This Is Your Life 1955
What is This Is Your Life?
This Is Your Life is a British biographical television documentary series that originated in 1955. The program is based on an American show of the same name that premiered in 1952.
- Type
- TV series
- Year
- 1955
- Status
- Canceled
- Episodes
- 1,094
- Runtime
- 30 minutes
- First aired
- Jul 29, 1955
- Last aired
- Dec 28, 2001
- Original language
- EN
- Origin
- GB
- Networks
- BBC One, ITV1
- Genres
- Documentary
- Updated
How long to binge?
Estimate the schedule using 1,094 episodes and an average 30-minute runtime.
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Find the trailer on YouTube ↗Overview
This Is Your Life is a British biographical television documentary series that originated in 1955. The program is based on an American show of the same name that premiered in 1952. The format of the series involves the host surprising a special guest, who may be a celebrity or a non-celebrity. The guest is then taken through a retrospective of their life with the assistance of an iconic big red book. Family members, friends, and colleagues often make guest appearances in the studio to help recount the life story of the subject. Eamonn Andrews served as the host from 1955 until 1964 and again from 1969 until his death in 1987 at the age of 64. Following his tenure, Michael Aspel took over the role of host until the show concluded in 2003. The series returned to television in 2007 as a one-off special presented by Trevor McDonald, which remains the most recent airing of the program to date.
Should you watch it?
“A beloved British TV institution where stars and ordinary people are surprised and celebrated.”
- Historic television milestone
- Genuine emotional moments
- Diverse range of subjects
- Dated production values
- Predictable format
You enjoy heartfelt biographical storytelling and television history.
Suitable for all ages with gentle, celebratory content.
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Cast
Episode guide
Season 1 · 15 episodes
Open the complete Season 1 guide →- E1 Episode 1 Jul 29, 1955
- E2 Episode 2 Sep 25, 1955
- E3 Episode 3 Oct 23, 1955
- E4 Episode 4 Nov 20, 1955
- E5 Episode 5 Dec 18, 1955
- E6 Episode 6 Jan 1, 1956
- E7 Episode 7 Jan 15, 1956
- E8 Episode 8 Jan 29, 1956
- E9 Episode 9 Feb 12, 1956
- E10 Episode 10 Feb 26, 1956
- E11 Episode 11 Mar 11, 1956
- E12 Episode 12 Mar 25, 1956
- E13 Episode 13 Apr 8, 1956
- E14 Episode 14 Apr 22, 1956
- E15 Episode 15 May 6, 1956
Season 2 · 19 episodes
- E1 Episode 1 Oct 1, 1956
- E2 Episode 2 Oct 15, 1956
- E3 Episode 3 Oct 29, 1956
- E4 Episode 4 Nov 12, 1956
- E5 Episode 5 Nov 26, 1956
- E6 Episode 6 Dec 10, 1956
- E7 Episode 7 Dec 24, 1956
- E8 Episode 8 Dec 31, 1956
- E9 Episode 9 Jan 7, 1957
- E10 Episode 10 Jan 21, 1957
- E11 Episode 11 Feb 4, 1957
- E12 Episode 12 Feb 18, 1957
- E13 Episode 13 Mar 4, 1957
- E14 Episode 14 Mar 18, 1957
- E15 Episode 15 Apr 1, 1957
- E16 Episode 16 Apr 15, 1957
- E17 Episode 17 Apr 29, 1957
- E18 Episode 18 May 13, 1957
- E19 Episode 19 May 27, 1957
Season 3 · 26 episodes
- E1 Episode 1 Jan 7, 1957
- E2 Episode 2 Jan 21, 1957
- E3 Episode 3 Feb 4, 1957
- E4 Episode 4 Feb 18, 1957
- E5 Episode 5 Mar 4, 1957
- E6 Episode 6 Mar 18, 1957
- E7 Episode 7 Apr 1, 1957
- E8 Episode 8 Apr 15, 1957
- E9 Episode 9 Apr 29, 1957
- E10 Episode 10 May 13, 1957
- E11 Episode 11 May 27, 1957
- E12 Episode 12 Jun 24, 1957
- E13 Episode 13 Sep 30, 1957
- E14 Episode 14 Oct 7, 1957
- E15 Episode 15 Oct 14, 1957
- E16 Episode 16 Oct 21, 1957
- E17 Episode 17 Oct 28, 1957
- E18 Episode 18 Nov 4, 1957
- E19 Episode 19 Nov 11, 1957
- E20 Episode 20 Nov 18, 1957
- E21 Episode 21 Nov 25, 1957
- E22 Episode 22 Dec 2, 1957
- E23 Episode 23 Dec 9, 1957
- E24 Episode 24 Dec 16, 1957
- E25 Episode 25 Dec 23, 1957
- E26 Episode 26 Dec 30, 1957
Season 4 · 31 episodes
- E1 Episode 1 Jan 6, 1958
- E2 Episode 2 Jan 13, 1958
- E3 Episode 3 Jan 20, 1958
- E4 Episode 4 Jan 27, 1958
- E5 Episode 5 Feb 3, 1958
- E6 Episode 6 Feb 10, 1958
- E7 Episode 7 Feb 17, 1958
- E8 Episode 8 Feb 24, 1958
- E9 Episode 9 Mar 3, 1958
- E10 Episode 10 Mar 10, 1958
- E11 Episode 11 Mar 17, 1958
- E12 Episode 12 Mar 24, 1958
- E13 Episode 13 Mar 31, 1958
- E14 Episode 14 Apr 14, 1958
- E15 Episode 15 Apr 21, 1958
- E16 Episode 16 Apr 28, 1958
- E17 Episode 17 May 5, 1958
- E18 Episode 18 Sep 29, 1958
- E19 Episode 19 Oct 6, 1958
- E20 Episode 20 Oct 13, 1958
- E21 Episode 21 Oct 20, 1958
- E22 Episode 22 Oct 27, 1958
- E23 Episode 23 Nov 3, 1958
- E24 Episode 24 Nov 10, 1958
- E25 Episode 25 Nov 17, 1958
- E26 Episode 26 Nov 24, 1958
- E27 Episode 27 Dec 1, 1958
- E28 Episode 28 Dec 8, 1958
- E29 Episode 29 Dec 15, 1958
- E30 Episode 30 Dec 22, 1958
- E31 Episode 31 Dec 29, 1958
Season 5 · 37 episodes
- E1 Episode 1 Jan 5, 1959
- E2 Episode 2 Jan 12, 1959
- E3 Episode 3 Jan 19, 1959
- E4 Episode 4 Jan 26, 1959
- E5 Episode 5 Feb 2, 1959
- E6 Episode 6 Feb 9, 1959
- E7 Episode 7 Feb 16, 1959
- E8 Episode 8 Feb 23, 1959
- E9 Episode 9 Mar 2, 1959
- E10 Episode 10 Mar 9, 1959
- E11 Episode 11 Mar 16, 1959
- E12 Episode 12 Mar 23, 1959
- E13 Episode 13 Mar 30, 1959
- E14 Episode 14 Apr 6, 1959
- E15 Episode 15 Apr 13, 1959
- E16 Episode 16 Apr 20, 1959
- E17 Episode 17 Apr 27, 1959
- E18 Episode 18 May 4, 1959
- E19 Episode 19 May 11, 1959
- E20 Episode 20 Aug 31, 1959
- E21 Episode 21 Sep 7, 1959
- E22 Episode 22 Sep 14, 1959
- E23 Episode 23 Sep 21, 1959
- E24 Episode 24 Sep 28, 1959
- E25 Episode 25 Oct 5, 1959
- E26 Episode 26 Oct 12, 1959
- E27 Episode 27 Oct 19, 1959
- E28 Episode 28 Oct 26, 1959
- E29 Episode 29 Nov 2, 1959
- E30 Episode 30 Nov 9, 1959
- E31 Episode 31 Nov 16, 1959
- E32 Episode 32 Nov 23, 1959
- E33 Episode 33 Nov 30, 1959
- E34 Episode 34 Dec 7, 1959
- E35 Episode 35 Dec 14, 1959
- E36 Episode 36 Dec 21, 1959
- E37 Episode 37 Dec 28, 1959
Frequently asked questions
Who hosted the show?
Eamonn Andrews hosted from 1955-1964 and 1969-1987, followed by Michael Aspel until 2003.
What happened to the show after 2003?
It returned briefly in 2007 with Trevor McDonald as a one-off special.
Were only famous people featured?
No, both celebrities and non-celebrities were surprised and profiled.
How long did the show run?
The show ran from 1955 to 2003 with a brief return in 2007.
What was the 'big red book'?
It was used by the host to guide guests through their life stories during the show.