Thank God You're Here (British TV series)

Last updated

Thank God You're Here
Genre Improvisational comedy
Presented by Paul Merton
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series1
No. of episodes6
Production
Production location The London Studios
Running time60 minutes (inc. adverts)
Production company Talkback Thames
Original release
Network ITV
Release12 January (2008-01-12) 
16 February 2008 (2008-02-16)
Related
Thank God You're Here

Thank God You're Here is an improvisational comedy game show based on the original Australian show with the same name. In the show, four guests are placed into a scene they have no knowledge about and have to improvise. The series is hosted by Paul Merton, who also acts as judge and performs his own improvised scene.

Contents

Production

The UK pilot, made for ITV by Talkback Thames, was announced in mid-2007. [1] The pilot was recorded on 12 November 2007 at The London Studios, [2] with Merton as the show's host (with him also featuring in a one-off improvisational scene of his own). The series started airing on 12 January 2008 on ITV. [3] The show delivered below-average ratings for ITV in its timeslot.

Episodes

Denotes the Winner


Pilot

The celebrity guests were Clive Anderson, Phil Nichol, Kirsten O'Brien and John Thomson, all of whom also played in a group scene at the end of the show. Backstage interviews with each guest after their scene were conducted by Olivia Lee. However, in the series no such interviews take place.

Episode 1: 12 January 2008

Guest starScenarioTotal viewersAudience share
Hamish Blake Car mechanic returning home to be confronted by his multiple wives.2.9m [4] 12% [4]
Fern Britton Medium attempting to contact the dead.
Ben Miller Star Trek-like spaceship captain returning to his ship.
John Thomson A Member of Parliament appearing on a chat show discussing his last year in politics.
Warm UpsJockeys talking at a stewards enquiry / People at a Dating service
Paul Merton A secret agent returning to headquarters after a mission in Geneva.
Group sceneFour nuns discussing what they will give up for lent and praying to God.

Episode 2: 19 January 2008

Clive Anderson A flight Wing Commander discussing an upcoming bombing mission with his fellow pilots.2.7m [5] 12% [5]
Hamish Blake A recently deceased tennis player trying to talk his way into heaven.
Sally Lindsay A shopaholic confronted by her husband about her huge credit card bills.
Michael McIntyre The captain of a cruise liner confronted by angry passengers.
Warm UpsNews readers discussing the Stock Market / Being questioned at a police station for speeding
Paul MertonA butler discussing his job performance with his upper-class employees.
Group sceneFour fast-food outlet staff members in a team meeting. Clive could not fit through the door, due to a burger costume he was wearing

Episode 3: 26 January 2008

Marcus Brigstocke A surgeon examining a seizure patient1.9m [6] 10% [6]
Lee Mack A bronze-medalist Olympic athlete visiting a class of schoolchildren
Jennie McAlpine A 19th Century daughter meeting with an upper-class gentleman
Phil Nichol An estranged cowboy returning to the local tavern
Warm UpsA dentist working on a child patient with his mother / An employee having discussion with boss
Paul MertonA clown who had given a bad performance in the circus
Group sceneFour criminals planning to steal a priceless painting from a castle

Episode 4: 2 February 2008

James Corden A morning radio show host with issues2.3m [7] 11% [7]
Vernon Kay A dog whisperer instructing a class of owners
Phil Nichol A scientist on a children's television show
Kirsten O'Brien A girl who threw a party while her parents were away
Warm UpsTV chef being interviewed / Nursery school teacher being questioned by inspector
Paul MertonA golf-playing husband at marriage counseling
Group sceneA bobsleigh team debrief

Episode 5: 9 February 2008

Rufus Hound A joyrider who has just crashed into someone's living room1.9m [8] 10% [8]
Lee Mack Police inspector discussing a serial killer
Richard Wilson A toff on a picnic
Claudia Winkleman A boarding school girl having a chat with her headmistress
Warm UpsCheese Waiters / Owners of a Nursing Home in a Documentary Interview
Paul MertonTeam leader in a snow expedition
Group sceneAll are obese and discussing their weight gains at a group meeting

Episode 6: 16 February 2008

Guest starScenario
Marcus Brigstocke A cricketer speaking at a press conference
Steve Furst A student being confronted by angry housemates.
Rufus Hound A newly-wed on a honeymoon at a caravan park.
John Thomson A Roman general reporting to the Emperor.
Warm UpsNegotiating with a suicidal man / Visiting their Dying Grandfather.
Paul MertonAn upper-class gentleman on board the Titanic.
Group sceneA super hero meeting.

Ensemble Cast

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Merton</span> English comedian (born 1957)

Paul James Martin, known by the stage name Paul Merton, is an English comedian.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Comedy Awards</span> British awards ceremony

The National Comedy Awards is an annual awards ceremony in the United Kingdom, celebrating notable comedians and entertainment performances of the previous year.

<i>Thank God Youre Here</i> Australian improvised comedy television program

Thank God You're Here is an Australian television improvised comedy program created by Working Dog Productions, which premiered on Network Ten on 5 April 2006, and aired for the first three and fifth seasons and on the Seven Network for the fourth series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tahir Bilgiç</span> Australian comedian, film and television actor

Tahir Bilgiç is an Australian comedian, film and television actor of Turkish descent. He is primarily an actor and comedian. He has written, directed and starred in live shows including "Lord of The Kebabs", "From Lebanon With Love" and "Straight Outta Compo" to name a few. He has appeared in 5 different Australian sit-coms and 3 feature films. He co-created and starred in "StreetSmart" (ch10) as well as coming with the initial idea and then co-creating "Here Come The Habibs" (ch9).

This is a summary of the year 2007 in British television.

<i>The Life and Times of Vivienne Vyle</i> British BBC TV sitcom 2007

The Life and Times of Vivienne Vyle is a British sitcom that was originally aired on BBC Two in 2007. The programme was written and created by Jennifer Saunders and Tanya Byron. The show stars Saunders as the title character of the talk show host, a caricature of Jeremy Kyle and other talk show hosts.

The second series of Dancing on Ice aired from 20 January to 17 March 2007 on ITV. It was presented by Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby, and judged by the "Ice Panel", consisting of Nicky Slater, Natalia Bestemianova, Jason Gardiner, Karen Barber, and Robin Cousins. Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean coached and trained the contestants. The series was won by former rugby star Kyran Bracken and his partner, Melanie Lambert.

Thank God You're Here is a partially improvised comedy television program, based on the Australian TV show, broadcast by NBC. The show was hosted by David Alan Grier and presided over by judge Dave Foley. The pilot was shot on November 9, 2006, and NBC initially ordered six episodes. The show debuted with a two-hour, double-episode premiere on Monday, April 9, 2007, at 9pm ET. It was produced by FremantleMedia North America, with Cécile Frot-Coutaz, CEO of Fremantle, Fax Bahr, and Adam Small as executive producers.

<i>Would I Lie to You?</i> (game show) British comedy panel game show

Would I Lie to You? is a British comedy game show aired on BBC One, made by Zeppotron for the BBC. It was first broadcast on 16 June 2007, starring David Mitchell and Lee Mack as team captains. The show was originally presented by Angus Deayton, and since 2009 has been hosted by Rob Brydon.

<i>Sold</i> (TV series) British TV series or programme

Sold is a British comedy drama television series produced by Touchpaper Television for ITV. The series stars Kris Marshall and Bryan Dick as Matt and Danny, employees of Colubrines Estate Agents. It is written by Steve Coombes and was broadcast between 15 November and 20 December 2007.

<i>Outnumbered</i> (British TV series) British TV sitcom (2009–2016)

Outnumbered is a British sitcom about the Brockman family, starring Hugh Dennis as the father, Claire Skinner as the mother and their three children played by Tyger Drew-Honey, Daniel Roche and Ramona Marquez.

Holly & Fearne Go Dating is a British reality TV show which was first broadcast on ITV on 5 September 2007.

<i>Moving Wallpaper</i> British TV series or programme

Moving Wallpaper is a British satirical comedy-drama television series set in a TV production unit. It ran on ITV for two series in 2008–09. The subject of the first series was the production of a soap called Echo Beach, each episode of which aired directly after the Moving Wallpaper episode about its production. The second series shifted to the production of a "zombie show" called Renaissance. Ben Miller confirmed in May 2009 on his Twitter account that no further series would be made.

<i>Free Agents</i> British TV series or programme

Free Agents is a romantic black comedy starring Stephen Mangan, Sharon Horgan and Anthony Head. Originally a pilot for Channel 4 in November 2007, the series began on 13 February 2009. It spawned a short lived US remake, which was cancelled after just 4 episodes aired, although 4 more were later released on Hulu.

New Hero of Comedy, also known as New Heroes of Comedy when covering more than one person, is a three-part documentary series on Channel 4, featuring the rise of famous comedians of recent times. The series started on 22 February 2008. The first episode covers the career of Ricky Gervais, the second Matt Lucas and David Walliams, and the last Sacha Baron Cohen. The series received complaints before it was broadcast, with some people complaining that the people featured in the episodes are not "Heroes".

Left Bank Pictures is a British film and television production company. It was formed in 2007 and was the first British media company to receive investment from BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the BBC.

This is a list of events that took place in 2009 related to British television.

The third series of Dancing on Ice aired from 13 January to 16 March 2008 on ITV. The show moved from Saturday nights to Sunday nights, with Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby returning as hosts. Karen Barber, Nicky Slater, Jason Gardiner, and Robin Cousins returned to the "Ice Panel", with Ruthie Henshall joining as a replacement for Natalia Bestemianova. The commissioning of the series was first confirmed by Schofield at the 2007 BAFTA Awards.

The Late News is a British late evening news programme that was broadcast on ITV television network on Friday at 11:00pm between 18 January 2008 to 6 March 2009. It was produced by ITN.

Material Girl is a British romantic comedy produced by Carnival Films, that first aired on BBC One on 14 January 2010. It stars Lenora Crichlow, Dervla Kirwan, and Michael Landes.

References

  1. "News – Paul Merton plans ITV improv show". British Sitcom Guide. Retrieved 27 July 2007.
  2. "Thank God You're Here". Lost in TV. Retrieved 25 January 2008.
  3. "News – ITV reveals 2008 comedy line-up". British Sitcom Guide. 15 November 2007. Retrieved 17 November 2007.
  4. 1 2 "No script... and no viewers". Chortle. 14 January 2008. Retrieved 25 January 2008.
  5. 1 2 Holmwood, Leigh (21 January 2008). "Merton falls flat in gloomy night for ITV". The Guardian . Retrieved 25 January 2008.
  6. 1 2 Tryhorn, Chris (28 January 2008). "TV Ratings - January 26". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 January 2008.
  7. 1 2 Holmwood, Leigh (4 February 2008). "TV Ratings - February 2". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 February 2008.
  8. 1 2 Tryhorn, Chris (11 February 2008). "TV Burp smells sweet for ITV". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 February 2008.