec 1, 1954
- E11 William A. Wellman Dec 8, 1954
- E12 Laurence C. Jones Dec 15, 1954
- E13 Clarinda Mason Dec 22, 1954
- E14 Jennie Grossinger Dec 29, 1954
- E15 Helen Ostrowski Jan 5, 1955
- E16 Robert Richards Jan 12, 1955
- E17 Eddie Hamilton Jan 26, 1955
- E18 Andy Devine Feb 2, 1955
- E19 Mae Williams Feb 9, 1955
- E20 Samuel W. Magill Feb 16, 1955
- E21 Yvonne Kennedy Feb 23, 1955
- E22 Clyde Lamb Mar 2, 1955
- E23 Carl J. Sedlmayr Mar 9, 1955
- E24 Helen Kelleher Mar 16, 1955
- E25 Mickey Walker Mar 23, 1955
- E26 Walter Brennan Mar 30, 1955
- E27 Wayman R. Presley Apr 6, 1955
- E28 Viola Ruth Apr 13, 1955
- E29 Gale Storm Apr 20, 1955
- E30 Mark Clark Apr 27, 1955
- E31 Rene Belbenoit May 4, 1955
- E32 Kiyoshi Tanimoto May 11, 1955
- E33 Marjorie Lawrence May 18, 1955
- E34 Van Heflin May 25, 1955
- E35 Belle Baker Jun 1, 1955
- E36 George Gregory Jr. Jun 8, 1955
- E37 Frankie Laine Jun 15, 1955
- E38 George Foote Bond Jun 22, 1955
Season 4 · 39 episodes
- E1 George Burns Sep 28, 1955
- E2 Llewellyn J. Scott Oct 5, 1955
- E3 Kathleen Norris Oct 12, 1955
- E4 John Weber Jr. Oct 19, 1955
- E5 John Paul Stapp Oct 26, 1955
- E6 Ilse Stanley Nov 2, 1955
- E7 William Bendix Nov 9, 1955
- E8 Julia Judge Nov 16, 1955
- E9 Daniele Alberghetti Nov 23, 1955
- E10 Ralph Veady Nov 30, 1955
- E11 Alice Lloyd Dec 7, 1955
- E12 Harold Lloyd Dec 14, 1955
- E13 Mary Noyes Dunham Dec 21, 1955
- E14 Marion Domenicali Dec 28, 1955
- E15 Lew Ayres Jan 4, 1956
- E16 Henry Clay Conner Jan 11, 1956
- E17 Ruth Stromer Jan 18, 1956
- E18 Mala Powers Jan 25, 1956
- E19 William Hennessey Feb 1, 1956
- E20 Bela Herskovits Feb 8, 1956
- E21 Virginia Graham Feb 15, 1956
- E22 Catherine MacFarlane Feb 22, 1956
- E23 J. Harrison Heckman Feb 29, 1956
- E24 Joseph Jacob Foss Mar 7, 1956
- E25 Marguerita Sylva Mar 14, 1956
- E26 H. Park Tucker Mar 21, 1956
- E27 Marion Miller Mar 28, 1956
- E28 Robert Cummings Apr 4, 1956
- E29 Ruth Joiner Apr 11, 1956
- E30 Dore Schary Apr 18, 1956
- E31 Marjorie Rambeau Apr 25, 1956
- E32 Joseph Anthony May 2, 1956
- E33 Richard J. Finnegan May 9, 1956
- E34 Myrna Loy May 16, 1956
- E35 James B. Hendryx May 23, 1956
- E36 Ruth Slenczynska May 30, 1956
- E37 Milton Berle Jun 6, 1956
- E38 Alice Middleton McDougall Jun 13, 1956
- E39 Gilbert Roland Jun 20, 1956
Season 5 · 39 episodes
- E1 Georgia Bowen Sep 26, 1956
- E2 Red Nichols Oct 3, 1956
- E3 Alexandra Tolstoy Oct 10, 1956
- E4 Dean E. Hess Oct 17, 1956
- E5 Ernest Borgnine Oct 24, 1956
- E6 Darlene Miller Oct 31, 1956
- E7 Agness Underwood Nov 7, 1956
- E8 Ernest Breech Nov 14, 1956
- E9 Lou Costello Nov 21, 1956
- E10 Alice Princess Siwundhla Nov 28, 1956
- E11 Phil Thatcher Dec 5, 1956
- E12 Tennessee Ernie Ford Dec 12, 1956
- E13 Pearl Routon Dec 19, 1956
- E14 Thomas Orley Dec 26, 1956
- E15 Mike Masaoka Jan 2, 1957
- E16 Gladys Workman Jan 9, 1957
- E17 Jack Dempsey Jan 16, 1957
- E18 Gloria Swanson Jan 23, 1957
- E19 Hugh Barr Miller Jr. Jan 30, 1957
- E20 Constance Hope Feb 6, 1957
- E21 Katya Skotnicki Feb 13, 1957
- E22 Duke Kahanamoku Feb 20, 1957
- E23 Arries Ann Ward Feb 27, 1957
- E24 Lawrence Welk Mar 6, 1957
- E25 Ivy Baker Priest Mar 13, 1957
- E26 George Hays Gale Mar 20, 1957
- E27 Maureen O'Hara Mar 27, 1957
- E28 Buster Keaton Apr 3, 1957
- E29 Tommy Sands Apr 10, 1957
- E30 Edward N. Bliss Jr. Apr 17, 1957
- E31 Lila Lee Apr 24, 1957
- E32 Minnie Pearl May 1, 1957
- E33 Ted Husing May 8, 1957
- E34 Ruth Davis May 15, 1957
- E35 Lee De Forest May 22, 1957
- E36 Thelma White May 29, 1957
- E37 Rachel Saint Jun 5, 1957
- E38 Jesse L. Lasky Jun 12, 1957
- E39 Guy Gabaldon Jun 19, 1957
Frequently asked questions
What is the premise of the show?
The host surprises an unsuspecting guest and leads them through their life story in front of an audience.
Who hosted the series?
Ralph Edwards served as the original host and producer, with Joseph Campanella hosting a version in 1983.
Did the show exist before television?
Yes, the program originated as a radio show on NBC Radio that aired from 1948 to 1952.
What happens during the episodes?
Guests are surprised by friends, family, and colleagues who share memories and present gifts.
When was the show broadcast on NBC?
The television series originally aired on NBC from 1952 to 1961.