...on Television

...on Television
Genre	Comedy
Format	Clip Show
Starring	Clive James (1982 - 1988, 1996 - 1997) Keith Floyd (1989) Chris Tarrant (1990 - 2006)
Country of origin	United Kingdom
No. of series	19
Production
Producer(s)	LWT (now branded ITV Studios)
Running time	30 minutes (including adverts)
Broadcast
Original channel	ITV
Picture format	4:3 (1982 - 1999) 16:9 (2000 - 2006)
Original run	26 September 1982 – 5 October 2006

"...on Television" or "...on TV", was a long running late-night television programme on ITV. The programme featured a number of clips from unusual or, (often unintentionally), amusing television programmes and commercials from around the world. The show was fronted initially by Clive James, then by Keith Floyd, and finally by Chris Tarrant. The show was named "Tarrant on TV", for 16 years.

The show started off in 1982, hosted by the Australian television critic and satirist Clive James. However, when Clive defected to the BBC, a new replacement host was needed and so celebrity chef Keith Floyd was brought in for one series of six episodes in 1989 before Chris Tarrant took over in 1990.

For the tenth anniversary in 1992 Tarrant would present the compilation series Tarrant's Ten Years of Television (later 10 Years on TV), which showed clips of the past five series and specials, and sometimes included extended footage that was unsuitable for transmission in the original show.

Tarrant on TV showed bizarre clips from all over the world but most notably from the far eastern countries of Japan and Korea. Clips vary from a Japanese crying contest, a Japanese contraception advert and the Japanese TV show Za Gaman in which contestants must endure the most pain, to a profane North Korean propaganda film, and an advert showing eggs being fired from the bottom. Tarrant on TV also covered the more violent and unusual shows of the Jerry Springer Show. Many of the clips viewers may find offensive often display nudity, strong language, crude or dark humour and violence.

One rather bizarre test Tarrant tried in his early presenting was to bring on special guests, and Hollywood-star Mel Brooks was willing to appear in a show on 4 April 1992. Brooks only agreed to appear as to claiming that he loved British television and was lucky to see Clive James On Television after being given copies by friends in the UK. Tarrant and Brooks (who somehow knew Tarrant from spending time watching British television on visits) focused the episode on different types of humour in Sweden, America and Israel. The episode went well and both were pleased with the completed show, but owning to copyright issue payments of the clips themselves, LWT said it would be too expensive to also pay for a guest each week and the idea was shortly dropped and remembered as a one-off.

In 1996, Clive James decided to return to hosting the programme, but found he would have to do a spin-off series as Tarrant was making his name clear. Clive James on TV ran for two series in 1996 and 1997, and was fronted by Carlton Television instead of LWT. The series was axed due to poor ratings.

At this time it's unknown if there's going to be a new series for the future as Tarrant has been in a recent scandal about his alcoholism, and has recently been presenting more gameshows for ITV and Challenge. Many claim that the programme has ended after 20 years of material.

The theme tune used from 1996 - 2006 was Syd Dale's "The Penthouse Suite".

Shows from around the world

These are the shows that a majority of clips are taken from:

• The Japanese TV show Za Gaman aka Endurance (mainly in the Clive James shows and 10 Years on Television - best of show)
• American comedy series The Man Show (Tarrant late 1990s–2000s)
• The Jerry Springer Show (early 1990s, before the full show was broadcast by ITV)

Series Guide

• Series 1 26 September – 31 October 1982
• Series 2 23 October – 4 December 1983
• Series 3 28 October – 2 December 1984
• Special 5 January 1986
• Special 29 March 1986
• Special 28 June 1986
• Special 28 December 1986
• Special 1 January 1987
• Special 19 April 1987
• Special 11 October 1987
• Special 1 January 1988
• Series 4 5 March – 16 April 1989
• Series 5 21 January – 25 February 1990
• Special 30 December 1990
• Special 4 January 1992
• Special 4 April 1992
• Special 11 July 1992
• Series 6 (Tarrant's Ten Years of..) - 13 February - 20 March 1993
• Special 26 September 1993
• Special (Tarrant's Ten Years of..) - 17 September 1994
• Special (Tarrant's Ten Years of..) - 24 September 1994
• Series 7 (10 Years on..) - 19 March - 16 April 1995
• Series 8 8 September – 13 October 1996
• Series 9 4 January – 22 February 1998
• Series 10 3 January – 21 March 1999
• Series 11 4 January – 28 February 2000
• Series 12 21 January – 18 March 2001
• Special 25 March 2001 (Tarrant on CCTV)
• Special 20 January 2002 (Tarrant on CCTV)
• Series 13 3 May – 5 July 2002
• Special 7 July 2002 (Tarrant on CCTV)
• Series 14 12 September – 7 November 2002
• Special 23 November 2002
• Special 14 December 2002
• Series 15 2 January – 25 May 2003
• Special 5 May 2003 (Tarrant on CCTV)
• Special 4 September 2003
• Special 23 October 2003
• Special 7 November 2003
• Special 24 December 2003
• Series 16 6 February – 22 March 2004
• Special 13 May 2004 (Japan special)
• Series 17 10 June – 1 July 2004 (The Best of... Series)
• Special 5 July 2004
• Special 31 August 2004
• Series 18 8 October – 23 November 2004
• Series 19 30 May – 27 June 2005
• Special 5 October 2006