Thank God You're Here (UK TV series)
Encyclopedia
Thank God You're Here was a partially improvised comedy based on the original Australia
n 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.
by talkbackTHAMES
, was announced in mid 2007. The pilot was recorded on 12 November 2007 at The London Studios
, 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
.
The show delivered below-average ratings for ITV in its timeslot.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n show with the same name
Thank God You're Here
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 seasons with Seven for the fourth season...
. 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
Paul Merton
Paul Merton is a British comedian, writer, actor and television presenter. Known for his improvisation skill, his humour is rooted in deadpan, surreal and sometimes dark comedy...
, who also acts as judge and performs his own improvised scene.
Production
The UK pilot, made for ITVITV
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...
by talkbackTHAMES
TalkbackTHAMES
Talkback Thames is a British television production company, a division of FremantleMedia . It was formed by the merger of Talkback Productions and Thames Television, the former ITV network franchisee for London on weekdays between 1968 and 1992...
, was announced in mid 2007. The pilot was recorded on 12 November 2007 at The London Studios
The London Studios
The London Studios is a television studio complex which is owned by London Weekend Television and has been home to the London Weekend ITV provider since 1972...
, 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
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...
.
The show delivered below-average ratings for ITV in its timeslot.
Episodes
| Denotes the Winner |
Pilot |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| The celebrity guests were Clive Anderson Clive Anderson Clive Anderson is a British former barrister, best known for being a comedy writer as well as a radio and television presenter in the United Kingdom... , Phil Nichol Phil Nichol Phil Nichol is a Canadian comedian, singer-songwriter, and actor.-Comedy:Nichol was born in Scotland to a Scottish mother, but raised in Canada. He first found fame as a member of the musical comedy trio Corky and the Juice Pigs, known for the song " Eskimo"... , Kirsten O'Brien Kirsten O'Brien Kirsten O'Brien is an English television presenter and stand-up comic.She is known for presenting SMart, and presented Smile and Totally Doctor Who alongside Barney Harwood on CBBC.... 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 Olivia Lee Olivia Lee is an English comedienne, actress and television presenter.-Life and career:Lee is from a Jewish family. She studied acting at the Central School of Speech and Drama... . However, in the series no such interviews take place. |
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Episode 1: 12 January 2008 |
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| Guest star | Scenario | Total viewers | Audience share | |
| Hamish Blake Hamish Blake Hamish Donald Blake is an Australian comedian, actor, author and bodybuilder from Melbourne, Australia. Since 2003, he has worked with Andy Lee as part of the comedy duo Hamish and Andy. The pair have performed live and on television and radio, most notably with their drive-time radio program... |
Car mechanic returning home to be confronted by his multiple wives. | 2.9m | 12% | |
| Fern Britton Fern Britton Fern Britton is an English television presenter, known as the former main co-presenter on the ITV magazine programme This Morning alongside Phillip Schofield. She left the show on 17 July 2009, her 52nd birthday.- Early life :... |
Medium attempting to contact the dead. | |||
| Ben Miller Ben Miller Bennet Evan "Ben" Miller is an English comedian, actor and director. He is perhaps best known as one half of comedy double act Armstrong and Miller, along with Alexander Armstrong. Together the pair wrote and starred in Channel 4 sketch show Armstrong and Miller, and the more recent BBC television... |
Star Trek Star Trek Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise... -like spaceship captain returning to his ship. |
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| John Thomson | A Member of Parliament Member of Parliament A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,... appearing on a chat show discussing his last year in politics. |
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| Warm Ups | Jockeys talking at a stewards enquiry / People at a Dating service | |||
| Paul Merton Paul Merton Paul Merton is a British comedian, writer, actor and television presenter. Known for his improvisation skill, his humour is rooted in deadpan, surreal and sometimes dark comedy... |
A secret agent returning to headquarters after a mission in Geneva. | |||
| Group scene | Four nuns discussing what they will give up for lent and praying to God. | |||
Episode 2: 19 January 2008 |
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| Clive Anderson Clive Anderson Clive Anderson is a British former barrister, best known for being a comedy writer as well as a radio and television presenter in the United Kingdom... |
A flight Wing Commander discussing an upcoming bombing mission with his fellow pilots. | 2.7m | 12% | |
| Hamish Blake Hamish Blake Hamish Donald Blake is an Australian comedian, actor, author and bodybuilder from Melbourne, Australia. Since 2003, he has worked with Andy Lee as part of the comedy duo Hamish and Andy. The pair have performed live and on television and radio, most notably with their drive-time radio program... |
A recently deceased tennis player trying to talk his way into heaven. | |||
| Sally Lindsay Sally Lindsay Sally Lindsay is an English actress best known for playing the role of Shelley Unwin in the long-running ITV1 Soap opera Coronation Street... |
A shopaholic confronted by her husband about her huge credit card bills. | |||
| Michael McIntyre Michael McIntyre Michael Hazen James McIntyre is an English stand-up comedian. He is well known for appearing at many British stand-up comedy events and for several roles on television stand-up programmes such as Live at the Apollo and his own show, Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow... |
The captain of a cruise liner confronted by angry passengers. | |||
| Warm Ups | News readers discussing the Stock Market / Being questioned at a police station for speeding | |||
| Paul Merton | A butler discussing his job performance with his upper-class employees. | |||
| Group scene | Four fast-food outlet staff members in a team meeting. Clive couldn't fit through the door, due to a burger costume he was wearing | |||
Episode 3: 26 January 2008 |
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| Marcus Brigstocke Marcus Brigstocke Marcus Alexander Brigstocke is an English comedian, actor and satirist who has worked extensively in stand-up comedy, television, radio and in 2010-2011 musical theatre. He is particularly associated with the 6.30pm comedy slot on BBC Radio 4, having frequently appeared on several of its shows... |
A surgeon examining a seizure patient | 1.9m | 10% | |
| Lee Mack Lee Mack Lee Gordon McKillop is an English stand-up comedian and actor, known by the stage name Lee Mack. He is well known in the United Kingdom for writing and starring in the sitcom Not Going Out, for being a team captain on Would I Lie to You? and for hosting Lee Mack's All Star Cast.-Personal life:Mack... |
A bronze-medalist Olympic athlete visiting a class of schoolchildren | |||
| Jennie McAlpine Jennie McAlpine Jennie Elizabeth McAlpine is a British television actress and comedienne. She is best known for her role as Fiz Stape in the well known British soap opera Coronation Street.-Early life:... |
A 19th Century daughter meeting with an upper-class gentleman | |||
| Phil Nichol Phil Nichol Phil Nichol is a Canadian comedian, singer-songwriter, and actor.-Comedy:Nichol was born in Scotland to a Scottish mother, but raised in Canada. He first found fame as a member of the musical comedy trio Corky and the Juice Pigs, known for the song " Eskimo"... |
An estranged cowboy returning to the local tavern | |||
| Warm Ups | A dentist working on a child patient with his mother / An employee having discussion with boss | |||
| Paul Merton | A clown who had given a bad performance in the circus | |||
| Group scene | Four criminals planning to steal a priceless painting from a castle | |||
Episode 4: 2 February 2008 |
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| James Corden James Corden James Kimberley Corden is an English actor, television writer, producer and presenter. He is co-creator and star of BBC comedy shows Gavin & Stacey and Horne & Corden, and acted in the 2009 film Lesbian Vampire Killers.... |
A morning radio show host with issues | 2.3m | 11% | |
| Vernon Kay Vernon Kay Vernon Charles Kay is a British television presenter, radio DJ, american footballer and former model. He began television presenting on the BBC children's programme FBi, a spin-off of Fully Booked. Since he has presented various programmes, most notably T4, Beat the Star and All Star Family... |
A dog whisperer instructing a class of owners | |||
| Phil Nichol Phil Nichol Phil Nichol is a Canadian comedian, singer-songwriter, and actor.-Comedy:Nichol was born in Scotland to a Scottish mother, but raised in Canada. He first found fame as a member of the musical comedy trio Corky and the Juice Pigs, known for the song " Eskimo"... |
A scientist on a children's television show | |||
| Kirsten O'Brien Kirsten O'Brien Kirsten O'Brien is an English television presenter and stand-up comic.She is known for presenting SMart, and presented Smile and Totally Doctor Who alongside Barney Harwood on CBBC.... |
A girl who threw a party while her parents were away | |||
| Warm Ups | TV chef being interviewed / Nursery school teacher being questioned by inspector | |||
| Paul Merton | A golf-playing husband at marriage counseling | |||
| Group scene | A bobsleigh team debrief | |||
Episode 5: 9 February 2008 |
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| Rufus Hound Rufus Hound Rufus Hound is a British comedian and presenter. He is also the winner of 2010 "Let's Dance for Comic Relief".-Career:... |
A joyrider who has just crashed into someone's living room | 1.9m | 10% | |
| Lee Mack Lee Mack Lee Gordon McKillop is an English stand-up comedian and actor, known by the stage name Lee Mack. He is well known in the United Kingdom for writing and starring in the sitcom Not Going Out, for being a team captain on Would I Lie to You? and for hosting Lee Mack's All Star Cast.-Personal life:Mack... |
Police inspector discussing a serial killer | |||
| Richard Wilson | A toff on a picnic | |||
| Claudia Winkleman Claudia Winkleman Claudia Anne I. Winkleman is an English television presenter, film critic, radio personality and journalist.- Early life and family :... |
A boarding school girl having a chat with her headmistress | |||
| Warm Ups | Cheese Waiters / Owners of a Nursing Home in a Documentary Interview | |||
| Paul Merton | Team leader in a snow expedition | |||
| Group scene | All are obese and discussing their weight gains at a group meeting | |||
Episode 6: 16 February 2008 |
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| Guest star | Marcus Brigstocke Marcus Brigstocke Marcus Alexander Brigstocke is an English comedian, actor and satirist who has worked extensively in stand-up comedy, television, radio and in 2010-2011 musical theatre. He is particularly associated with the 6.30pm comedy slot on BBC Radio 4, having frequently appeared on several of its shows... | A cricketer speaking at a press conference | ||
| Steve Furst Steve Furst Steven Larry Furst is a comedian, actor and writer. Furst says his father told him that he arrived as an immigrant from Hungary with "nothing but a violin under my arm"... |
A student being confronted by angry housemates. | |||
| Rufus Hound Rufus Hound Rufus Hound is a British comedian and presenter. He is also the winner of 2010 "Let's Dance for Comic Relief".-Career:... |
A newly-wed on a honeymoon at a caravan park. | |||
| John Thomson | A Roman general reporting to the Emperor. | |||
| Warm Ups | Negotiating with a suicidal man / Visiting their Dying Grandfather. | |||
| Paul Merton | An upper-class gentleman on-board the Titanic. | |||
| Group scene | A super hero meeting. | |||
Ensemble Cast
- Tara Flynn
- Caitlin Francis
- Cicely Giddings
- Nick Haverson
- Rufus Jones
- Richard Katz
- Dan Mersh
- Aimee Parkes