“This Is Your Life,” an audience favorite which ran for nearly a decade in the 1950s and ’60s on NBC, is making a comeback in a new version on ABC.
The original series, created and hosted by Ralph Edwards, was a reality TV pioneer. Each week, a person was surprised with an often-emotional recounting of his or her life by Edwards, friends and family.
The subjects varied from celebrities to prominent business figures to regular folks.
“We are thrilled to introduce ‘This is Your Life’ to a whole new generation of ABC viewers,” ABC executive Andrea Wong said in a statement. The original series “was more than just one of America’s best-loved television shows; it became a cherished part of the American vernacular.”
Edwards began his show on radio, then moved to NBC in 1952 and remained at the network until 1961. Syndicated versions aired briefly in the 1970s and ’80s.
The new show will be produced by Fox Television and Ralph Edwards Productions. Edwards, now 92, lives in Los Angeles but won’t be involved with the series.
Production on the show has yet to be begin, ABC said Tuesday. An air date was not announced.