Thank God You're Here (British TV series)
| Thank God You're Here | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Improvisational comedy |
| Presented by | Paul Merton |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 6 |
| Production | |
| Production location | The London Studios |
| Running time | 60 minutes (inc. adverts) |
| Production company | Talkback Thames |
| Original release | |
| Network | ITV |
| Release | 12 January – 16 February 2008 |
| 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.
Production
[edit]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
[edit]| Denotes the Winner |
Pilot[edit] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 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[edit] | |||
| Guest star | Scenario | Total viewers | Audience 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 Ups | Jockeys talking at a stewards enquiry / People at a Dating service | ||
| Paul Merton | 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[edit] | |||
| 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 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 could not fit through the door, due to a burger costume he was wearing | ||
Episode 3: 26 January 2008[edit] | |||
| Marcus Brigstocke | A surgeon examining a seizure patient | 1.9m[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 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[edit] | |||
| James Corden | A morning radio show host with issues | 2.3m[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 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[edit] | |||
| Rufus Hound | A joyrider who has just crashed into someone's living room | 1.9m[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 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[edit] | |||
| Guest star | Scenario | ||
| 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 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
[edit]- Tara Flynn
- Cicely Giddings
- Nick Haverson
- Rufus Jones
- Richard Katz
- Dan Mersh
- Aimee Parkes
References
[edit]- ^ "News – Paul Merton plans ITV improv show". British Sitcom Guide. Retrieved 27 July 2007.
- ^ "Thank God You're Here". Lost in TV. Retrieved 25 January 2008.
- ^ "News – ITV reveals 2008 comedy line-up". British Sitcom Guide. 15 November 2007. Retrieved 17 November 2007.
- ^ a b "No script... and no viewers". Chortle. 14 January 2008. Retrieved 25 January 2008.
- ^ a b Holmwood, Leigh (21 January 2008). "Merton falls flat in gloomy night for ITV". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 January 2008.
- ^ a b Tryhorn, Chris (28 January 2008). "TV Ratings - January 26". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 January 2008.
- ^ a b Holmwood, Leigh (4 February 2008). "TV Ratings - February 2". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 February 2008.
- ^ a b Tryhorn, Chris (11 February 2008). "TV Burp smells sweet for ITV". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 February 2008.