UK "Countdown" Southern TV 1966

[williammcgregor]

UK pop TV show "Countdown" 1966

According to "Lost Shows" there were 13 episodes (all missing)

This is how the TV Times described the programme...A chartbusting panel show in which top popsters compete to test their knowledge of the current disc scene and sing for their supper. Muriel Young asked the questions,Don Wardell was there to see fair play and The Johnny Pearson Orchestra featured in each programme. The shows designer was Gregory Lawson and the show was directed by Mike Mansfield. It was a Southern Independent Television Network Production.

02/04/66 (Pilot show)

24/09/66 Disc and Music Echo b/w picture of DDDBM&T pictured larking about on a climbing frame wearing T-Shirts with Countdown on them

01/10/66 1st show Muriel Young, Don Wardell, DDDBM&T, Sandie Shaw, Lulu, Adam Faith, Simon Dee and either Hayley Mills or Jean Shrimpton (Southern and Border at 4pm) (ATV-London and TWW at 11:45pm)

08/10/66 Muriel Young, Eric Burdon and the (New) Animals,The Spencer Davis group,Paul Jones,Kenny Everett,Susan Maughan,Julie Rogers and Una Stubbs

The NME dated the 14/10/66 mentions that Muriel Young wrongly informed viewers that The Toys had a number 1 hit. So I don't know if The Toys were actually on the show?

15/10/66 Muriel Young, Eric Burdon and the (New) Animals, Cilla, David Garrick, The New Vaudeville Band also the Disc and Music Echo states it costs £1,400 a week to produce "Countdown"

22/10/66 Muriel Young, Herman's Hermits, The Searchers, Cleo Laine, Carolyn Hester, Virginia Ironside, Pete Murray

29/10/66 Muriel Young, Salena Jones, Marion Montgomery, Manfred Mann, Alan Freeman, Cat Stevens

05/11/66 Muriel Young, The Dave Clark Five, Billie Davies, Rosemary Squires, Don Moss, Chris Farlowe and Julie Felix

12/11/66 Muriel Young, Sandie Shaw, Eve Taylor, Chris Farlowe, Jonathan King, The Troggs

19/11/66 Muriel Young, Don Wardell, Gerry and the Pacemakers, David and Jonathan (Billie Davis?)

26/11/66 Disc and Music Echo Mike Mansfield tries to get Paul McCartney as a panellist on the show,but Paul was away on holiday,he then asked Brian Epstein for all four Beatles as panellists but Brian was having none of it.

27/11/66 Muriel Young, Beryl Marsden, Beverley, Chris Andrews, DJ Barry Chambers, Dave Berry and Shiela Carter of Episode Six

03/12/66 Muriel Young, Marianne Faithfull, Mia Lewis, Susan Hanson, Tommy Vance, Mark Wynter, Steve Derbishire (sic)

10/12/66 Muriel Young, Helen Shapiro, Cliff Bennett, The Small Faces, Joan Turner, Oliver Reed

20/12/66 Muriel Young, Lulu, Anita Harris, The Alan Price Set, Long John Baldry, Chris Rayburn

24/12/66 Muriel Young, The Troggs (Last show)

[christian bews]

Was there not a 1966 edition that featured sandie shaw & Shirley Anne field as panelists? There was a picture of them on that programme in the ITV 1967 yearbook.i canna mind who the other girl in the panel on the picture was if anyone who it was & has that book let me know.

[williammcgregor]

Hi Christian,

I'd like to see that picture; if you ever find it please post it on this thread (thanks) meantime Sandie Shaw was on the 13/11/66 show but I do not know if Shirley Anne Field was on the same show?

[christian bews]

I think I remembered the other girl sitting on the panel in the picture that I can see in my mind I think it's marianne faithful.

[tonyrees]

Hi,

I've got the photo, but how do I link it??!! It's from the ITV 1967 annual.

[tonyrees]

I cheated and added as an attachment! Hope this is OK. We have numerous ITV annuals at our University which I have scanned photos from.

[williammcgregor]

Thanks for the picture Tony; it's more than o.k. it's brilliant!

IMO, far left is Sandie Shaw, middle Shirley Anne Field? and far right is Marianne Faithfull?

(far left - far right, sounds like a party political broadcast)

[williammcgregor]

Updates...


The TV schedules for this show were all over the place...please look at the 1st post by me on this thread to see what I mean.

also according to the NME dated 26/08/66 Sandie Shaw and either Hayley Mills or Jean Shrimpton were on the first show on the 01/10/66 (I've added this to the main list on the 1st post on this thread)

08/10/66 Eric Burdon and the (New) Animals and Marianne Faithfull

15/10/66 Eric Burdon and the (New) Animals, Cilla,David Garrick

so Eric Burdon and the (New Animals) on 2 successive shows? Hmm? I'm not sure must be a mistake by the NME (would'nt be the first time)

The shows were pre-recorded on a Tuesday but all the singing was "live" TX'd times varied in different regions...Southern TV screened it at 4pm...London area at 11:45pm.

[christian bews]

Aug 26, 2015 20:15:02 GMT tonyrees said:

View Attachment

I cheated and added as an attachment! Hope this is OK. We have numerous ITV annuals at our University which I have scanned photos from.

Thanks for adding the photo! Have I not seen that picture in years I remembered the ITV 1967,69,70 & 73 yearbooks were in the Aberdeen college library & read during morning & lunch breaks when I studied there in the early 90s. Doesn't Shirley Anne field looked so cool in the picture?

[williammcgregor]

Aug 27, 2015 12:20:12 GMT christian bews said:

Aug 26, 2015 20:15:02 GMT tonyrees said:

View Attachment

I cheated and added as an attachment! Hope this is OK. We have numerous ITV annuals at our University which I have scanned photos from.

Thanks for adding the photo! Have I not seen that picture in years I remembered the ITV 1967,69,70 & 73 yearbooks were in the Aberdeen college library & read during morning & lunch breaks when I studied there in the early 90s. Doesn't Shirley Anne field looked so cool in the picture?

The National Library of Scotland in Edinburgh have books entitled ("A Guide to Independent Television") between 1963 and 1974 see item 3 on this list.

are those the same books?

main-cat.nls.uk/vwebv/search?searchArg=itv+&searchCode=TALL&limitTo=none&recCount=75&searchType=1&page.search.search.button=Search

[Kev Hunter]

Aug 27, 2015 3:34:03 GMT williammcgregor said:

Thanks for the picture Tony; it's more than o.k. it's brilliant!

IMO, far left is Sandie Shaw, middle Shirley Anne Field? and far right is Marianne Faithfull?

(far left - far right, sounds like a party political broadcast)

I'm sure you're right William.. I thought it was Shirley Anne Field before I'd even read your comment under the pic.

[williammcgregor]

This is from the Disc & Music Echo TV Review section...I have a feeling it's regarding the 19/11/66 show? but I will need to confirm that by visiting the library.

"Countdown" panellists have at last graduated! Saturday's programme left behind the 11 plus questions that have ridiculed previous shows and moved on to more intelligent ones. For example, the competitors had to identify film themes and guess famous artists' voices. Some of these were far from easy and the rate of success was passably good. But, surprisingly, Billie Davis did not know Frank Sinatra's voice.

The panellists were also better behaved than previously, thanks to sterner control by Muriel Young, who at one stage told Gerry Marsden to shut up.

But Don Wardell was annoyingly patronising.

At least it's good to see the programme moving in the right direction at last.

[williammcgregor]

The Disc and Music Echo Nov 1966 mentioned that these celebrities were booked as panellists on "Countdown" in the next few weeks...

Jean Lincoln (manager of Kenny Lynch and Elkie Brooks) Mike Felix, Barry Chambers, Mia Lewis, Tommy Vance and Susan Hanson.

Mike Mansfield also said "Our viewing figures in the London area, for instance, started off below the 'Braden Beat' ratings but now we're beating them. "Only place where we struggle is Ulster TV, who have put 'Countdown' in direct opposition to 'Top of the Pops' but then that's the Irish for you!"

[williammcgregor]

Updates...

The NME mentions that The New Vaudeville Band were to be on the 15/10/66 show

The NME dated the 14/10/66 mentions that Muriel Young wrongly informed viewers that The Toys had a number 1 hit. But I don't know if The Toys were actually ever on the show?

The NME mentions that Sheila Carter of Episode Six was to be on the 27/11/66 show

The NME mentions that The Troggs were to be on the last ever show on Christmas Eve 1966.

[williammcgregor]

Disc and Music Echo...