Live From Her Majesty's
Encyclopedia
Live From Her Majesty's was a Sunday night live variety show which was produced by London Weekend Television
(LWT) for the ITV
network and ran from 1982 to 1988. It was presented by Jimmy Tarbuck
and was much in the tradition of earlier variety spectacles such as Sunday Night at the London Palladium
.
The series was produced by the then Head of Light Entertainment at LWT David Bell
and directed by Alasdair Macmillan. In its day, the programme attracted a large audience and regularly featured in the TV top ten. A further series of six shows followed in 1986 from London's Piccadilly Theatre
, airing simply as Live From the Piccadilly. 1987 witnessed yet another change of venue with a further three series airing as Live From the Palladium until the programme's eventual cancellation in 1988.
During its run the comedian Tommy Cooper
collapsed and died part way through his act in 1984 while millions of viewers watched at home.
London Weekend Television
London Weekend Television was the name of the ITV network franchise holder for Greater London and the Home Counties including south Suffolk, middle and east Hampshire, Oxfordshire, south Bedfordshire, south Northamptonshire, parts of Herefordshire & Worcestershire, Warwickshire, east Dorset and...
(LWT) for the ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
network and ran from 1982 to 1988. It was presented by Jimmy Tarbuck
Jimmy Tarbuck
Jimmy Tarbuck OBE or Tarby is an English comedian. Growing up he was a schoolmate of John Lennon.His first television show was It's Tarbuck 65! on ITV in 1964. He has also hosted numerous quiz shows, including Winner Takes All, Full Swing, and Tarby's Frame Game...
and was much in the tradition of earlier variety spectacles such as Sunday Night at the London Palladium
Sunday Night at the London Palladium
Sunday Night at the London Palladium is a British television variety show produced by ATV for the ITV network, originally running from 1955 to 1967, with a brief revival in 1973 and 1974...
.
The series was produced by the then Head of Light Entertainment at LWT David Bell
David Bell (television)
David Bell was a Scottish television producer and director in the light entertainment genre. In the mid 1980s, he became head of light entertainment at LWT. Live From Her Majesty's, Copy Cats and The Stanley Baxter Show number amongst his successes. He died of AIDS, aged 53....
and directed by Alasdair Macmillan. In its day, the programme attracted a large audience and regularly featured in the TV top ten. A further series of six shows followed in 1986 from London's Piccadilly Theatre
Piccadilly Theatre
The Piccadilly Theatre is a West End theatre located at 16 Denman Street, behind Piccadilly Circus and adjacent to the Regent Palace Hotel, in the City of Westminster, England.-Early years:Built by Bertie Crewe and Edward A...
, airing simply as Live From the Piccadilly. 1987 witnessed yet another change of venue with a further three series airing as Live From the Palladium until the programme's eventual cancellation in 1988.
During its run the comedian Tommy Cooper
Tommy Cooper
Thomas Frederick "Tommy" Cooper was a very popular British prop comedian and magician from Caerphilly, Wales.Cooper was a member of The Magic Circle, and respected by traditional magicians...
collapsed and died part way through his act in 1984 while millions of viewers watched at home.