Star Test is a British TV programme that ran from 4 April 1989 to 17 March 1991 on Channel 4.[2] The show took an interview format, in which the guest "star" was seated facing directly to camera, questioned by an unseen voice (Kara Noble).[3] The topics discussed were chosen from an on-screen menu, after which the interviewee selected questions by number from an unseen list.[4] The show was lampooned in two British comedy sketch shows; French and Saunders and Bo' Selecta!, the latter being some 12 years after Star Test ended.

Star Test
Title card
GenreChat show
Presented byKara Noble[1]
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series3
No. of episodes47
Original release
NetworkChannel 4
Release4 April 1989 (1989-04-04) –
17 March 1991 (1991-03-17)

Interviewees

edit

Roland Gift of pop band Fine Young Cannibals was the show's first guest. Other guests included Clint Boon, Peter Gabriel, Bernard Sumner, Craig Charles, Robert Palmer, Stephen Fry, Kenny Everett, Tony Slattery, Garry Bushell, Kim Wilde, Julian Cope, Richard E. Grant, Matt Goss, Luke Goss, Julian Clary, Terence Trent D'Arby, Wayne Hussey, Danielle Dax, Ken Russell, Wendy James, Hazell Dean, Paddy Ashdown, Siobhan Fahey and Tony James.

Transmissions

edit

Series

edit
Series Start date End date Episodes
Channel 4
1 4 April 1989 12 September 1989 24
2 4 May 1990 17 August 1990 13
3 13 January 1991 17 March 1991 10

Episodes

edit
No. Guest Date
1 Roland Gift 4 April 1989
2 Wendy James 11 April 1989
3 Craig Charles 18 April 1989
4 Tony James 25 April 1989
5 Kim Wilde 2 May 1989
6 Natalie Cole 9 May 1989
7 Linford Christie 16 May 1989
8 Kenny Everett 23 May 1989
9 Sam Brown 30 May 1989
10 Robert Palmer 6 June 1989
11 Julian Cope 13 June 1989
12 Malcolm Mclaren 20 June 1989
13 Peter Gabriel 27 June 1989
14 Danielle Dax 4 July 1989
15 Courtney Pine 11 July 1989
16 John Gordon-Sinclair 18 July 1989
17 Siobhan Fahey 25 July 1989
18 Luke Goss 1 August 1989
19 Matt Goss 8 August 1989
20 Richard E.Grant 15 August 1989
21 Martin Fry 22 August 1989
22 Robert Elms 29 August 1989
23 Ken Russell 5 September 1989
24 Nigel Kennedy 12 September 1989
25 TBC 4 May 1990
26 Terence Trent D'Arby 11 May 1990
27 TBC 18 May 1990
28 TBC 25 May 1990
29 TBC 1 June 1990
30 Paul Heaton 4 May 1990
31 TBC 15 May 1990
32 Bob Geldof 22 June 1990
33 Sydney Youngblood 29 June 1990
34 Margi Clarke 27 June 1990
35 Dave Stewart 3 August 1990
36 Stephen Fry 10 August 1990
37 Love and Passion Special 17 August 1990
38 Julian Clary 13 January 1991
39 Betty Boo 20 January 1991
40 Michelle Collins 3 February 1991
41 Chris Eubank 17 February 1991
42 Clint Boon 13 March 1991
43 Bernard Sumner 10 March 1991
44 Gary Bushell 17 March 1991

References

edit
  1. ^ "Star Test". IMDb. 4 April 1989.
  2. ^ Independent Broadcasting Authority Annual report 1989 Page 16 "Star Test harnessed a wiley computer to tease confidences from youthful celebrities."
  3. ^ "Star Test". TV Cream. Retrieved 7 July 2010.
  4. ^ "BFI | Film & TV Database | STAR TEST". Ftvdb.bfi.org.uk. Archived from the original on 4 September 2011. Retrieved 7 July 2010.
edit