Bring Back... | |
---|---|
Presented by | Justin Lee Collins |
Country of origin | United Kingdom, The Chatterbox Partnership |
Original language | English |
No. of episodes | 8 |
Production | |
Running time | 1–2 hours each |
Production company | So Television |
Original release | |
Network | Channel 4 |
Release | 10 May 2005 – 9 May 2009 |
Bring Back... is a British television series comprising one-off shows where Justin Lee Collins tries to locate people from music, TV, or film backgrounds to reunite them for a one-off performance or get-together. The series was broadcast on Channel 4.
Transmitted: 10 May 2005
Collins looks back at the successful television series Grange Hill and in particular its anti-drugs campaign in 1986 which led to the production of the pop record "Just Say No". [1] He tries to track down the original actors in the show at the time and reunite them for a one-off performance of the song. Justin has a problem in that he has just 10 days to trace them, but many have abandoned their acting careers altogether and are reluctant to relive their brush with adolescent stardom. However, he did manage to track down and interview:
Only Bettles, MacDonald, Christopher and Mustafa arrived to sing their 80s hit at the Hammersmith Palais, but they were joined on stage by other former cast members who were not interviewed, among them was Mark Savage who played 'Gripper' Stebson.
Despite the title, Grange Hill was still airing at the time the show aired. On 15 September 2008 Grange Hill finally came to an end after 30 years.
Transmitted: 10 December 2005
Collins attempts to make a Christmas-themed song to the Christmas number one single slot - a feat not accomplished since Cliff Richard's "Saviour's Day" in 1990, excluding the re-recorded version of the 1984 song "Do They Know It's Christmas?" by Band Aid 20 in 2004.
In the end, they produced the song "I'm Goin' Home", featuring the following musicians:
Liz Mitchell of Boney M and Aled Jones expressed interest in the project, but were ultimately unable to attend.
The song was to be released so it could compete to be Christmas number 1 but the record company axed the release. However, it was available for download from the Channel 4 website where it reached number 1 in the site's download chart.
Transmitted: 18 May 2006
Justin attempts to reunite the cast of his favourite show as a child, The A-Team . He has to secure interviews and appearances with the stars of the show who have not spoken to each other for some time. Justin met with the people below to discuss the show and asked them to attend a reunion. All but Mr. T made it to the meeting, which took place at the Friars Club of Beverly Hills.
The people below, although not interviewed by Justin, appeared at the meeting.
Justin uses unorthodox methods, such as ambushing the actors in their homes, hotel rooms, or even while out shopping, without any prior warning and, for Mr. T, attempting to gatecrash his way into the Latin Grammy Awards.
During every interview, Collins would inquire about the rumored tension between Peppard and Mr T. Although Peppard was an established star of Hollywood movies, Mr. T was relatively new to on-screen acting yet, in a short time, he was generally regarded as the main star of the show. It was suggested that tension did indeed exist between the two and was most probably due to Peppard's bitterness of Mr. T's status in the show. During the interview with Mr. T, the trademark gold chains worn by his character were discussed. Mr. T stated that they were symbolic of the iron chains of his African slave-ancestors but made from gold because he thinks of himself as being a 'slave' except with a higher price now. As a joke, a medium attempted to contact the deceased George Peppard via seance.
The episode excludes any mention of the fifth season, and actors Eddie Velez and Robert Vaughn, who had joined the cast for that season only, were likewise not interviewed. Instead, the finale of the fourth season, in which Jack Ging's character (General Fullbright) is shot and killed, is referred to as the series' final episode.
Transmitted: 9 June 2006
Collins attempts to reunite former pop artists from past decades who have only had one big, well known hit, to play at a one-off gig. He interviewed:
Only Pagliari, Jackson and Douglas turned up to perform their hits at the Clapham Grand, London.
Transmitted: 27 May 2007
Collins tries to track down the retired stars of Dallas and reunite them at his Oil Barons Ball. Only Eric Farlow, the first actor to play Baby Christopher in the show, arrived, much to Collins' delight. By the end of the show he managed to find and interview
Dallas was revived in 2012; [3] the new version would be produced until 2014.
Transmitted: 14 September 2008
Collins attempts to reunite the stars of the original Star Wars trilogy. He was unable to secure a meeting with Harrison Ford [4] (Han Solo). He was offered an interview with Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) for $50,000; after raising several thousand dollars, Collins was unable to negotiate the price any lower, and was forced to abandon any hopes of meeting Hamill. Collins did, however, succeed in securing interviews, through a combination of deception and surprise attacks, with the following:
Of these, only Bulloch, Davis, Baker and Prowse were able to attend the reunion in London. Daniels called to say he could not attend. Fisher recorded a humorous video message to be played as a holographic message, akin to the one in the original Star Wars film. Mayhew and Williams also made short video clips to be played similarly, albeit without audio. Justin had a lightsaber battle with Davis in which Davis was the victor.
Transmitted: 27 December 2008
Lee Collins attempts to reunite the cast of the vintage television show. He travels to America to track down some of the surviving members of the hit movie and spin-off TV show, Fame . He successfully tracked down:
Of those, Gimpel, Imperato, Landsburg, Curreri, Jenkins and Allen turned up for the street dance reunion that was arranged by Lee Collins. During the show he also talks to the mother of Gene Anthony Ray who played "Leroy" in both the film and television series. Ray had died in 2003 from a stroke.
Transmitted: 9 May 2009
Collins attempts to track down the cast of the original Star Trek series (except for DeForest Kelley, who died in 1999, and James Doohan, who died in 2005), hoping to recreate the scene from the episode "Arena" in which Captain Kirk battles a Gorn. Despite his best efforts he was unable to interview William Shatner. [5] None of the cast attended the planned reunion, but he was able to create a scene on his own bridge of the USS Collins, JLC-1702, using footage filmed during interviews with Takei, Nichols and Koenig. Bobby Clark put on a version of the Gorn outfit in order to recreate the battle scene with Collins standing in for Shatner. He succeeded in tracking down:
Collins had intended to reunite the cast of the 1985 film The Goonies , [6] [7] however, owing to poor ratings for Bring Back...Star Trek, Channel 4 cancelled the series. [8]
George William Peppard was an American actor. He secured a major role as struggling writer Paul Varjak when he starred alongside Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961), and later portrayed a character based on Howard Hughes in The Carpetbaggers (1964). On television, he played the title role of millionaire insurance investigator and sleuth Thomas Banacek in the early-1970s mystery series Banacek. He played Col. John "Hannibal" Smith, the cigar-smoking leader of a renegade commando squad in the 1980s action television series The A-Team.
The A-Team is an American action-adventure television series that ran on NBC from January 1983 to March 1987 about former members of a fictitious United States Army Special Forces unit. The four members of the team were tried by court martial for a crime they had not committed. They were convicted and sentenced to serve terms in a military prison, but later escaped to Los Angeles and began working as soldiers of fortune, while trying to clear their names and avoid capture by law enforcement and military authorities. The series was created by Stephen J. Cannell and Frank Lupo. A feature film based on the series was released by 20th Century Fox in 2010.
The Goonies is a 1985 American adventure comedy film directed and co-produced by Richard Donner from a screenplay by Chris Columbus based on a story by Steven Spielberg and starring Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, Jeff Cohen, Corey Feldman, Kerri Green, Martha Plimpton, and Ke Huy Quan, with supporting roles done by John Matuszak, Anne Ramsey, Robert Davi, Joe Pantoliano, and Mary Ellen Trainor. In the film, a group of kids who live in the "Goon Docks" neighborhood of Astoria, Oregon, attempt to save their homes from foreclosure and, in doing so, they discover an old treasure map that takes them on an adventure to unearth the long-lost fortune of One-Eyed Willy, a legendary 17th-century pirate. During the adventure, they are chased by a family of criminals who want the treasure for themselves.
Dallas is an American prime time television soap opera that aired on CBS from April 2, 1978, to May 3, 1991. The series revolved around an affluent and feuding Texas family, the Ewings, who owned the independent oil company Ewing Oil and the cattle-ranching land of Southfork. The series originally focused on the marriage of Bobby Ewing and Pamela Barnes, whose families were sworn enemies. As the series progressed, Bobby's elder brother, oil tycoon J.R. Ewing, became the show's breakout character, whose schemes and dirty business became the show's trademark. When the show ended on May 3, 1991, J.R. was the only character to have appeared in every episode.
Larry Martin Hagman was an American film and television actor, director, and producer, best known for playing ruthless oil baron J. R. Ewing in the 1978–1991 primetime television soap opera Dallas, and the befuddled astronaut Major Anthony Nelson in the 1965–1970 sitcom I Dream of Jeannie. Hagman had supporting roles in numerous films, including Fail-Safe, Harry and Tonto, S.O.B., Nixon, and Primary Colors. His television appearances also included guest roles on dozens of shows spanning from the late 1950s until his death, and a reprise of his signature role on the 2012 revival of Dallas. Hagman also worked as a television producer and director. He was the son of actress Mary Martin. Hagman underwent a life-saving liver transplant in 1995. He died on November 23, 2012, from complications of acute myeloid leukemia.
Mr. Show with Bob and David, also known as Mr. Show, is an American sketch comedy series starring and hosted by Bob Odenkirk and David Cross. It aired on HBO from November 3, 1995, to December 28, 1998.
Knots Landing is an American primetime television soap opera that aired on CBS from December 27, 1979, to May 13, 1993. A spin-off of Dallas, it was set in a fictitious coastal suburb of Los Angeles and initially centered on the lives of four married couples living on a cul-de-sac, Seaview Circle. Throughout its 14-year run, storylines included marital strife, rape, murder, kidnapping, assassinations, drug smuggling, politics, environmental issues, corporate intrigue, and criminal investigations. By the time of its conclusion, it had become the third-longest-running primetime drama on U.S. television after Dallas, Gunsmoke, and Bonanza and the last scripted primetime drama show that debuted in the 1970s to leave the air.
Charlene L. Tilton is an American actress and singer. She is widely known for playing Lucy Ewing on the CBS prime time soap opera Dallas.
Justin Lee Collins is a former actor and radio and television presenter from Bristol, England.
Fame is an American musical drama television series based on the 1980 film of the same name. It followed the lives of the students and faculty at New York City's High School of Performing Arts. Most interior scenes were filmed in Hollywood, California. In all seasons except the third, the show filmed several exterior scenes on location in New York City.
"Mexican Slayride" is the feature-length pilot episode of the action adventure television series The A-Team. The pilot aired in its complete form originally, airing in North America on January 23, 1983. In syndication the pilot has been cut up into two parts, creating two episodes.
Valene "Val" Ewing, portrayed by Joan Van Ark, is a fictional character in the CBS primetime soap opera Knots Landing, a spin-off from the long-running series Dallas, in which she also appeared. The character originated on Dallas in 1978 as the mother of Lucy Ewing and ex-wife of Gary Ewing. Van Ark made several guest appearances on Dallas before becoming one of the main stars of the spin-off Knots Landing in December 1979, though she continued to make small appearances in Dallas for the next several years. Van Ark played Valene in Knots Landing for thirteen of its fourteen seasons, which made her one of the show's longest running stars. The character made her last Knots Landing appearance in 1997, when she appeared in the reunion miniseries Knots Landing: Back to the Cul-de-Sac. In 2013, Van Ark reprised her character for the new, updated version of Dallas.
Alison Bettles is a retired English television actress. She is known for playing Fay Lucas in BBC's Grange Hill for six series (1982–1987).
The eighth season of Smallville, an American television series, began airing on September 18, 2008. The series recounts the early adventures of Kryptonian Clark Kent as he adjusts to life in the fictional town of Smallville, Kansas, during the years before he becomes Superman. The eighth season comprises 22 episodes and concluded its initial airing on May 14, 2009, marking the third season to air on The CW television network. Regular cast members during season eight include Tom Welling, Allison Mack, Erica Durance, Aaron Ashmore, along with new series regulars Cassidy Freeman, Sam Witwer, and Justin Hartley.
Karen MacKenzie is a long-running fictional character in the CBS primetime soap opera Knots Landing. Karen is portrayed by actress Michele Lee, and has appeared on the show since its pilot episode, first broadcast on December 27, 1979. Knots Landing follows the trials of four middle-class families living on a suburban cul-de-sac known as Seaview Circle in California. Lee portrayed Karen for the entire run of Knots Landing, being the sole cast member to appear in every episode of its fourteen seasons. At the time, her appearances in all 344 episodes set a record for an actress on American primetime television. Karen's storylines focus on family troubles, business dealings, addiction and kidnapping.
Abby Fairgate is a fictional character from the CBS prime time soap opera Knots Landing, a long-running serial about middle class life on the fictional cul-de-sac known as Seaview Circle in Los Angeles, California. She was played by actress Donna Mills between 1980 and 1989. Abby was created by producer David Jacobs as one of Knots Landing's earliest characters. She debuted in the first episode of the second season. Mills remained a principal actor in the series until she left in its tenth season. She returned for the two-part series finale in 1993, and made her last appearance in 1997 when she appeared in the reunion miniseries Knots Landing: Back to the Cul-de-Sac.
Pamela Rebecca Ewing is a fictional character from TNT's primetime soap opera Dallas, a continuation of the original series of the same name which aired on CBS from 1978 to 1991. Rebecca was portrayed by actress Julie Gonzalo, and appeared on the show since its pilot episode, which first aired on June 13, 2012. The daughter of Cliff Barnes and Afton Cooper, the character originated in two episodes of the original series' season 12, and also appeared in the TV reunion movie Dallas: J.R. Returns. Pamela Rebecca was named after both her half-aunt, Pamela Barnes Ewing, and grandmother, Rebecca Barnes Wentworth.
The television show Dallas originally aired as a five-episode miniseries starting on the first Sunday of April 1978. These five episodes were originally intended to be the show's pilot but by the time they aired, it was thought that no further episodes would be made. However, the popularity of the miniseries led to the creation of an additional 13 full seasons.
The Last Domino? Tour was a concert tour by English rock band Genesis, staged following the announcement of their reunion after a 13-year hiatus. It featured the core trio of keyboardist Tony Banks, drummer/singer Phil Collins, and bassist/guitarist Mike Rutherford, the most commercially successful line-up in the band's history, with Daryl Stuermer on guitars and bass, and Collins's son Nic on drums.
Reunited Apart was a web series created by Josh Gad, first streamed in April 2020. Created during the COVID-19 pandemic, each episode reunites the cast, crew, and related celebrities from a fan-favorite film using video conferencing as Gad interviews them about the film and projects they have done since. Though Gad had initially stated that the series would end with six episodes, he launched a second season in December 2020. The series was aimed to raise money for various charitable efforts.