A five-part documentary series celebrating three decades of the popular light entertainment format.
This retrospective series, narrated by Chris Tarrant (Chris Tarrant), combines archive clips from thirty years of the iconic “An Audience with…” specials. The programme revisits memorable performances from stars of comedy and music, from Ken Dodd and Billy Connolly to the Spice Girls and Shirley Bassey. Each episode also features new interviews and reminiscences from the famous faces who made up the celebrity audiences, recalling their experience of asking questions from the floor and witnessing legendary television moments.
This documentary series functions as a valuable chronicle of British light entertainment, viewed through the prism of one of its most durable formats. Its primary subject is the format itself: the high-wire act of a single performer holding the stage, subjected to questions from an audience composed entirely of their professional peers. The programme’s enduring appeal is located in this inversion of the celebrity hierarchy, turning household names into interrogators and occasional hecklers. By assembling highlights from dozens of specials, the series offers a survey of changing tastes and performance styles, confirming the “An Audience with…” special as a unique television institution.
Broadcast: ITV – Shiver, 5 Episodes, Fridays, 14 January – 11 February 2011
Written by: Tony Nicholson
Directors: Kerry Allison, Yvette Lyons
Executive Producers: Sumi Connock, Mark Robinson
Narrated by: Chris Tarrant
Contributors include: Brian Conley, Martine McCutcheon, Joe Pasquale, Emma Bunton, Lynda Bellingham, Esther Rantzen, Christopher Biggins, Anneka Rice, Gloria Hunniford, Mel B, Matthew Kelly, Ken Dodd, Jimmy Tarbuck, Nicholas Parsons, Frank Carson, Joan Rivers, Des O’Connor, Ronnie Corbett.
