''...on Television'' or ''...on TV'', is a long-running late night television programme on ITV. The programme, which was made first by LWT and then Granada Productions, featured a number of clips from unusual or (often unintentionally) amusing television programmes and commercials from around the world.
The show was first presented by TV critic and journalist
Clive James
Clive James (born Vivian Leopold James; 7 October 1939 – 24 November 2019) was an Australian critic, journalist, broadcaster, writer and lyricist who lived and worked in the United Kingdom from 1962 until his death in 2019.Keith Floyd in 1989. Chris Tarrant took over as host initially from 1990 to 1996 and then again from 1998 until its demise in 2006. On Christmas Day 2020, the show was revived for a one-off special with Jeremy Clarkson as host. Another episode with Clarkson aired in April 2021, with a series of three being broadcast after '' Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?'' in July 2021.
Early years
The show first began in 1982, hosted by the Australian television critic and satirist
Clive James
Clive James (born Vivian Leopold James; 7 October 1939 – 24 November 2019) was an Australian critic, journalist, broadcaster, writer and lyricist who lived and worked in the United Kingdom from 1962 until his death in 2019.Endurance'' which followed numerous contestants as they underwent painful tasks around the world.
After James joined the BBC in 1988, celebrity chef Keith Floyd was brought in for a six-episode series in 1989 before Chris Tarrant took over in 1990.
Later years
For its tenth anniversary in 1992, Tarrant presented a compilation series entitled ''Tarrant's Ten Years of Television'' (later ''10 Years on TV''), which showed clips from the past five series and specials. It also included extra footage that was deemed unsuitable for transmission in the original show.
In 1997, Clive James returned as host for two series, produced by Watchmaker Productions for
Carlton Television
Carlton Television (now part of the non-franchised ITV London region) was the ITV franchise holder for London and the surrounding counties from 9.25am every Monday to 5.15pm every Friday. The company is now managed with London Weekend Televi ...
, in 1997 and 1998.
''Tarrant on TV''
The show continued to show bizarre clips from all over the world. But they now often included nudity, strong language, and crude or dark humour. Examples include a Japanese crying contest, a Japanese contraception advert, a profane North Korean propaganda film, and an advert showing eggs being fired from the bottom. ''Tarrant on TV'' also began to cover more violent and unusual programming such as the '' Jerry Springer Show'' or '' The Man Show''.
With a different presenter, the format was also altered to include a special guest. On 4 April 1992, Mel Brooks appeared on the show. The show's content focused on different types of humour in Sweden, America and Israel. However the celebrity guest format was dropped by LWT because it was deemed too expensive to pay for cinematic clips and a guest star each week.
The last series of ''Tarrant on TV'' was in 2005, with a special broadcast in October 2006. The theme tune between 1996 and 2006 was
Syd Dale
Syd Dale (20 May 1924 – 15 August 1994) was an English self-taught composer and arranger of funk, easy listening and library music. His music played an important role on television, radio and advertising media of the 1960s and 1970s and is sti ...
's "
The Penthouse Suite
Syd Dale (20 May 1924 – 15 August 1994) was an English self-taught composer and arranger of funk, easy listening and library music. His music played an important role on television, radio and advertising media of the 1960s and 1970s and is sti ...
".
''It's Clarkson on TV''
On Christmas Day 2020, a revival of the show was broadcast, with Jeremy Clarkson hosting a review of the year's television. A second episode was broadcast on 2 April 2021 with a series following in July 2021. Now produced for ITV by Expectation Entertainment, the series has moved away from featuring as many foreign television clips (such as Japanese game show ''Endurance'') as its predecessors, with British dramas such as ''White House Farm'', ''Quiz'' and ''Des'' critiqued alongside English-language shows on streaming services, such as ''Love is Blind'' and ''Selling Sunset''.
Transmissions
No full series was aired between 1985 and 1988, in 1991, 1992, 1994 and 1997; however special episodes were often broadcast.
Regular series
Revived series
Specials
Hosted by
Clive James
Clive James (born Vivian Leopold James; 7 October 1939 – 24 November 2019) was an Australian critic, journalist, broadcaster, writer and lyricist who lived and worked in the United Kingdom from 1962 until his death in 2019.Chris Tarrant:
*Special 9: 30 December 1990
*Special 10: 4 January 1992
*Special 11: 4 April 1992
*Special 12: 11 July 1992
*Special 13: 26 September 1993
*Special 14 (''Tarrant's Ten Years of..''): 17 September 1994
*Special 15 (''Tarrant's Ten Years of..''): 24 September 1994
*Special 16: 27 December 1997 (Christmas special)
*Special 17: 10 May 1998 (''Best of TV Series 9'')
*Special 18: 16 May 1999 (''Best of Series 10'')
*Special 19: 7 May 2000 (''Best of Series 11'')
*Special 20: 25 March 2001 (''Tarrant on CCTV'')
*Special 21: 20 January 2002 (''Tarrant on CCTV'')
*Special 22: 7 July 2002 (''Tarrant on CCTV'')
*Special 23: 23 November 2002
*Special 24: 14 December 2002
*Special 25: 5 May 2003 (''Tarrant on CCTV'')
*Special 26: 4 September 2003
*Special 27: 23 October 2003
*Special 28: 7 November 2003
*Special 29: 24 December 2003
*Special 30: 13 May 2004 (Japan special)
*Special 31: 5 July 2004
*Special 32: 31 August 2004
*Special 33: 5 October 2006
Hosted by Jeremy Clarkson:
*Special 34: 25 December 2020
*Special 35: 2 April 2021
Channel Hopping With Jon Richardson
Channel, channels, channeling, etc., may refer to:
Geography
* Channel (geography), in physical geography, a landform consisting of the outline (banks) of the path of a narrow body of water.
Australia
* Channel Country, region of outback Austral ...
'' – a weird TV clips show on Comedy Central presented by Jon Richardson.
*'' Gogglebox'' - Channel 4