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 | |
| Genre | Chat show |
| Presented by | Kara Noble[1] |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 3 |
| No. of episodes | 47 |
| Original release | |
| Network | Channel 4 |
| Release | 4 April 1989 – 17 March 1991 |
Interviewees
editRoland 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
editSeries
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- ^ "Star Test". IMDb. 4 April 1989.
- ^ Independent Broadcasting Authority Annual report 1989 Page 16 "Star Test harnessed a wiley computer to tease confidences from youthful celebrities."
- ^ "Star Test". TV Cream. Retrieved 7 July 2010.
- ^ "BFI | Film & TV Database | STAR TEST". Ftvdb.bfi.org.uk. Archived from the original on 4 September 2011. Retrieved 7 July 2010.