Through the Keyhole
{{Short description|British comedy panel show (1987–2019)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}}
{{Infobox television
| image = Through the Keyhole logo.png
| alt_name = Keith Lemon's Through the Keyhole
| genre = {{Plainlist|
}}
| creator = Kevin Sim
| presenter = {{Plainlist|
}}
| country = United Kingdom
| language = English
| num_series = {{Plainlist|
- 8 (ITV)
- 1 (Sky One)
- 9 (BBC)
- 6 (Revival)
}}
| num_episodes = {{Plainlist|
- 115 (ITV)
- ? (Sky One)
- 280 (BBC)
- 35 (Revival)
}}
| location = {{Plainlist|
- The Leeds Studios (1987–2008)
- Pinewood Studios (2013–2018)
- BBC Elstree Centre (2018–2019){{cite web |url=https://bbcstudioworks.com/news/bbc-studioworks-welcomes-four-new-productions-for-autumn/ |title=BBC Studioworks welcomes four new productions for Autumn |publisher=BBC Studioworks |accessdate=19 December 2021}}
}}
| runtime = {{plainlist|
- 30 minutes (1987–2006)
- 45 minutes (2007–2008)
- 60 minutes (2013–2019)
}}
| company = {{Plainlist|
- Yorkshire Television (1987–1995)
- Paradine Productions (1996–2008)
- Talkback (2013–2019)
}}
| network = ITV
| first_aired = {{Start date|1987|04|03|df=y}}
| last_aired = {{End date|1995|05|01|df=y}}
| network2 = Sky One
| first_aired2 = {{Start date|1996|02|22|df=y}}
| last_aired2 = {{End date|1996|12|23|df=y}}
| network3 = BBC One
| first_aired3 = {{Start date|1998|05|05|df=y}}
| last_aired3 = {{End date|2004|05|03|df=y}}
| network4 = BBC Two
| first_aired4 = {{Start date|2006|02|27|df=y}}
| last_aired4 = {{End date|2008|06|04|df=y}}
| network5 = ITV
| first_aired5 = {{Start date|2013|08|31|df=y}}
| last_aired5 = {{End date|2019|02|23|df=y}}
}}
Through the Keyhole is a British comedy panel game show created by the TV producer Kevin Sim and originally presented by Sir David Frost in the studio and Loyd Grossman on location. The location presenter explores celebrities' houses and a panel of other celebrities in the studio try to guess who the famous homeowner is.
The show was originally produced by Yorkshire Television and was broadcast on ITV from 3 April 1987 to 1 May 1995, then on Sky One from 22 February to 23 December 1996 before moving to BBC One from 5 May 1998 to 2004 and its sister channel BBC Two from 26 February 2006 to 4 June 2008.
In 2013, the show was revived for ITV with Leigh Francis as the host.{{cite web|url=http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2013-05-16/keith-lemon-to-revive-through-the-keyhole-on-itv|title=Keith Lemon to revive Through the Keyhole on ITV|work=Radio Times|date=16 May 2013}} In February 2020, it was reported that the programme had been cancelled after six series.{{cite news|url=https://metro.co.uk/2020/02/16/keith-lemons-keyhole-axed-six-series-itv-12248790/|title=Keith Lemon's Through The Keyhole 'axed' after six series on ITV|date=16 February 2020|work=Metro|first=Cydney|last=Yeates}}
History
=Original series=
Through the Keyhole originally started as a segment on TV-am, first being broadcast on its launch day on 1 February 1983.{{cite web|url=http://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/tv-radio/370964/Rise-and-shine-The-joys-of-breakfast-television|title=Rise and shine: The joys of breakfast television|last=Hassell|first=Katherine|date=15 January 2013|work=Daily Express|publisher=Northern & Shell|access-date=17 February 2013}} The idea was created by Kevin Sim as a chance to look around some of the most influential homes with Grossman at the helm as the tour presenter. Grossman was mistakenly given the job after someone had confused him with another journalist.{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/television--long-runners-no-35-through-the-keyhole-1421961.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220507/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/television--long-runners-no-35-through-the-keyhole-1421961.html |archive-date=7 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Long Runners: No 35: Through the Keyhole|last=Thompson|first=Ben|date=12 June 1994|work=The Independent|access-date=17 February 2013}}{{cbignore}} It became a regular feature of TV-am throughout 1983{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1983/12/01/arts/morning-tv-is-the-talk-of-britain.html|title=Morning TV is the Talk of Britain|last=Bedell|first=Sally|date=12 January 1983|work=The New York Times|access-date=17 February 2013}} until May 1985.
In Spring 1986Brief Note: Scunthorpe Evening Telegraph, P2: Monday 05 May 1986Role reversal, Newspaper: Aberdeen Evening Express P15, Saturday 10 May 1986 Frost transferred the concept to Yorkshire Television who picked up format, to produce a full half-hour programme for ITV, where a celebrity panel tries to guess whose house is being looked at From 1987. It ran in primetime on Friday nights for eight years on ITV and was rarely out of the top ten entertainment programmes on TV. The executive producers were Kevin Sim and Chantal Rickards. From 1996, it was produced by Frost's own production company, Paradine Productions, at Yorkshire Television. That same year, the show also moved to Sky One for one series. It then moved to BBC One Daytime in 1998 until 2004. The final three series aired on BBC Two from 2006 to 2008, when it was cancelled by the BBC. However, a special aired in March 2011 for Red Nose Day 2011 as part of marathon panel show 24 Hour Panel People.{{cn|date=December 2024}}
=Revival=
File:Through the Keyhole set.jpg in 2018.]]
In 2013, the programme returned on its original broadcast channel ITV with Leigh Francis (in character as Keith Lemon) taking up the dual roles of studio presenter and house detective. The new series was filmed at Pinewood Studios until 2018, with series 6 filmed at the BBC Elstree Centre's Studio D in the latter half of the year.{{cite web|url=http://www.virginmedia.com/tvradio/news/story/2013/01/24/keith-lemon-confirms-through/|title=Keith Lemon confirms Through the Keyhole revamp|date=24 January 2013|publisher=Virgin Media|access-date=17 February 2013}}{{cite web|url=http://www.comedy.co.uk/news/story/000001014/keith_lemon_through_the_keyhole/|title=Keith Lemon to present Through The Keyhole revival|date=13 January 2013|work=The British Comedy Guide|access-date=17 February 2013}} Dave Berry was a regular panellist. The first episode of the revived series aired on the same day that former host Sir David Frost died, although the news did not break until the following morning.{{cite web|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/showbiz/news/a511567/sir-david-frost-dies-aged-74.html |title=Sir David Frost dies, aged 74 |date=1 September 2013 |work=Digital Spy |access-date=1 September 2013}}
Before his death in August 2013, Frost gave his backing to ITV's remake, saying: "I am delighted that the Keyhole format is now entering its fourth decade on TV. I know the pilot show went down very well with the studio audience and I wish Keith and his team the very best of luck for the series."{{cite web|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/news/a482027/keith-lemon-through-the-keyhole-gets-sir-david-frost-backing.html |title=Keith Lemon 'Through the Keyhole' gets Sir David Frost backing |last=Fletcher |first=Alex |date=16 May 2013 |work=Digital Spy |access-date=1 September 2013}}
Format
At the start of each episode, Frost introduces a panel of three celebrities with the catchphrase "And what a panel they are ..." and some gently humorous or mocking descriptions. He then hands over to the location presenter who gives the panellists a guided tour of a property, noting particular items, though there is typically a large amount of misdirection involved as the items pointed out by the presenter are not necessarily the most pertinent clues to the person's identity. Items not specifically mentioned may provide much more useful clues. Once completed, Frost reveals the identity of the guest to the audience and the panel are given turns at guessing their identity. The audience participate with varying degrees of applause according to the accuracy of the panellists' guesswork.
The panellists are either successful at identifying the guest or Frost reveals their identity, after which they are interviewed and given a key-shaped trophy as a memento. Starting during Loyd Grossman's reign as location presenter, the geographic spread was extended with one of the properties on each episode being located in the US and one in Europe. When Stefanie Powers joined in 2007, she was based in the US and conducted the US property tours, whilst in the UK Lisa Snowdon conducted the European part.
Celebrity panellists and homeowners
=ITV=
==Series 1==
==Series 2==
==Series 3==
==Series 4==
=Revival=
==Series 1==
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" | ||||
| # | Celebrity panellists | Celebrity homeowners | Original air date | Viewers (millions){{cite web|url=http://www.barb.co.uk/whats-new/weekly-top-30?_s=4|title=Top 30 Programmes - BARB|work=barb.co.uk}} |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dave Berry Eamonn Holmes Martine McCutcheon | Louis Smith John Prescott Duncan James Lee Ryan | 31 August 2013 | 5.13 |
| 2 | Dave Berry Jonathan Ross Denise van Outen | Mary Berry Carol McGiffin Tom Fletcher | 7 September 2013 | 4.21 |
| 3 | Dave Berry Cilla Black Holly Willoughby | Louis Walsh Kerry Katona Greg Rutherford | 14 September 2013 | 4.25 |
| 4 | Dave Berry Terry Wogan Catherine Tyldesley | Bruno Tonioli Stacey Solomon Kelly Hoppen | 21 September 2013 | 3.95 |
| 5 | Dave Berry Emma Bunton Larry Lamb | Linda Robson Mel B Joey Essex | 28 September 2013 | 3.27 |
| 6 | Dave Berry Simon Gregson Mollie King | Amir Khan Daryl Hannah Sarah Harding | 5 October 2013 | 3.64 |
| 7 | Dave Berry Julian Clary Barbara Windsor | Gino D'Acampo Neil Morrissey Denise Welch | 15 December 2013 | 3.58 |
- Note: Episode 7 was a Christmas special.
==Series 2==
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" | ||||
| # | Celebrity panellists | Celebrity homeowners | Original air date | Viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alan Carr Ruth Langsford Jonathan Ross | Sinitta Shaun Ryder Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen | 30 August 2014 | 3.35 |
| 2 | Joe Swash Gabby Logan Paddy McGuinness | Harry Judd George Takei John Thomson | 6 September 2014 | 3.31 |
| 3 | Jimmy Carr Natalie Anderson Dave Berry | Will Mellor Chris Packham Claire Richards | 13 September 2014 | 3.61 |
| 4 | Kian Egan Christine Bleakley Warwick Davis | Gene Simmons Sam Bailey Duncan Bannatyne | 20 September 2014 | 3.59 |
| 5 | Craig Charles Fearne Cotton Dave Berry | David Dickinson JB Gill Claire Sweeney | 27 September 2014 | 3.24 |
| 6 | Vernon Kay Carol Vorderman Katherine Ryan | Rylan Clark Hilary Devey Nicky Clarke | 4 October 2014 | 3.39 |
| 7 | Des O'Connor Myleene Klass Dave Berry | Dave Myers Verne Troyer Toyah Willcox | 11 October 2014 | 2.85 |
| 8 | Jonathan Ross Kym Marsh Louis Walsh | Jane Seymour Louie Spence Alex James | 26 December 2014 | 2.65 |
- Note: Episode 8 was a Christmas special
==Series 3==
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" | ||||
| # | Celebrity panellists | Celebrity homeowners | Original air date | Viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gino D'Acampo Sue Cleaver Johnny Vegas | Germaine Greer James Argent Lou Ferrigno | 29 August 2015 | 2.85 |
| 2 | Jonathan Ross Kimberley Walsh Andi Peters | Penn Jillette Carl Fogarty James and Ola Jordan | 5 September 2015 | 2.69 |
| 3 | Paddy McGuinness Tess Daly Jerry Springer | Craig Revel Horwood Bill Oddie Yvette Fielding | 12 September 2015 | 3.09 |
| 4 | Bruno Tonioli Davina McCall Dave Berry | David Haye Vanessa Feltz Charlotte Crosby | 19 September 2015 | 2.71 |
| 5 | Antony Cotton Sara Cox Jimmy Carr | Sharon Osbourne Dom Joly Kimberly Wyatt | 26 September 2015 | 2.01 |
| 6 | Mark Wright Janet Street-Porter Vernon Kay | Peter Andre Kate Silverton Simon Webbe | 3 October 2015 | Under 2.01 |
| 7 | Michael Buerk Ashley Roberts Dave Berry | Anthea Turner Ken Hom Georgia May Foote | 10 October 2015 | Under 2.13 |
| 8 | Jimmy Carr Stephen Mulhern Claudia Winkleman | Russell Grant Jack Osbourne Jo Wood | 24 December 2015 | Under 1.91 |
- Note: Episode 8 was a Christmas special.
==Series 4==
A fourth series began airing on 7 January 2017, with a Christmas episode airing two weeks previously, on 24 December. Eight episodes were recorded at Pinewood Studios in July 2016.
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" | ||||
| # | Celebrity panellists | Celebrity homeowners | Original air date | Viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shayne Ward Kelly Brook Johnny Vegas | Kimberley Walsh Wayne Sleep Tony Mortimer | 24 December 2016 | Under 3.51 |
| 2 | Will Mellor Fearne Cotton Judge Rinder | Pamela Anderson Sid Owen Lady Colin Campbell | 7 January 2017 | Under 3.42 | |
| 3 | Eamonn Holmes Emma Bunton Jonathan Ross | Gok Wan Adam West Andrea McLean | 14 January 2017 | 3.87 |
| 4 | Marvin Humes Kate Garraway Jimmy Carr | Jo Whiley Jamie Laing Abz Love | 21 January 2017 | 3.58 |
| 5 | Paddy McGuinness Caroline Flack Dave Berry | Tony Hadley Dominic Littlewood Macy Gray | 28 January 2017 | 3.74 |
| 6 | John Thomson Kym Marsh Stephen Mulhern | Harry Redknapp Gemma Collins Antony Worrall Thompson | 4 February 2017 | 3.65 |
| 7 | Fay Ripley Steve Jones Rochelle Humes | John Barrowman Paul Burrell Cheryl Baker | 11 February 2017 | 3.74 |
| 8 | David Haye Samia Ghadie Dave Berry | Dennis Rodman Ian "H" Watkins Melinda Messenger | 18 February 2017 | 3.39 |
- Note: Episode 1 was a Christmas special.
==Series 5==
A fifth series began airing on 13 January 2018. Prior to this, an I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! special aired in December 2017 instead of a Christmas episode.
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" | ||||
| # | Celebrity panellists | Celebrity homeowners | Original air date | Viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jimmy Carr Myleene Klass Tony Blackburn Stacey Solomon | Vicky Pattison Derek Acorah Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag | 9 December 2017 | Under 3.46 |
| 2 | Ben Shephard Frankie Bridge Jonathan Ross | Denise Richards Peter Stringfellow Su Pollard | 13 January 2018 | 3.63 |
| 3 | Gregg Wallace Scarlett Moffatt Paddy McGuinness | Professor Green Caprice Bourret Jesse Metcalfe | 20 January 2018 | ||
| 4 | Stephen Mulhern Rochelle Humes Louis Walsh | Gloria Hunniford Bobby Davro Janice Dickinson | 27 January 2018 | |
| 5 | Shane Richie Rachel Riley Alex James | Russell Watson Katie Price Jenny Powell | 3 February 2018 | |
| 6 | Jimmy Carr Scarlett Moffatt Eamonn Holmes | Vinnie Jones Ore Oduba Carol Decker | 10 February 2018 | |
| 7 | Paddy McGuinness Catherine Tyldesley Chris Kamara | Ricki Lake Jamie Theakston Danielle Armstrong | 17 February 2018 | ||
| 8 | Jonathan Ross Melanie Sykes Ashley Banjo | John Barnes Martin Roberts Ross King | 24 February 2018 |
- Note: Episode 1 was an I'm a Celebrity special.
==Series 6==
A sixth series began airing on 12 January 2019. Prior to this, a Christmas special aired on 14 December 2018.
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" | ||||
| # | Celebrity panellists | Celebrity homeowners | Original air date | Viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jimmy Carr Lorraine Kelly Jonathan Ross | Julian Clary Sally Lindsay Kate Thornton | 14 December 2018 | |
| 2 | Danny Dyer Sally Phillips Chris Kamara | Michael Owen Lesley Garrett Emily Atack | 12 January 2019 | |
| 3 | Paddy McGuinness Dani Dyer Martin Kemp | Shirley Ballas Linda Barker Ollie Locke | 19 January 2019 | |
| 4 | Rob Beckett Alfie Boe Lucy Fallon | Carmen Electra Charlie Brooks Peter Duncan | 26 January 2019 | |
| 5 | Johnny Vegas Caitlyn Jenner Craig Revel Horwood | Dean Cain Mariella Frostrup Toby Anstis | 2 February 2019 | |
| 6 | Stacey Solomon Beverley Callard Joel Dommett | Melissa Joan Hart Richard Blackwood Aldo Zilli | 9 February 2019 | |
| 7 | Jimmy Carr Carol Vorderman Kriss Akabusi | Steve Guttenberg Joey Essex Rebecca Adlington | 16 February 2019 | |
| 8 | Rob Beckett Janet Street-Porter Krishnan Guru-Murthy | Shane Lynch Fatima Whitbread Scott Mills | 23 February 2019 |
- Note: Episode 1 was a Christmas special.
Transmissions
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
=ITV=
==Series==
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" | |||
| Series | Start date | End date | Episodes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 April 1987 | 26 June 1987 | 13 |
| 2 | 15 April 1988 | 5 August 1988 | 13 |
| 3 | 17 February 1989 | 12 May 1989 | 13 |
| 4 | 9 March 1990 | 1 June 1990 | 13 |
| 5 | 5 April 1991 | 12 July 1991 | 15 |
| 6 | 8 May 1992 | 31 July 1992 | 13 |
| 7 | 14 May 1993 | 3 September 1993 | 17 |
| 8 | 10 April 1994 | 19 June 1994 | 11 |
==ITV Specials==
=Sky One=
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" | |||
| Series | Start date | End date | Episodes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22 February 1996 | 23 December 1996 | ?? |
{{col-2}}
=BBC=
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" | |||
| Series | Start date | End date | Episodes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 May 1998 | 5 October 1998 | 40 |
| 2 | 19 April 1999 | 17 December 1999 | 45 |
| 3 | 3 April 2000 | 16 June 2000 | 45 |
| 4 | 14 May 2001 | 1 February 2002 | 25 |
| 5 | 8 July 2002 | 24 March 2003 | 30 |
| 6 | 1 March 2004 | 3 May 2004 | 30 |
| 7 | 27 February 2006 | 31 March 2006 | 25 |
| 8 | 26 March 2007 | 9 May 2007 | 20 |
| 9 | 6 May 2008 | 4 June 2008 | 20 |
=ITV revival=
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" | |||
| Series | Start date | End date | Episodes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 31 August 2013 | 5 October 2013 | 6 |
| 2 | 30 August 2014 | 11 October 2014 | 7 |
| 3 | 29 August 2015 | 10 October 2015 | 7 |
| 4 | 7 January 2017 | 18 February 2017 | 7 |
| 5 | 13 January 2018 | 24 February 2018 | 7 |
| 6 | 12 January 2019 | 23 February 2019 | 7 |
==ITV Specials==
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" | |
| Date | Title |
|---|---|
| 15 December 2013 | Christmas Special |
| 26 December 2014 | Christmas Special |
| 24 December 2015 | Christmas Special |
| 24 December 2016 | Christmas Special |
| 9 December 2017 | I'm a Celebrity Special |
| 14 December 2018 | Christmas Special |
{{col-end}}
International broadcast
In 2016, the Dutch SBS6 channel broadcast the Dutch version, called Met de deur in huis, hosted by Kees Tol.{{Cite news |date=23 February 2016 |title=Tineke Schouten laat huizen BN'ers zien in nieuw SBS-spelshow |url=https://www.nu.nl/media/4219548/tineke-schouten-laat-huizen-bners-zien-in-nieuw-sbs-spelshow.html |access-date=4 April 2025 |work=NU.nl |language=nl}} In this show, comedian Tineke Schouten visits the houses of Dutch celebrities. The panel (Maik de Boer, Patty Brard and Ruben van der Meer) have to guess whose house she is in. In the same year, a second series aired on SBS6.
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
- {{IMDb title|0200385|Through the Keyhole (1987–2011)}}
- {{IMDb title|4319118|Through the Keyhole (2013–19)}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20090629014829/http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk:80/sift/series/17505 Through the Keyhole (1987–2011)] at BFI.
- {{UKGameshow|Through_the_Keyhole}}
{{Sky1}}
{{David Frost}}
Category:1987 British television series debuts
Category:2019 British television series endings
Category:1990s British television series
Category:2000s British television series
Category:1980s British game shows
Category:1990s British game shows
Category:2000s British game shows
Category:2010s British game shows
Category:BBC television game shows
Category:British television series revived after cancellation
Category:British English-language television shows
Category:Television series by Fremantle (company)
Category:Television series by ITV Studios