tonight's the night series 1
Ready to make some dreams come true in Series 2
John and Gavin after the successful Series 1 pilot show
John and Jodie Prenger after the pilot show
BBC1
Series 1
- April-May 2009
Series 2 - 17 July-August 2010
(in production).
Series 1
On 15 February 2009, John filmed the non-transmissible pilot of his primetime Saturday night entertainment show, Tonight's the Night. Co-produced by the BBC and Barrowman Barker Productions (the company set up by John with his manager and friend, Gavin Barker) the show combined show-stopping performances by world-class acts with ordinary people making their own performance dreams come true.
Following the pilot, the BBC commissioned a full series. The six shows were filmed from 22 March 2009 at BBC Television Centre, and were broadcast on BBC1 between 18 April 2009 and 23 May 2009.
The show invited friends or family to nominate budding performers who were then surprised by John and invited to perform on stage in the studio. Recipients of this performance gift included a policeman who was transformed into a big band singer and dancer, an eleven-year-old who had the time of her life performing with Aleisha Dixon and a cancer charity fundraiser who waltzed with Strictly Come Dancing's James Jordan.
The first few shows of series 1 also pitted John against a surprise celebrity for a hair-raising competitive performance in aid of charity. One challenge even involved a spectacular fire baton-twirling routine!
A second series is currently filming at the BBC studios at Pacific Quay in Glasgow.
See our Tonight's the Night Series 2 page
- Interview with John on BBC Breakfast 7 May 2009
- Interview with Digital Spy
- Guardian article - John Barrowman, spangles, big dance numbers – and me
Episode Synopses for Series 1
(Source: BBC )
Episode 1
Katherine Jenkins, McFly and the cast of West End hit Hairspray help fulfil the wishes of unsuspecting dreamers. And see John as you've never seen him before - in a football kit attempting freestyle football skills in a celebrity head-to-head challenge.
Episode 2
The cast of the smash hit musical Jersey Boys make an inspirational youth worker's West End wish come true, the Saturdays spring a spectacular surprise on a life-saving, break-dancing Brownie and Simply Red serenade a Superfan for a heart warming thank you.
Episode 3
Veterinary nurse Dionne Martin performs a heart-warming duet with Ronan Keating, Jodie Prenger surprises young super-fan Abigail Peters with a special rendition of Somewhere Over the Rainbow, and the fire-fighters take on the bingo workers for a place in the Workplace Wonders semi-final. The West End cast of La Cage Aux Folles spring a hilarious surprise on an unsuspecting audience member, and John takes on a mystery guest in his most dangerous stage fright challenge yet: Fire!
Episode 4
Alesha Dixon performs a dream duet with 11-year-old superfan Paige Phillips, while Middlesbrough student Catherine Rhatigan trips the light fantastic with the cast of Lord of the Dance. Twelve-year-old Chantelle Owens gets the surprise of her life when she gets to meet Hollywood heart-throb Zac Efron, and the teachers take on the plumbers in Work Place Wonders.
And the Tonight's the Night Search for an Alien Superstar goes into lift-off as the final thirty extra-terrestrials audition in front of an expert panel, with John Barrowman, Denise Van Outen and Doctor Who's casting director Andy Pryor. But who will take one step closer to winning the out-of-this-world prize at stake - the chance to star in an exclusively written Doctor Who scene opposite Captain Jack?
Episode 5
Russell Watson joins 17-year-old student Lewis Lakin for an emotional rendition of You Raise Me Up, while community police officer and local hero Bradley Ward fulfils his life-long dream to croon with a big band.The final four Workplace Wonders battle it out for a place in the final, and the intergalactic quest to find the next alien superstar comes to its gripping conclusion as the winner of the out-of-this-world prize to star opposite Captain Jack in a specially-written Doctor Who scene is unearthed by the expert panel of John Barrowman, Denise Van Outen and casting director Andy Pryor.
Episode 6
There are wall-to-wall wishes as Strictly Come Dancing's James Jordan performs a dream waltz with deserving breast cancer charity fundraiser Becky Measures.Meanwhile, seven-year-old Georgia Cocking becomes the youngest cast member of High School Musical for the night, and 19-year-old Catherine Rhatigan trips the light fantastic with the cast of Lord of the Dance.
Plus, Doctor Who fans are treated to the exclusive premiere of Russell T Davies' specially written Doctor Who scene, which sees the winning alien superstar take on Captain Jack himself.
