This Is Your Life (1952)
The beloved NBC classic that surprised celebrities and honored their lives before a live audience, running from 1952 to 1961.
This Is Your Life - Series Information
- Original Title: This Is Your Life
- First Air Year: 1952
- Last Air Year: 1961
- Type: TV Series
- Genres: Documentary
- Episode Runtime: Average runtime per episode: 45 minutes
- Number of Seasons: 9
- Number of Episodes: 289
- Status: Ended
- Original Language: English
- Spoken Languages: English
- Networks: NBC
- Production Companies: Ralph Edwards Productions
- Production Countries: United States of America
This Is Your Life - Plot
This Is Your Life is an American television documentary series broadcast on NBC, originally hosted by its producer, Ralph Edwards from 1952 to 1961. In the show, the host surprises a guest, and proceeds to take them through their life in front of an audience, including special guest appearances by colleagues, friends and family. Edwards revived the show in 1971-72, while Joseph Campanella hosted a version in 1983. Edwards returned for some specials in the late 1980s, before his death in 2005. The show originated as a radio show on NBC Radio airing from 1948 to 1952.
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This Is Your Life - Cast & Crew
Main Cast
- Ralph Edwards
- Dinah Shore
- Charles 'Buddy' Rogers
- Fran Allison
- Stephen Boyd
- James Gleason
- Edgar Bergen
- Jack Webb
- Mack Sennett
- Eddie Cantor
This Is Your Life - FAQs
What is This Is Your Life about?
This Is Your Life is a heartwarming NBC documentary series in which host Ralph Edwards surprises a celebrity or notable figure, then guides them through their own life story in front of a live audience. Friends, family members, and colleagues appear as special guests to share memories and tributes.
Where can you stream This Is Your Life?
This Is Your Life is available to watch for free with ads on The Roku Channel and Fawesome. Both platforms offer access without a subscription, making it easy to revisit this classic piece of American television history.
How many seasons and episodes does This Is Your Life have?
The original run of This Is Your Life spans 9 seasons and 289 episodes. Season lengths ranged from 38 to 39 episodes in the early years, tapering to 12 episodes in Season 8 and 8 episodes in Season 9 before the show concluded in 1961.
Who hosted This Is Your Life on NBC?
Ralph Edwards hosted the original NBC run from 1952 to 1961. He also produced the show and later revived it in 1971–72. Joseph Campanella hosted a separate version in 1983, and Edwards returned for special editions in the late 1980s before his passing in 2005.
Is This Is Your Life based on a true story?
Every episode is entirely real. The show featured genuine celebrities and public figures whose actual life stories were told on camera, often with surprise reunions with people from their past. There was no scripted narrative — the emotion and revelations were authentic and unscripted.
Did This Is Your Life originate as a radio program?
It did. Before making the leap to television, This Is Your Life aired on NBC Radio from 1948 to 1952. The format translated remarkably well to the screen, where the visual element of surprise reunions and emotional moments gave the show an even greater impact with audiences.
What genre is This Is Your Life?
This Is Your Life is a documentary series, specifically a biographical celebrity tribute format. Each episode functions as a real-life portrait of a notable individual, blending personal history, surprise appearances, and live audience participation into an engaging and emotionally resonant program.
What are shows similar to This Is Your Life?
Fans of This Is Your Life may enjoy Who Do You Think You Are?, which traces celebrity genealogies, or E! True Hollywood Story for in-depth celebrity biographies. Blank on Blank and Death by Fame also offer compelling documentary-style portraits of notable figures from various walks of life.
More About This Is Your Life
Explore further details about this classic series through these authoritative resources.