Billy Cotton query

[Andrew Clark Brown]

I seem to recall a night around late 1970, early 1971. As a part of I think its 'SATURDAY NIGHT THRILLER' series, BBC 1 was showing the Hitchcock film 'DIAL M FOR MURDER'.

On Saturday nights, Mum & Dad regularly went out, and if it wasn't somewhere I could go, my older brother would be left in charge, so I could stay up late (i.e. 10'0 clock if lucky).

I seem to recall the BBC suddenly showing ;(same night); an episode of a series I recalled as a younger child in the 60s. To me I knew it as 'WAKEY WAKEY' but this was just the saying, by presenter Billy Cotton as he introduced it. Of course I now know it as THE BILLY COTTON BAND SHOW. However, it didn't run that late did it, so I wonder what I'm recalling. Possibly a tribute repeat? Wonder if anyone can help & knows if it exists?

[LanceM]

Hello Andrew,

I might suggest for your threads related to material existing in the archives,to first check the www.lostshows.com website. As this is a wonderful resource to use to ascertain the status of most TV program's.

I was able to find this listing for:

THE BILLY COTTON BAND SHOW.

17.07.56 with Alan Breeze, Doreen Stephens (missing)
28.08.56 with Alan Breeze, Doreen Stephens, The Leslie Roberts Silhouettes (missing)
11.09.56 with Alan Breeze, Doreen Stephens, Al Koran, The Rita Williams Singers, The Leslie Roberts Silhouettes (missing)
25.09.56 with Alan Breeze, Doreen Stephens, Al Koran, The Rita Williams Singers, The Leslie Roberts Silhouettes (missing)
20.01.62 with Adam Faith, Danny Williams, Peter Goodwright, Mrs Mills, Alan Breeze, Kathie Kay, The High-Lights, The Leslie Roberts Silhouettes (missing)
03.02.62 with Matt Monro, Mrs Mills, Alan Breeze, Kathie Kay, The High-Lights, The Leslie Roberts Silhouettes (missing)
17.02.62 with Alan Breeze, Kathie Kay, The High-Lights, The Leslie Roberts Silhouettes, Mrs Mills (missing)
03.03.62 with Alan Breeze, Kathie Kay, The High-Lights, The Leslie Roberts Silhouettes, Mrs Mills (missing)
17.03.62 with Alan Breeze, Kathie Kay, The High-Lights, The Leslie Roberts Silhouettes, Mrs Mills (missing)
31.03.62 with Tommy Cooper, The Three Monarchs, Mrs Mills, Alan Breeze, Kathie Kay, The High-Lights, The Leslie Roberts Silhouettes (missing)
14.04.62 with Frankie Vaughan, Danny Williams, Mrs Mills, Alan Breeze, Kathie Kay, The High-Lights, The Leslie Roberts Silhouettes (missing)
28.04.62 with Arthur Askey, Mrs Mills, Alan Breeze, Kathie Kay, The High-Lights, The Leslie Roberts Silhouettes (missing)
12.05.62 with Cliff Richard and the Shadows, Mrs Mills, Alan Breeze, Kathie Kay, The High-Lights, The Leslie Roberts Silhouettes (missing)
13 episodes are missing or incomplete out of a total of 17.

www.lostshows.com/default.aspx?programme=8fd52112-d0cf-4191-be43-9131f1273895

Also:

CHRISTMAS NIGHT WITH THE STARS.
1962 edition:
25.12.62 The Billy Cotton Band Show (missing)

www.lostshows.com/default.aspx?episode=ebf096b1-b450-4052-acce-8d385aa69186

Sadly, looks that little of this series still remains in the archives. Sounds like a interesting program.

I hope this helps.

Cheers,Lance.

[cperry]

There were many more episodes than that and numerous spin-off shows but hardly anything survives.

6.11.56
21.2.59
24.12.61
10.5.64
survive.

Only some film sequences exist from earlier 1966 and 1967 series, of Billy Cotton's Music Hall.


c

[Philip Hindley]

He used to have a Sunday radio programme spot for years.

[Stephen Doran]

wasnt there some reel to reel tapes found a while back?