Live from...
Live from... was a Sunday night live entertainment variety television show that aired on ITV from 16 January 1983 to 27 November 1988 and was hosted by Jimmy Tarbuck. 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.
| Live from... | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Live from Her Majesty's (1983–5) Live from the Piccadilly (1986) Live from the Palladium (1987–8) |
| Genre | Entertainment |
| Directed by | Alasdair Macmillan, Ian Hamilton |
| Presented by | Jimmy Tarbuck |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 7 |
| No. of episodes | 43 |
| Production | |
| Producers | David Bell, Marcus Plantin, Ian Hamilton |
| Production locations | Her Majesty's Theatre (1983–5) Piccadilly Theatre (1986) London Palladium (1987–8) |
| Running time | 60mins (inc. adverts) |
| Production company | LWT |
| Distributor | ITV Studios |
| Release | |
| Original network | ITV |
| Picture format | 4:3 |
| Original release | 16 January 1983 – 27 November 1988 |
| Chronology | |
| Related shows | Sunday Night at the Palladium |
It is best known for showing the death of Tommy Cooper during his act on 15 April 1984.
Death of Tommy Cooper
During the second series of Live from Her Majesty's on 15 April 1984, comedian Tommy Cooper collapsed and died after suffering a massive heart attack. 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 Jimmy Tarbuck 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, paramedics frantically attempted to revive Cooper, but he was pronounced dead on arrival at Westminster Hospital. His death was not officially reported until the next morning, although the incident led the ITN News bulletin which followed the show.
Transmissions
| Series | Start date | End date | Episodes | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 16 January 1983 | 27 February 1983 | 7 | Her Majesty's Theatre |
| 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 |
| 5 | 5 April 1987 | 10 May 1987 | 6 | London Palladium |
| 6 | 11 October 1987 | 15 November 1987 | 6 | |
| 7 | 9 October 1988 | 27 November 1988 | 5 |