Through the Keyhole is a British comedy panel game show created by the television 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 2 August 2004 and its sister channel BBC Two from 27 February 2006 to 4 June 2008.
In 2013, the show was revived for ITV with Leigh Francis as the host. In February 2020, it was reported that the programme had been cancelled after six series.
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. 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. It became a regular feature of TV-am throughout 1983 until May 1985.
In Spring 1986 Frost transferred the concept to Yorkshire Television who picked up the 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 television. 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, after which 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.
Revival
thumb|left|Through the Keyhole set at [[BBC Elstree Centre 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. 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.
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."
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
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! # !! Celebrity panellists !! Celebrity homeowners !! Original air date
|-
| 1 || Alan Coren<br />Mary Parkinson<br />Kenneth Williams || Spike Milligan<br />Stirling Moss || 3 April 1987
|-
| 2 || Willie Rushton<br />Eve Pollard<br />Chris Tarrant || Linda Lusardi<br />Freddie Starr || 10 April 1987
|-
| 3 || Chris Tarrant<br />Nina Myskow<br />Lord Lichfield || Tony Blackburn<br />Robert Maxwell || 17 April 1987
|-
| 4 || Alan Coren<br />Mary Parkinson<br />Kenneth Williams || Lynsey de Paul<br />Magnus Pyke || 24 April 1987
|-
| 5 || Chris Tarrant<br />Nina Myskow<br />Lord Lichfield || Bryan Robson<br />Beryl Reid || 1 May 1987
|-
| 6 || Willie Rushton<br />Eve Pollard<br />Chris Tarrant || Molly Parkin<br />Vince Hill || 8 May 1987
|-
| 7 || Alan Coren<br />Moira Stuart<br />Willie Rushton || Five Star<br />Mary Whitehouse || 15 May 1987
|-
| 8 || Chris Tarrant<br />Eve Pollard<br />Kenneth Williams || Suzanne Dando<br />Lennie Bennett || 22 May 1987
|-
| 9 || Steve Blacknell<br />Anna Raeburn<br />Willie Rushton || Rick Wakeman<br />Sandy Gall || 29 May 1987
|-
| 10 || Alan Coren<br />Moira Stuart<br />Willie Rushton || Jack Charlton<br />Stan Boardman || 5 June 1987
|-
| 11 || Chris Tarrant<br />Eve Pollard<br />Kenneth Williams || Denis Healey<br />Janet Brown || 12 June 1987
|-
| 12 || Chris Tarrant<br />Nina Myskow<br />Lord Lichfield || Tessa Sanderson<br />George Melly || 19 June 1987
|-
| 13 || Chris Tarrant<br />Eve Pollard<br />Kenneth Williams || Harvey Smith<br />Duchess of Argyll || 26 June 1987
|}
Series 2
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! # !! Celebrity panellists !! Celebrity homeowners !! Original air date
|-
| 1 || Chris Tarrant<br />Emma Freud<br />Willie Rushton || David Steel<br />Ruby Wax || 15 April 1988
|-
| 2 || Pattie Coldwell<br />Lord Lichfield<br />Eve Pollard || Uri Geller<br />Bob Carolgees || 22 April 1988
|-
| 3 || Willie Rushton<br />Clare Rayner<br />Chris Tarrant || Michael Fish<br />Su Pollard || 29 April 1988
|-
| 4 || Chris Tarrant<br />Anna Raeburn<br />Nigel Dempster || Jane Rossington<br />Fred Trueman || 6 May 1988
|-
| 5 || Willie Rushton<br />Sarah Kennedy<br />Alan Coren || Clive Sinclair<br />Kenny Everett || 13 May 1988
|-
| 6 || Willie Rushton<br />Eve Pollard<br />Judith Chalmers || Katie Boyle<br />Bernard Manning || 20 May 1988
|-
| 7 || Willie Rushton<br />Clare Rayner<br />Chris Tarrant || Bob Champion<br />Debbie Greenwood || 27 May 1988
|-
| 8 || Pattie Coldwell<br />Lord Lichfield<br />Eve Pollard || Gordon Honeycombe<br />Liz Dawn || 3 June 1988
|-
| 9 || Willie Rushton<br />Sarah Kennedy<br />Alan Coren || Clare Francis<br />Bill Oddie || 24 June 1988
|-
| 10 || Chris Tarrant<br />Anna Raeburn<br />Nigel Dempster || Mike Reid<br />Mike Read || 1 July 1988
|-
| 11 || Chris Tarrant<br />Emma Freud<br />Willie Rushton || Kenny Ball<br />Lucinda Green || 8 July 1988
|-
| 12 || Willie Rushton<br />Eve Pollard<br />Alan Coren || Lord Montagu of Beaulieu<br />Fatima Whitbread || 15 July 1988
|-
| 13 || Chris Tarrant <br />Eve Pollard <br />Alan Coren || Jean Rogers<br />Clement Freud || 5 August 1988
|}
Series 3
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! # !! Celebrity panellists !! Celebrity homeowners !! Original air date
|-
| 1 || Chris Tarrant<br />Alan Titchmarsh<br />Eve Pollard || Henry Cooper<br />Ruth Madoc || 17 February 1989
|-
| 2 || Willie Rushton<br />Chris Tarrant<br />Eve Pollard || Bruce Kent<br />Jimmy Savile || 24 February 1989
|-
| 3 || Willie Rushton<br />Patti Coldwell<br />Ned Sherrin || Bernie Clifton<br />Delia Smith || 3 March 1989
|-
| 4 || Sue Lloyd<br />Bill Oddie<br />Chris Tarrant || Lance Percival<br />Maria Whittaker || 10 March 1989
|-
| 5 || Alan Coren<br />Debbie Rix<br />Chris Tarrant || Nina Myskow<br />Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards || 17 March 1989
|-
| 6 || Willie Rushton<br />Chris Tarrant<br />Eve Pollard || Jim Bowen<br />Ossie Ardiles || 24 March 1989
|-
| 7 || Clement Freud<br />Anna Raeburn<br />Willie Rushton || Victor & Marilyn Lownes<br />Paddy Ashdown & Jane Ashdown || 31 March 1989
|-
| 8 || Chris Tarrant<br />Eve Pollard<br />Alan Coren || Rachael Heyhoe Flint<br />Russell Grant || 7 April 1989
|-
| 9 || Katie Boyle<br />Willie Rushton<br />Carol Vorderman || Mary Peters<br />Screaming Lord Sutch || 14 April 1989
|-
| 10 || Judi Spiers<br />Chris Tarrant<br />Sue Lloyd || Sharron Davies<br />Bernard Matthews || 21 April 1989
|-
| 11 || Patti Coldwell<br />Willie Rushton<br />Ned Sherrin || Annabel Croft<br />Kenny Lynch || 28 April 1989
|-
| 12 || Willie Rushton<br />Anna Raeburn<br />Clement Freud || Norman St John-Stevas<br />Steve Wright || 5 May 1989
|-
| 13 || Judi Spiers<br />Chris Tarrant<br />Bill Oddie || Eddy Shah<br />Kathy Staff || 12 May 1989
|}
Series 4
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! # !! Celebrity panellists !! Celebrity homeowners !! Original air date
|-
| 1 || Chris Tarrant<br />Stephanie Calman<br />Alan Coren || Judge James Pickles<br />Doc Cox || 9 March 1990
|-
| 2 || Katie Boyle<br />Willie Rushton<br />Chris Tarrant || Sheila Ferguson<br />Lord Oaksey || 16 March 1990
|-
| 3 || Willie Rushton<br />Patti Coldwell<br />Mike Read || Barbara Castle<br />Barry McGuigan || 23 March 1990
|-
| 4 || Willie Rushton<br />Chris Tarrant<br />Katie Boyle || Viscount Weymouth<br />John Conteh || 30 March 1990
|-
| 5 || Chris Tarrant<br />Nina Myskow<br />Danny La Rue || Patrick Moore<br />Gerald Harper || 6 April 1990
|-
| 6 || Willie Rushton<br />Hilary Kingsley<br />Mike Read || Acker Bilk<br />Rose-Marie || 13 April 1990
|-
| 7 || Willie Rushton<br />Nina Myskow<br />Andrew O'Connor || Debbie Moore<br />Roger De Courcey || 20 April 1990
|-
| 8 || Willie Rushton<br />Nina Myskow<br />Andrew O'Connor || Phil Drabble<br />Peter Stringfellow || 27 April 1990
|-
| 9 || Chris Tarrant<br />Stephanie Calman<br />Alan Coren || Simon & Annette Howard<br />William Roache || 4 May 1990
|-
| 10 || Willie Rushton<br />Eve Pollard<br />Lord Lichfield || Zandra Rhodes<br />Ray Illingworth || 11 May 1990
|-
| 11 || Lord Lichfield<br />Eve Pollard<br />Danny La Rue || Jeffrey Archer<br />Glynn Christian || 18 May 1990
|-
| 12 || Willie Rushton<br />Eve Pollard<br />Mike Read || Gerry & Susan Goldwyres<br />Phil & Frances Edmonds || 25 May 1990
|-
| 13 || Eve Pollard<br />Chris Tarrant<br />Alan Titchmarsh || Tony Hart<br />Don Maclean || 1 June 1990
|}
Revival
Series 1
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! # !! Celebrity<br />panellists !! Celebrity<br />homeowners !! Original<br />air date !! Viewers<br />(millions)
|-
| 1 || Dave Berry<br />Eamonn Holmes<br />Martine McCutcheon || Louis Smith<br />John Prescott<br />Duncan James<br />Lee Ryan || 31 August 2013 || 5.13
|-
| 2 || Dave Berry<br />Jonathan Ross<br />Denise van Outen || Mary Berry<br />Carol McGiffin<br />Tom Fletcher || 7 September 2013 || 4.21
|-
| 3 || Dave Berry<br />Cilla Black<br />Holly Willoughby || Louis Walsh<br />Kerry Katona<br />Greg Rutherford || 14 September 2013 || 4.25
|-
| 4 || Dave Berry<br />Terry Wogan<br />Catherine Tyldesley || Bruno Tonioli<br />Stacey Solomon<br />Kelly Hoppen || 21 September 2013 || 3.95
|-
| 5 || Dave Berry<br />Emma Bunton<br />Larry Lamb|| Linda Robson<br />Mel B<br />Joey Essex || 28 September 2013 || 3.27
|-
| 6 || Dave Berry<br />Simon Gregson<br />Mollie King || Amir Khan<br />Daryl Hannah<br />Sarah Harding || 5 October 2013 || 3.64
|-
| 7 || Dave Berry<br />Julian Clary<br />Barbara Windsor || Gino D'Acampo<br />Neil Morrissey<br />Denise Welch || 15 December 2013 || 3.58
|}
- Note: Episode 7 was a Christmas special.
Series 2
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! # !! Celebrity<br />panellists !! Celebrity<br />homeowners !! Original<br />air date !! Viewers<br />(millions) || The Best of Through the Keyhole || The Best of Through the Keyhole || The Best of Through the Keyhole || The Best of Through the Keyhole || The Best of Through the Keyhole In this show, comedian Tineke Schouten visits the houses of Dutch celebrities.