401:, but the format was not successful. However, the final item in the last episode of the first series featured a successful surprise reunion, which led executive producer Alan Boyd to change the format slightly so that all items in subsequent series involved surprises, rather than just being surprising. Although including many pre-filmed inserts, the first series and some early episodes of the second series were televised live in their entirety, but thereafter all episodes were pre-recorded.
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From 1984 to 1988, the show was broadcast on Sunday evenings. From 1989 to 1992, the show moved to
Fridays, before returning to the Sunday evening timeslot from 1993 to 1996. The final series of the original run in 1997 was broadcast on Friday evenings. Between 1998 and 2001, a one-off special
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were roving reporters. Other featured acts were "Cilla-grams," where Black would perform a song in a musical sketch relevant to the surprise a person was receiving. (Example: a soldier was celebrating his 21st birthday, so the featuring song Black sang was
440:, although a full series was later announced. The series had six hour-long episodes, with episode 1 airing on 21 October 2012. A second series followed this in 2013, a third in 2014 and a fourth in 2015.
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made a surprise appearance on the show, singing a bit of the original theme as the show went to commercials (after Holly made the comment that the producers just wouldn't let her sing the song).
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The revived series updated its theme for 2013. This theme uses a remixed instrumental version of the chorus from Black's original song "Surprise, Surprise".
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The show debuted on 12 March but due to low viewing figures it was axed after just one episode. The remaining seven episodes returned on air on 21 July.
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ITV never made an official announcement confirming the series had been axed, but another series of the show has not been produced since 2015.
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on 27 December 2015, four months after Black's death. It wasn't originally broadcast in 2003 due to Black's departure from ITV that year.
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The concept of the first series had been to film surprising and often unusual moments similar to those previously seen on
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introduced and closed each show by singing a theme song. The theme song from series one to eight was written by
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episode was produced per year which aired on Mother's Day from 1998 until 2000, and then at
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to people and reuniting guests with long-lost loved ones. Black was assisted for eight series by
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1601:"Surprise Surprise - previously unaired show: Split from Cilla Black has died - TV Forum"
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Over the years, the show had many special guests, some of whom appeared live, including
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Around 2022-23, the song enjoyed a resurgence on the social media app
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British television series revived after cancellation
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1661:. Nationaltvawards.com. 22 January 2014
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1813:Television series by ITV Studios
1639:. Digital Spy. 17 September 2013
1617:. Digital Spy. 16 September 2013
1150:Surprise! Die Bruce Darnell Show
1003:Anniversary Special (from 2003)
962:Surprise Surprise...in Australia
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312:Keith Lemon's LemonAid
1734:Official Twitter page
1185:Carràmba! Che fortuna
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218:Production companies
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333:light entertainment
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57:Light entertainment
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1711:. 24 January 1999
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984:2 April 2000
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445:Marvin Humes
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410:Neil Diamond
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377:Gordon Burns
373:Spit the Dog
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210:Running time
134:Matt Johnson
114:Marvin Humes
94:Gordon Burns
63:Presented by
46:
24:
18:
1798:Cilla Black
1686:Digital Spy
1578:Digital Spy
1550:Digital Spy
1522:Digital Spy
1502:Digital Spy
1227:Nederland 1
1218:(1988–2008)
1209:Netherlands
1130:Broadcaster
1078:References
798:4 July 1997
785:2 June 1996
769:2 July 1995
737:4 July 1993
721:29 May 1992
521:Cilla Black
516:Theme songs
504:and singer
498:Cilla Black
468:Cilla Black
457:Peter Andre
449:Mark Wright
418:Spice Girls
386:Celebration
361:prank calls
357:Cilla Black
341:Cilla Black
229:(2012–2015)
227:ITV Studios
224:(1984–2001)
185:of episodes
177:4 (Revival)
148:(1984–2001)
142:Narrated by
131:(2014–2015)
129:Peter Andre
126:(2014–2015)
121:(2013–2015)
119:Mark Wright
116:(2013–2015)
111:(2012–2015)
101:(1990–1992)
96:(1986–1991)
91:(1985–1995)
74:(2012–2015)
67:Cilla Black
1762:Categories
1742:at itv.com
1482:References
1370:8 May 1996
821:Start date
590:6 May 1984
574:Start date
453:Dave Berry
291:2015-12-26
281:2012-10-21
266:2001-12-26
256:1984-05-06
252:6 May 1984
195:Production
109:Dave Berry
1585:19 August
1244:(2014–15)
1229:(1988–89)
1223:(2014–15)
1155:ProSieben
1133:Presenter
1108:Nominated
1096:Nominated
827:Episodes
580:Episodes
482:aired on
172:of series
104:Kian Egan
1355:Antena 3
1136:Premiere
1020:Special
913:Special
903:Original
898:Specials
824:End date
577:End date
564:Original
502:Westlife
375:, while
79:Starring
1715:11 June
1693:1 March
1665:6 April
1643:6 April
1621:6 April
1557:1 March
1529:1 March
1379:Ukraine
1314:Romania
1145:Germany
1139:Finale
1124:Country
1017:Airdate
1010:Revival
811:Revival
424:Revival
414:variety
412:. Many
299:Related
289: (
285: –
279: (
274:Release
264: (
260: –
254: (
249:Release
239:Network
164:English
1367:(1999)
1298:Polsat
1288:Poland
1255:(2008)
1239:(2006)
1075:Result
1059:Awards
818:Series
571:Series
559:Series
545:TikTok
351:Format
136:(2015)
106:(2012)
86:(1984)
1453:Notes
1343:Spain
1337:2008
1324:TVR 1
1282:2015
1242:SBS 6
1237:Talpa
1232:RTL 4
1191:Rai 1
1173:Italy
1127:Title
1072:Award
1069:Group
388:" by
53:Genre
1753:IMDb
1717:2020
1695:2018
1667:2014
1645:2014
1623:2014
1587:2024
1559:2018
1531:2018
1334:1999
1280:2008
1278:2006
1276:2001
1273:2014
1271:2008
1269:2006
1267:1988
1104:2015
1084:2014
1066:Year
510:ITV3
484:ITV1
459:and
436:for
379:and
371:act
1751:at
1437:NBC
1417:CBS
1389:STB
859:10
804:10
788:10
772:10
756:11
740:10
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438:ITV
392:.)
337:ITV
243:ITV
222:LWT
183:No.
170:No.
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