Airport (TV series)
| Airport | |
|---|---|
| Narrated by | John Nettles (1996–2005) Liza Tarbuck (2005) Robert Webb (2008) |
| Country of origin |  United Kingdom |
| No. of episodes | 60 (Estimated) |
| Production | |
| Running time | 30 mins |
| Original release | |
| Network | BBC Two (1996) BBC One (1997-2005, 2008) |
| Release | 1996 – 2005: Return to... Airport 14 – 24 July 2008 |
Airport is a British documentary television series based at London Heathrow Airport, the world's busiest international airport,[1] broadcast by the BBC and syndicated to Dave (TV channel) part of the UKTV network.
The show is a fly-on-the-wall series following a handful of passengers and staff based at the airport, who work for the airlines, BAA, (the airport operator), the animal reception centre, which handles all animals arriving and departing through the airport, the ambulance, fire and police services serving the airport, customs and immigration, resident press and others. The airlines and staff featured tend to change from series to series. However, certain staff feature in multiple series. The first series of Airport aired on BBC Two in 1996. Originally intended to be a low-key behind-the-scenes documentary, the emergence of several memorable recurring characters gave the show a docusoap feel. As a result the series was transferred to a primetime BBC One slot the following year. Special fame was gained by Jeremy Spake, an Aeroflot employee, whose flamboyance earned him a series of short 'bumpers' on UKTV People explaining how to best use airports. Other airlines featured throughout the series are Aer Lingus, BMI, Canadian Airlines, Cyprus Airways, Czech Airlines, El Al, Emirates Airline, Gulf Air, Icelandair, Iran Air, Jat Airways, Kuwait Airways, Pakistan International, Qantas, Qatar Airways and Virgin Atlantic.
There have also been several special Airport programmes over the years featuring airports other than Heathrow, such as Frankfurt and Edinburgh.
The opening titles and music were given a make over for the start of the 7th series in 2002. From the 7th series onwards, incidental music (composed by Cherry Lodge) was added over the scenes shown on screen. The title music was once again revamped for the 10th series in 2005. In addition, Liza Tarbuck replaced John Nettles as the show's narrator for series 10.
Celebrities who have been seen on the show include Stephen Fry, Britney Spears, Kylie Minogue, Joan Collins, Michael Jackson, British boy band Blue, Marillion, Brian May, Tom Jones, Kate Winslet, Engelbert Humperdinck, David Beckham, runner Kriss Akabusi, Al Pacino, Erin O'Connor and several heads of state including Queen Elizabeth II, John Howard, the President of Latvia and U.S. President Bill Clinton.
Regular contributors
John Cull, Qantas Airport Manager, appears in 17 episodes of the series. Jeremy Spake, Aeroflot Airlines Manager makes frequent appearances in the series. Maria Demetriou of Cyprus Airways appears in many shows. Animal Health Officer Stuart King, Royal Suite manager Anita Newcourt and Journalists Russell Clisby and Steve Meller all contribute in many of the series.
Other Contributors
These include;
| Name | Airline / Occupation |
|---|---|
| Michelle Harris | Terminal Manager, Terminal 3 |
| David Duddy | Customer Service Duty Manager, T3 |
| Karen Jones | Customer Service Duty Manager, T3 |
| Dennis Stone | Airport Photographer |
| Axle Gundarsson | Steward, Icelandair |
| Shaker Mehio | Customer Service Manager, Gulf Air |
| Robert Scott | Immigration Officer |
| Eric Day | Immigration Officer |
| Eben Twum-barima | Supervisor, Ghana Airways |
| Caroline Acherson | Immigration Officer |
| Sarah Collins | Check-in Supervisor, El Al |
| Peter Luck | Check-in Supervisor, El Al |
| Annabel Davies | WPC |
| Nikki Taylor | Traffic Enforcement Officer |
| Siobhan Feeney | Check-in Supervisor, Aer Lingus |
| Corinne Cossu | Shopping Consultant |
| Garth Powell | Customs Officer |
| Gregg Bailey | Assistant Service Manager, bmi |
| Ciara Thorne | Check-in Managerbmi |
| Aman | Supervisor, Qatar Airways |
| Gerard Robinson | London Ambulance Service |
| Claire Horton | London Ambulance Service |
| Naomi Tembo | Check-in SupervisorKenya Airways |
Production status
Repeats of Airport are currently being shown daily on Dave and UKTV People, and they will often run an Airport day or weekend, showing back-to-back episodes for the duration of the day or weekend. Repeats can also be seen on BBC One, although less frequently. There was a new series broadcast in the first half of 2005, which finished in July 2005. Several episodes were broadcast, before a gap of about a month, then the rest of the series was shown. It is not yet known if another series will be produced. Airport is also shown once a week on the Australian Lifestyle channel, a feature channel on Australia's Foxtel Digital network and also screens on the AUSTAR cable/satellite network. It is also aired on free-to-air network the Nine Network.
Series guide
- Series 1 - 6 x 30 minutes (1996) BBC Two
- Series 2 - 6 x 30 minutes (1997) BBC One
- Series 3 - 6 x 30 minutes (1998) BBC One
- Series 4 - 6 x 30 minutes (1999) BBC One
- Series 5 - 6 x 30 minutes (2000) BBC One
- Series 6 - 6 x 30 minutes (2001) BBC One
- Series 7 - 6 x 30 minutes (2002) BBC One
- Series 8 - 6 x 30 minutes (2003) BBC One
- Series 9 - 6 x 30 minutes (2004) BBC One
- Series 10 - 6 x 30 minutes (2005) BBC One
Return to... Airport
On 14 July 2008, the BBC broadcast a new series titled Return to... Airport. The show featured interviews with stars of the original series and behind the scenes recollections from 'cast' members, as well as original series highlights.[2]
Similar programmes
- Airline - (UK/USA)
- Animal Airport - (UK)
- Luton Airport - (UK)