the
title of a television
program popular in Britain and America during the 1950s. The show opened with the
host surprising an
individual either in the studio or
close by and informing him or her that "this is your
life." The guest was then taken to the studio where the story of his
life was presented. The
host would
read the guest's This Is Your
Life book
recounting his
life chronologically. Periodically an offstage voice would be heard and the featured guest would try to guess who it was-a teacher, a
relative, a friend, etc., who would then appear to reminisce about their shared experiences. The whole
life story was covered in this manner. The subjects of the show varied from famous celebrities to businessmen, to ordinary people. Beginning in 1952, the show originally aired for nine seasons until 1961. It appeared again in the 1970s and in the 1980s combining new programs with reruns of older shows.
a semidocumentary-
style television show of the 1950s and early 1960s, in which the lives of show-
business personalities who appeared as guests were relived through the testimonies of friends and family.