Pied Pipers

Just a few tests here at the moment, based on our episode guide database... No biographies or pics here yet.

Chris Tarrant

Flaxon-haired Chris Tarrant is still a familiar name to ITV viewers due to his success with Celador's 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire'. However, he owes his fame to Tiswas, and reciprocally, Tiswas owes its existance to him. Presenters such as Sally James, Bob Carolgees and Lenny Henry were all hired under the say-so of Chris.

He was one of the two co-hosts from the very first show in 1974, having been given the job after covering light-hearted news stories on ATV's regional news programme ATV Today. Before that, Chris had various jobs, including being a long-distance lorry driver, a director of short films for the Central Office Of Information, and if you were a pupil at the Samuel Pepys school in Birmingham, he may well have been your teacher, living in a van outside the school.

In the early days, Tiswas was basically two guys behind a desk, well, not even that, as there was only one chair, so Chris and the other presenter (John Asher) would take turns doing the links between cartoons and film clips.

By the mid 70s with John Asher gone, Tarrant was given more of a reign over the programme, eventually becoming its producer. The sterile and tame era had given way to spontaniety, as Chris ripped up the television rule-book by injecting chaos and anarchy onto the Saturday morning airwaves. The pace had been upped, and it was no surprise when other ITV regions started to drop their own efforts at Saturday morning entertainment, in favour of Tiswas.

Chris had came into this lucky position when the show's previous producer, Peter Harris, left, and suggested Chris for the job. The responsibilities that Chris had to look after ranged from the programme budget to the viewers' letters.

Custard pies, a very recognisable staple of Tiswas were introduced, and many of Tarrant's friends became semi-regular guests on the show. The show would get messier and more anarchic all the time, especially after Chris saw that he could make a nice little earner from touring the country's universities, reaching the adult audience who secretly watched the TV show. Being of a shrewd mind, Chris had these tours under the name of 'The Four Bucketeers', as ATV wanted payment for any use of the 'Tiswas' name.

With an ambitious view of the future, Chris left Tiswas at the end of the 1980-81 series, taking presenters Lenny Henry, Bob Carolgees and John Gorman with him, to create an adult version of Tiswas in 1982 with new ITV franchise Central Television. This was entitled 'O.T.T. (Over The Top)', and has been labelled by many media pundits as being a failure. Central ditched the show, enraging Chris. A later attempt at reviving it, using the setting of a pub lock-in, and the name 'Saturday Stayback' didn't work out either. Tiswas itself, without Tarrant at the helm, began to flounder in its 1981-1982 series, which was to be its last.

Chris Tarrant moved on to work with TV-AM for a while, and then various other TV companies, mostly hosting game shows, something he is noted for. Next time you see him on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, think back to his amusingly rigged quiz The Phantom Flan Flinger Challenge back on the 'Was.

There are 302 editions of Tiswas in total.

Chris Tarrant's first edition was 5/1/1974 (Series 1)
Chris Tarrant's final edition was 28/3/1981 (Series 7)

Chris Tarrant appeared in 263 editions of Tiswas.
That's 87.09% appearance rate, based on there being 302 editions of Tiswas.

Series 1
5/1/1974
12/1/1974
19/1/1974
26/1/1974
2/2/1974
9/2/1974
16/2/1974
23/2/1974
2/3/1974
Series 2
14/9/1974
21/9/1974
28/9/1974
5/10/1974
12/10/1974
19/10/1974
26/10/1974
2/11/1974
9/11/1974
16/11/1974
23/11/1974
30/11/1974
7/12/1974
14/12/1974
21/12/1974
24/12/1974
28/12/1974
4/1/1975
11/1/1975
18/1/1975
25/1/1975
1/2/1975
8/2/1975
15/2/1975
22/2/1975
1/3/1975
8/3/1975
15/3/1975
22/3/1975
29/3/1975
5/4/1975
12/4/1975
19/4/1975
26/4/1975
3/5/1975
10/5/1975
17/5/1975
31/5/1975
7/6/1975
14/6/1975
21/6/1975
28/6/1975
5/7/1975
12/7/1975
19/7/1975
26/7/1975
2/8/1975
13/9/1975
20/9/1975
27/9/1975
4/10/1975
11/10/1975
18/10/1975
25/10/1975
1/11/1975
8/11/1975
15/11/1975
22/11/1975
29/11/1975
6/12/1975
13/12/1975
20/12/1975
27/12/1975
3/1/1976
10/1/1976
17/1/1976
24/1/1976
31/1/1976
7/2/1976
14/2/1976
21/2/1976
28/2/1976
6/3/1976
20/3/1976
27/3/1976
3/4/1976
10/4/1976
24/4/1976
1/5/1976
8/5/1976
15/5/1976
22/5/1976
29/5/1976
5/6/1976
12/6/1976
19/6/1976
26/6/1976
Series 3
4/9/1976
11/9/1976
18/9/1976
25/9/1976
2/10/1976
9/10/1976
16/10/1976
23/10/1976
30/10/1976
6/11/1976
13/11/1976
20/11/1976
27/11/1976
4/12/1976
11/12/1976
18/12/1976
8/1/1977
15/1/1977
22/1/1977
29/1/1977
5/2/1977
12/2/1977
19/2/1977
26/2/1977
19/3/1977
26/3/1977
2/4/1977
16/4/1977
23/4/1977
30/4/1977
7/5/1977
14/5/1977
21/5/1977
28/5/1977
Series 4
10/9/1977
17/9/1977
24/9/1977
1/10/1977
8/10/1977
15/10/1977
22/10/1977
29/10/1977
5/11/1977
12/11/1977
19/11/1977
26/11/1977
3/12/1977
10/12/1977
17/12/1977
24/12/1977
31/12/1977
7/1/1978
14/1/1978
21/1/1978
28/1/1978
4/2/1978
11/2/1978
18/2/1978
25/2/1978
4/3/1978
11/3/1978
18/3/1978
25/3/1978
1/4/1978
8/4/1978
15/4/1978
22/4/1978
29/4/1978
6/5/1978
13/5/1978
20/5/1978
27/5/1978
Series 5
9/9/1978
16/9/1978
23/9/1978
30/9/1978
7/10/1978
14/10/1978
21/10/1978
28/10/1978
4/11/1978
11/11/1978
18/11/1978
25/11/1978
2/12/1978
9/12/1978
16/12/1978
23/12/1978
30/12/1978
6/1/1979
13/1/1979
20/1/1979
27/1/1979
3/2/1979
10/2/1979
17/2/1979
24/2/1979
3/3/1979
10/3/1979
17/3/1979
24/3/1979
31/3/1979
7/4/1979
14/4/1979
21/4/1979
28/4/1979
5/5/1979
12/5/1979
19/5/1979
26/5/1979
Series 6
3/11/1979
10/11/1979
17/11/1979
24/11/1979
1/12/1979
8/12/1979
15/12/1979
22/12/1979
29/12/1979
5/1/1980
12/1/1980
19/1/1980
26/1/1980
2/2/1980
9/2/1980
16/2/1980
23/2/1980
1/3/1980
8/3/1980
15/3/1980
22/3/1980
29/3/1980
5/4/1980
12/4/1980
19/4/1980
26/4/1980
3/5/1980
Series 7
6/9/1980
13/9/1980
20/9/1980
27/9/1980
4/10/1980
11/10/1980
18/10/1980
25/10/1980
1/11/1980
8/11/1980
15/11/1980
22/11/1980
29/11/1980
6/12/1980
13/12/1980
20/12/1980
27/12/1980
3/1/1981
10/1/1981
17/1/1981
24/1/1981
31/1/1981
7/2/1981
14/2/1981
21/2/1981
28/2/1981
7/3/1981
14/3/1981
21/3/1981
28/3/1981
Series 8
Did not appear at all in this series.

Chris Tarrant The main man, the most familiar face with the series - host and producer for the majority of Tiswas editions.
Sally James The main female presenter of the show, and the second longest serving of any Tiswas regular.
Trevor East Tiswas's footballed-obsessed presenter, a familiar face throughout the 1970s.
Peter Tomlinson Posh-voiced and smooth-talking, this ATV announcer was regularly seen during Tiswas' early years.
John Gorman Hailing from Merseyside, this ex-Scaffold singer/writer, served as resident comic performer during Tiswas' peak.
John Asher The first ever main presenter of Tiswas, chirpy, affable and up for a laugh.
Bob Carolgees Resident puppeteer during Tiswas's peak, with a few comic characters too.
Lenny Henry Dudley-born funnyman and New Faces refugee, who could and would impersonate Trevor MacDonald and David Bellamy at the drop of the hat.
Paul "The Kid" Hardin Tiswas's only child regular, who specialized in impersonating Frank Spencer and a few others.
Frank Carson Northern Ireland comedian, famed for his immortal line "it's a cracker" and "it's the way I tell 'em".
Sylveste McCoy Comic performer on many shows, with a great gift for facial expression.
Terry Thomas Tiswas's main animal expert when it came to the IBA-pleasing wildlife/environmental slots.
Den Hegarty Ex-Darts singer/founder who was the manic and off-the-wall presenter in Tiswas' final series.
Oliver Spencer Warm-up man for the show, and on-screen comedy performer, specialising in being 'Barbara Woodshed'.
Gordon Astley From a background of many local radio stations, he was the main male host for the final series with an affable approach to being at the helm of Tiswas.
Peter Matthews Although kept off screen in the very early days as main duty was to look after pre-recorded items, this guy made a few appearances in the mid 1970s.
Fogwell Flax Winner of LWT's 'Search For A Star' competition, performed many impersonations as resident comic performer of the final series.

Jim Davidson Stand-up comedian of the old school variety, appearing sporadically, and claims to be the first ever Phantom Flan Flinger.
Clive Webb Oddball magician whose tricks would either work perfectly, or get someone completely messy.
Ian "Sludge" Lees Old school comic with huge bubble-perm hairdo and striking suit.
Terry Coates Seen many times in the final series, this guy, giving more than just a nod to Monty Python, was an old time announcer in a 1930s BBC Home Service mould, to bring a serious tone to juxtapose against the general ensuing chaos that is Tiswas.
Trevor James Possibly intended to be the final series' answer to Bob Carolgees, as he had Sid the Parrot, although when he didn't do that, he shouted a lot in his guise as a CB-radio-owning nerd.
David Rappaport Midget actor/performer who was seen in many final series editions, usually in the role of some comic character.
Norman Collier Comedian famed for his "broken microphone" routine.
Joan Palmer A female presenter/announcer who occasionally helped out on Tiswas in pre-Sally-James days.
Helen Piddock Apparently the first person to play the Phantom Flan Flinger, although her main roles on Tiswas were research and competition-setting, which would be normally done off-screen as the show hit its peak.
Emil Wolk Comic performer and mime artist, used early on in the final series alongside Fogwell Flax.
Richard Barnes Announcer and occasional helping hand in the early days of ATV-only Tiswas, usually ended up as the target of water buckets.

Tiswas Reunited is now available on DVD - an extended version of the show seen on ITV1 in 2007, with plenty of extras. TiswasOnline has been covering this revival project and has contributed to it. See the official blog and other show details at our Tiswas Reunited minisite!

Latest forum topic:
This could be interesting...
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Least viewed forum topic:
first post of 2010
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The pain of "Regional Variations"
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Random Tiswas quote:
"I remember opening a package one day and there was this raunchy pair of knickers in there with a letter saying 'If you wear your black boots on Saturday then I'll know you'll be wearing these.' Ha ha ha! I never wore the boots after that!" - Sally James, 1999.

Random Tiswas fact:
Combining his role and presenter and producer, you could often see CT hovering in the background barking orders. He produced it for 4 series, and he was a presenter for 7!