TFI Friday
Format	Entertainment
Presented by	Chris Evans
Theme music composer	Ron Grainer
Opening theme	Theme from Man in a Suitcase
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Language(s)	English
Production
Producer(s)	Ginger Productions
Broadcast
Original channel	Channel 4
Original run	1996 – 2000
Chronology
Related shows	OFI Sunday
External links
IMDb profile
TV.com summary

TFI Friday was a light entertainment show, produced by Ginger Productions, and hosted by Chris Evans and broadcast on Fridays at 6pm on Channel 4 from 1996 to 2000, with a repeat later that night. Officially, the title stood for "Thank Four It's Friday", though a less innocuous interpretation of the initials, "Thank Fuck It's Friday", was clearly implied (a reference to the restaurant chain T.G.I. Friday's, which stands for "Thank God Its Friday's"). The show's theme tune was actually Ron Grainer's theme from Man in a Suitcase. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... A stilt-walker entertaining shoppers at a shopping centre in Swindon, England Entertainment is an event, performance, or activity designed to give pleasure or relaxation to an audience (although, for example, in the case of a computer game the audience may be only one person). ... Chris Evans (born April 1, 1966, in Warrington, England) is an English celebrity. ... Ron Grainer (August 11, 1922 - February 21, 1981) was an Australian-born composer who worked for most of his professional career in the United Kingdom. ... Man in a Suitcase was a 1967 television series produced by Lew Grades ITC Entertainment. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Ginger Productions, alongside its big brother production company, SMG Productions, is part of the network production arm of SMG plc. ... This article is about the British television station. ... Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full 2000 Gregorian calendar). ... OFI Sunday is an entertainment show hosted by Chris Evans every Sunday on ITV1 at 10:30pm. ... Light entertainment is a term used to describe a broad range of usually televisual performances. ... Ginger Productions, alongside its big brother production company, SMG Productions, is part of the network production arm of SMG plc. ... Chris Evans (born April 1, 1966, in Warrington, England) is an English celebrity. ... This article is about the British television station. ... Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full 2000 Gregorian calendar). ... A location in Eden Prairie, MN T.G.I. Fridays (often shortened to Fridays) is a popular American restaurant chain focusing on casual dining, with over 500 restaurants worldwide. ... The theme music of a radio or television program is a melody closely associated with the show, and usually played during the title sequence and/or end credits. ... Ron Grainer (August 11, 1922 - February 21, 1981) was an Australian-born composer who worked for most of his professional career in the United Kingdom. ... Man in a Suitcase was a 1967 television series produced by Lew Grades ITC Entertainment. ...

During November and December 1999, the show included a segment titled "Someone's Going To Be A Millionaire!", inspired by the ITV game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? (which would not have its first million pound winner until November 2000). TFI Friday paid out the promised £1 million jackpot on Christmas Eve, 1999, becoming the first British TV show to do so. This article is about the year. ... Independent Television (generally known as ITV, but also as ITV Network) is a public service network of British commercial television broadcasters, set up under the Independent Television Authority (ITA) to provide competition to the BBC. ITV is the oldest commercial television network in the UK. Since 1990 and the Broadcasting... Quiz show redirects here. ... In the United Kingdom, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? is a television game show which offers a maximum cash prize of one million pounds for correctly answering successive multiple-choice questions of increasing difficulty. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full 2000 Gregorian calendar). ... (Redirected from 24 December) December 24 is the 358th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (359th in leap years). ... This article is about the year. ...

The show regularly featured live music, mostly of the then-popular Britpop school. A snippet of "The Riverboat Song" by Ocean Colour Scene, a band particularly championed by Evans, was used as an introduction to guests, as they walked the length of a walkway up into the "bar" to be interviewed by the host. Britpop was a mid-1990s British alternative rock genre and movement. ... The Riverboat Song is a rock song by Ocean Colour Scene (OCS). ... Ocean Colour Scene (often abbreviated to OCS) are an English rock band from Birmingham. ...

Viewers repeatedly asked if they could have the TFI Friday Mug (or one like it) that graced Evans table every week so the production company created a limited run of 1,000 mugs which were offered for sale at a prohibitive price and for a limited period of time, after which, the remaining stock was destroyed live on air when it was dropped from the roof of the television studio.

Ewan McGregor, shortly after swearing on TFI Friday

The show attracted controversy when Shaun Ryder said "fuck" several times. Following the first interview on the show in which he had used the word, he was not allowed to be interviewed live. During a Stars in Their Eyes skit, Ryder performed (as Johnny Rotten) the Sex Pistols' "Pretty Vacant". The section was transmitted live, as it was not an interview. Ryder shouted the word several times. Ryder remains barred from appearing live on any Channel 4 programme. Ewan McGregor also used the controversial word on the show. In the wake of Ryder's antics, TFI Friday was then forced to go out pre-recorded. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Shaun Ryder (aka X) (born Shaun William Ryder on August 23, 1962, in Little Hulton, near Salford, Lancashire) is an English singer and songwriter and an ex postman who became famous in the Madchester era band Happy Mondays. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Stars in Their Eyes is a British television talent show in which contestants impersonate showbiz stars. ... John Joseph Lydon (born January 31, 1956), also known as Johnny Rotten, is an English rock musician. ... The Sex Pistols were an iconic and highly influential English punk rock band, formed in London in 1975. ... Ewan Gordon McGregor (born March 31, 1971) (IPA pronunciation: [1]) is a Scottish actor who has had significant success in mainstream, indie and art house films. ...

The show gained more notoriety when, as part of a competition, two children were forced to go head to head in order to win their parents a car. After the competition was won, the boy who had lost then started to cry, which caused the tabloids to pounce on the show believing it to be shameless, even after the next edition which showed the boy perfectly happy with the consolation prize of a lot of toys.^[1][2]

As the years wore on, the format began to wear down, and viewing figures began to steadily fall. As a result, Channel 4 announced that the next series of TFI Friday was to be the last. Chris Evans then promptly left the show, leaving the final series to be presented by a host of guest presenters, including the Spice Girls and Elton John. The Spice Girls are an English all-female pop group, formed in London in 1994. ... Sir Elton Hercules[1] John CBE[2] (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight on 25 March 1947) is a five-time Grammy and one-time Academy Award-winning English pop/rock singer, composer and pianist. ...

In September 2005, Evans announced that he would be returning the TFI Friday format to TV, with OFI Sunday. The first edition was broadcast on 20 November 2005, but was not as successful and soon axed. Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... OFI Sunday is an entertainment show hosted by Chris Evans every Sunday on ITV1 at 10:30pm. ... is the 324th day of the year (325th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Regular features

Features on the show included:

• Freak or Unique - Every week, there would be five people waiting outside the studio, of whom three would be selected to show off a special if freakish talent (such as juicing an orange with their shoulders, or drinking milk which they then forced out of their tear ducts). A running gag throughout the run was the 'Incredibly Tall Old Lady' who would always be waiting outside the studio. She was never nominated (mainly because it was obviously an old woman standing on a box).
• Baby Left Baby Right: A small child was placed on a cushion and the guest was asked which way it might fall.
• Fat lookalikes - People who looked like fat versions of celebrities.
• What Does The Fat Bloke Do? - An overweight man was invited on set and asked about his occupation, before dancing and leaving.
• Comment From The Cafe - Evans would rope in Cedric (the proprietor of a local eaterie) to perform various embarrassing skits. Cedric became famous for his catchphrase "Hellooooooooo!" and wooden acting
• Ugly Blokes - Unattractive gentlemen would have the opportunity to turn down the amorous advances of a 'gorgeous girl' (Catalina Guirado). A photo of footballer Peter Beardsley was shown during the 'ugly bloke' theme tune.
• It's Your Letters - A wide assortment of viewers' letters (this was introduced by a burst of Reef's "Place Your Hands", re-recorded for the show with the words "It's your letters" replacing the original chorus of "Put your hands on").
• Fishbowl Challenge: A goldfish in a bowl would have two toy bridges for company. Which would it swim under first?
• Another running gag was directed at the show's producer, Will MacDonald (aka Wicked Will, of MTV's Most Wanted fame), where everyone in the bar would point their fingers, begin to swivel them and chant 'Wiiillll' very creepily
• Will: Pub Genius - Will MacDonald would demonstrate a trick that could be performed using tools commonly found in a pub.
• Wooden Bird with Purple Hair - Chris Evans would amuse the audience with a small nodding wooden woodpecker (with purple hair), that slid down a pole whilst an accompanying song was played.
• The Lord of Love - The veteran actor Ronald Fraser dressed in a quilted smoking jacket would recite love poems to girls in the audience.

This article is about the body part. ... Catalina Guirado (born 1974) is an English model and TV personality. ... Peter Andrew Beardsley MBE (born January 18, 1961, Newcastle upon Tyne) is a renowned English former footballer of the 1980s and 1990s, who once set a record transfer fee in the game and represented his country 59 times, on one occasion as captain. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The following data is cached and may not be completely up to date. ... An amusingly named pub (the Old New Inn) at Bourton-on-the-Water, in the Cotswold Hills of South West England A pub in the Haymarket area of Edinburgh, Scotland A public house, usually known as a pub, is a drinking establishment found mainly in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada... Ronald Fraser in Too Late The Hero 1970 Ronald Fraser (11 April 1930 – March 13, 1997) was an English character actor who appeared in numerous British films of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s whilst also appearing in many popular TV shows. ...

References

Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 99th day of the year (100th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• TFI Friday