''Live from...'' was a Sunday night live

entertainment Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and interest of an audience or gives pleasure and delight. It can be an idea or a task, but is more likely to be one of the activities or events that have developed over thousa ...

variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

television show that aired on

ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...

from 16 January 1983 to 27 November 1988 and was hosted by

Jimmy Tarbuck James Joseph Tarbuck (born 6 February 1940) is an English comedian, singer, actor, entertainer and game show host. He was a host of ''Sunday Night at the London Palladium'' in the mid-1960s, and hosted numerous game shows and quiz shows on ITV ...

. It was broadcast live from a theatre in London and followed in the tradition of earlier variety spectacles such as ''

Sunday Night at the Palladium ''Tonight at the London Palladium'' is a British television variety show that is hosted from the London Palladium theatre in the West End theatre, West End. Originally produced by Associated Television, ATV for the ITV (TV network), ITV network ...

''.

Death of Tommy Cooper

During the second series of ''Live from Her Majesty's'' on 15 April 1984, comedian

Tommy Cooper Thomas Frederick Cooper (19 March 1921 – 15 April 1984) was a Welsh prop comedian and magician. As an entertainer, his appearance was large and lumbering at , and he habitually wore a red fez when performing. He served in the British Army f ...

collapsed and died after suffering a massive

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...

. Cooper collapsed against the curtain, and most members of the audience were laughing, assuming that it was a joke Cooper was playing. It was not until compere

realised that the drop was not part of Cooper's routine, that the production crew suddenly realised what had occurred. The show continued after an earlier than planned commercial break and after Tarbuck was reportedly informed Cooper was recovering. Backstage, while the show continued with

Howard Keel Harold Clifford Keel (April 13, 1919November 7, 2004), known professionally as Howard Keel, was an American actor and singer, known for his rich bass-baritone singing voice. He starred in a number of MGM musicals in the 1950s and in the CBS tel ...

's performance, paramedics frantically attempted to revive Cooper, but he was pronounced dead on arrival at

Westminster Hospital Westminster Hospital was a hospital in London, England, founded in 1719. In 1834 a medical school attached to the hospital was formally founded. In 1939 a newly built hospital and medical school opened in Horseferry Road, Westminster. In 1994 the ...

. His death was not officially reported until the next morning, although the incident led the

ITN News Independent Television News (ITN) is a UK-based television production company. It is made up of two divisions: Broadcast News and ITN Productions. ITN is based in London, with bureaux and offices in Beijing, Brussels, Jerusalem, Johannesburg, ...

bulletin which followed the show.

Transmissions

{, class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" , - ! Series !! Start date !! End date !! Episodes !! Location , - , 1 , , 16 January 1983 , , 27 February 1983 , , 7 , , rowspan="3",

Her Majesty's Theatre Her Majesty's Theatre is a West End theatre situated on Haymarket, London, Haymarket in the City of Westminster, London. The present building was designed by Charles J. Phipps and was constructed in 1897 for actor-manager Herbert Beerbohm Tree, ...

, - , 2 , , 11 March 1984 , , 29 April 1984 , , 7 , - , 3 , , 6 October 1985 , , 10 November 1985 , , 6 , - , 4 , , 28 September 1986 , , 2 November 1986 , , 6 , ,

Piccadilly Theatre The Piccadilly Theatre is a West End theatre located at 16 Denman Street, behind Piccadilly Circus and adjacent to the Regent Palace Hotel, in the City of Westminster, London, England. Early years Built by Bertie Crewe and Edward A. Stone ...

, - , 5 , , 5 April 1987 , , 10 May 1987 , , 6 , , rowspan="3",

London Palladium The London Palladium () is a Grade II* West End theatre located on Argyll Street, London, in the famous area of Soho. The theatre holds 2,286 seats. Of the roster of stars who have played there, many have televised performances. Between 1955 an ...

, - , 6 , , 11 October 1987 , , 15 November 1987 , , 6 , - , 7 , , 9 October 1988 , , 27 November 1988 , , 5 1983 British television series debuts 1988 British television series endings English-language television shows ITV (TV network) original programming London Weekend Television shows Television series by ITV Studios British variety television shows