Reviews & Ratings for
"That's Life!" More at IMDbPro »

6 out of 6 people found the following review useful:
And Finally Esther...., 30 April 2001
Author: Sputnik57 from England

A very popular consumer programme during the 1970's & 80's, although the format would seem a bit strange now.

'That's Life' was a mixture of the serious and the frivolous, it might begin with a story of someone with a terminal medical condition and then change to one about a talking dog (sausages!). In between would be songs, funny newspaper articles and interviews (usually involving Esther making members of the public look silly). Unusual though the format was, this programme was also responsible for championing good causes and highlighting concerns in health and consumer matters, ground breaking for the time.

That's Life had a slightly amateurish presentation at times, though perhaps this was part of it's charm. However there was also the bonus of seeing Victoria Wood in one of her first TV appearances and of course dear old Cyril Fletcher who would end each episode with one of his 'Odd Ode's'.

4 out of 5 people found the following review useful:
The Show That Made Con-Men Tremble!, 4 April 2007

Author: ShadeGrenade from Ambrosia

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

'Braden's Week' was a popular Saturday night consumer affairs show. After being seen in a margarine commercial for commercial television, Bernard Braden was fired by the B.B.C., the show handed over to co-presenter Esther Rantzen, and renamed 'That's Life!'.

Bob Wellings ( of 'Nationwide' fame ) and George Layton ( best known as 'Dr.Paul Collier' from I.T.V.'s 'Doctor In Charge' ) sat at her side in its first year. The change was more than just cosmetic; 'Braden's Week' was a serious consumer affairs programme with comedic undertones, whereas 'That's Life' veered more towards the humorous.

Each Sunday, that brass band theme tune heralded a hodge-podge of a show in which newspaper misprints would be read aloud by a dinner-jacketed Cyril Fletcher, companies apologised for their mistakes in the form of over-twee songs, Jake Thackray, Victoria Wood or Richard Stilgoe sang humorous ditties, and there'd be a vox pop sequence in which Esther terrorised shoppers ( one in particular, giggly old age pensioner Annie Mizzen, became a popular character in her own right. One of the first reality T.V. stars? ) Then there was the 'Jobsworth' Award - a gold, peaked cap awarded to sticklers of bureaucratic rules, no matter how foolish. As well as the talking dogs, tap-dancing ducks and beer-loving bats. One well-remembered item concerned a strange animal called a 'Lirpa Loof'. It was a hoax; all one needed to do was reverse the letters of its name to find that out.

Every comedian has a catchphrase; Esther's was her penis-shaped vegetables. All she had to do was hold one up to the camera and the audience had hysterics. But the show had a serious side too. In the mid-80's, it launched a campaign to find an organ donor for a dying little boy named Ben Hardwick. One was found, and Ben duly got his new liver. Sadly, it came too late. Even so, thanks to 'That's Life!', his story touched the nation. Then there was the expose of paedophilia at a boys' private school, which made chilling viewing.

During its twenty years on air, presenters came and went. For my money the best were Kieran Prendiville ( later a script writer ) and Glyn Worsnip ( who died tragically young from a brain disease ). Paul Heiney and Chris Serle also proved popular, going on to front their own show 'In At The Deep End'.

In 1979, Esther launched a short-lived spin-off aimed at children called 'Junior That's Life!'. It was a disaster. Viewers thought the whole show was supposed to be funny, and laughed at the serious bits.

'That's Life' was not without its critics. Some felt it inappropriate to feature real-life tragedies side by side with schoolboy jokes about bums and wee wee. The 'Not The Nine O'Clock News' gang did their usual hostile send-up, with Pamela Stephenson as Esther ( "Sorry said The Gas Board. This has absolutely nothing to do with us!" ). 'Spitting Image' went further, accusing Esther of tastelessly exploiting Ben Hardwick's illness in the name of ratings. The sketch was itself attacked in the popular press. The best spoof was done by L.W.T.'s 'End Of Part One'; entitled 'That's Bernard Braden's Show Really!' it featured Sue Holderness as Rantzen and Denise Coffey as Annie Mizzen!

In 1994, viewers decided they had had enough and so 'That's Life!' was put out to pasture. The entire cast reunited for one final show entitled 'That's Life All Over!". Gone it may be, but its spirit lives on in the form of the B.B.C.'s 'Watchdog' and I.T.V.'s 'House Of Horrors'.

Wonderfully Weird and Funny, 31 August 2011
Author: Rick Cross (LVWolfman) from Las Vegas, NV

I watched this show regularly when I was stationed in England during the mid to late 1970s. Yes, it was a weird mix. It was also rather funny much of the time. Now granted, my fond memories of this show are tainted by the 30-some years that have passed since I watched it.

All I can say is that I love British humor (better than most "American" humor) and that is why I watched the show. It was part humor, part investigative consumer reporting and all fun.

Only two bits of the show stand out in my memory at this late date.

1. Ms. Rantzen had a large smile with lots of teeth. In one episode, they showed a fan mail envelope that had been delivered. There was no address or name of any type on the envelope, just a drawing of a large toothy smile. The post office delivered it to the right place.

2. Investigating a complaint about the tea served by British Rail, they held up a Styrofoam cup of British Rail tea, reheated to the same temperature as served on the trains. They then inserted a British Rail provided plastic spoon to stir the tea and pulled out a melted spoon.

Now, that may not sound funny to many Americans, but I and many others enjoyed it.

Even though much of it would be very dated today, it is one show I'd love to have on DVD.

2 out of 4 people found the following review useful:
A ghastly & depressing TV programme, 3 February 2007

Author: Tom-284 from London, UK

"That's Life" was a very peculiar programme - Esther Rantzen surrounded by a group of rather camp men wearing cardigans and talking in a droning and sanctimonious fashion about subjects ranging from trivia to life-saving. But all terribly boring, and as it was usually broadcast on a Sunday night, a depressing show as well.

All most people can remember of it today was animals who said things - "Sossages" - and some tedious campaigns about diet pills.

I'm told that many of the production team went on to great things elsewhere in television - so I guess the dire state of TV today can be blamed on this frightful show as well Tom

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