This is your life

Renowned author, songwriter Amos Ettinger offers a behind-the-scenes look at legendary TV show ‘This is your life,’ which he hosted for three decades

By Dan Bentsur |Published: 05.14.05 , 10:49

Amos Ettinger was the producer and host of the legendary television show "This is Your Life," in which unsuspecting prominent public figures were brought to a TV studio, where their friends and acquaintances gathered in advance.

In each show, Ettinger unraveled not only the personal life-story of the show's subject, but also different aspects of Israeli culture and history.

Ettinger has published several volumes of poetry, and is the author of several books, including the novel "Alice," and the biography "Blind Jump,” about famed World War II intelligence operative Shaike Dan.

He recently released "These are My Songs", a two-disc set of his most famous songs performed by A -list Israeli singers such as Yardena Arazi and Arik Einstein.

When and under what circumstances did you come up with the idea for the TV show "This is Your Life?"

The idea isn't mine; the show is based on an American TV show that went by the same name. In 1955, just before I enlisted in the army, I was on a hitchhiking trip in Europe when I saw a "This is Your Life" show on British television; the idea got stuck somewhere in my brain cells.

In those days, no one even dreamed of television in Israel, and I myself aspired to be an actor. However, when I began working in radio, and later in television, I returned to the idea that had been rooted deep inside my heart.

Although the original idea for the show was not my own, I created a different framework for the show, better suited for Israeli television. The American and British versions were based on the show's surprise element, as acquaintances of the personalities chosen for the show were flown in from all over the world to talk about the subject for a minute or two.

But in Israel they would probably say: "These wise Jews; for a kiss and a few sentences I have to finance someone's flight from Australia to Israel?"

Although I do surprise the personalities, it is not as important. In my show, the personality's life story serves as background for an entire period in Israeli history. I would not define "This is Your Life" as historical, but as a show that revives the smells and colors of certain periods in Israeli history.

Which historic or current figure would you choose as the subject for "This is Your Life," and why?

This country is full of people whose life's story is worthy of a "This is Your Life" show, but the show's premise does not permit the usage of deceased people as subjects.

I would be glad to do a show on someone like Aryeh "Lova" Eliav, who was the subject of the first "This is Your Life" show that I did on radio; perhaps I would choose someone relatively young, such as soccer player Haim Revivo.

You have worked for the state-owned television Channel 1 for many years. Have you ever been pressured to produce - or not to produce - a "This is Your Life" show about a certain public figure?

In general, I was never placed under any pressure to do a show about someone in particular. In light of my integrity in choosing the guests, no executive ever interfered in the creative process, except one, who asked me not to do a show about a certain public figure.

However, when recently ousted Channel 1 Director Yosef Barel realized he could not use the show to provide services for his political dispatchers from the different political parties (he did not say this explicitly) because the show does not deal with active politicians, he chose to lie to the public and said the show had run its course and that it is not producing sufficient ratings.

Barel, directly and indirectly, saw to it that the show would be canceled and taken off the air.

The show generally focused on positive people; have you ever considered doing a show on controversial figures, such as Mordechai Va'anunu or Marcus Klingberg (both were convicted for transferring security-related information to foreign sources)?

Not everyone is suitable for "This is Your Life." In one of my background conversations for the show about Golda Meir, Moshe Dayan said to me: "Don't plan on doing a show about me, because I don't have any friends."

Although the show's intent is not to praise, it does mean to bring forth a story that sets an example. Therefore, Vanunu or Klingberg should be dealt with in different frameworks.

With that said, I would like to produce a show about Yosef Barel, who is not controversial, but does possess many bad qualities. The problem is there is no television studio big enough to hold the number of people that we would have to invite to unveil the truth about him; even the Ramat Gan stadium would not suffice.

What is the most ridiculous excuse you used to compel a public figure to come to the studio for the surprise taping?

Each show's surprise was tailored to the public figure the specific show dealt with. Helicopter pilot Uri Yarom was asked to fly a police helicopter to chase criminals who were supposedly fleeing the police by car. When the car eventually got stuck in the sand and the police helicopter landed beside it, the show's director stepped out of the car and invited Yarom to the "This is Your Life" studio.

Singer Yehoram Gaon was invited to the studio to record a new song, and Shmuel "Shemlock" Machrovsky, the legendary director of Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball team, accompanied his friend, industrialist Mickey Strauss, to the studio; only when the two arrived at the studio, Machrovsky found out the show was actually about him.

Did you ever sit during an interview and think to yourself: "I want this to end already so I can go get some dinner?"

I have done dozens of shows during more than 30 years of television and radio work, but there was only one incident in which I felt the interview was botched and wished for the show to end. Without mentioning any names, I will never forget those moments.

Naturally, I wait for every show to end, because then I can finally lift the burden and responsibility I carry during the three months of preparation. Throughout the years, when the show was taped in Herzliya Studios, we asked a close friend of the show's subject to organize a small post-taping dinner to ease the guest's tension and allow him to meet his friends off-camera; these dinners sometimes began at 1 or 2 a.m.

As a songwriter, what do you think of today's pop-rock songs, as far as lyrics are concerned? Do these songs lack a certain innocence that existed in the songs of yesteryear?

My ears stiffen to the sound of the poor Hebrew and the substandard level of expressions and imagery used in most of today's songs. Of course there are some talented songwriters, and we should not generalize, but, unfortunately, the standard is a shame to songwriting.

The simple innocence of yesteryear's songs of days gone by really has been lost. Today, everything is portrayed in a harsh and direct manner, which isn't necessarily bad if it is done with gentle and appropriate rhymes; but what we predominantly have now is a collection of clichés in faulty Hebrew.

Songs and verse of songwriters such as Yoram Tahar-Lev, Yaron London, Yonatan Gefen, Haim Hefer, and the like, are very hard to come by; this is a shame.