|
|
Post by Jeff Leach on Jun 15, 2013 22:12:32 GMT
Yorkshire Tv produced a Pop Quiz type show circa 1975 - 78 "Pop Quest" presented by Kid Jensen and Sally James with guests such as Marc Bolan and Sparks.
their are a couple of clips on You Tube
This one featuring a promo of the Stones Jumping Jack Flash
does anyone know what other clips were used and if their were any live performances ?
It seems 90 % of the show exists so there could be overlooked material on the show.
|
|
|
|
Post by markg on Jun 17, 2013 8:15:26 GMT
Hi dere.
What do you want to know?
There were no live performances, what happened on 75 was there would be part 1 which would involve the quiz, mostly team questions involving film clips (often unseen on British TV otherwise), there was an anagram round, um..
Then in part two, there'd be a featured star in interview, Presenter Steve Merike would ask a few questions, then each team would get to ask one each, then it was back to the quiz.
As far as existing, the actual episodes I was on were about five in number, only two exist I believe (the Marc Bolan one and the grand final) although I do have cassette recordings of all five. What the heck, it was only a quiz anyway, although I'd have liked the Sparks episode to have survived, it was quite hilarious in its way..
Regards, MG.
|
|
|
|
Post by stevemoon on Sept 12, 2014 18:47:17 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by stevemoon on Sept 12, 2014 18:52:53 GMT
HERE'S an article from the tv times about POP QUEST  |
|
|
|
Post by Ray Langstone (was saintsray) on Sept 13, 2014 11:45:51 GMT
Hi dere. What do you want to know? There were no live performances, what happened on 75 was there would be part 1 which would involve the quiz, mostly team questions involving film clips (often unseen on British TV otherwise), there was an anagram round, um.. Then in part two, there'd be a featured star in interview, Presenter Steve Merike would ask a few questions, then each team would get to ask one each, then it was back to the quiz. As far as existing, the actual episodes I was on were about five in number, only two exist I believe (the Marc Bolan one and the grand final) although I do have cassette recordings of all five. What the heck, it was only a quiz anyway, although I'd have liked the Sparks episode to have survived, it was quite hilarious in its way.. Regards, MG. ""POP QUEST Series 1 14.11.75 with Steve Merike, Ron Mael, Russell Mael, Sparks (missing) 21.11.75 with Steve Merike, Dave Paton, Stuart Tosh, Pilot (missing) 28.11.75 with Steve Merike, Alvin Stardust (missing) Series 327.12.78 Christmas Special (missing, believed never to have been recorded) Out of an original total of 40 episodes, 4 episodes are missing."" |
|
|
|
Post by markg on Oct 9, 2014 21:11:27 GMT
Hi
The Christmas special was certainly in the TV times, but I think there was a strike on and the show was not broadcast. I was expecting it to be rescheduled, but if you get too far past Christmas its not exactly 'current' anymore.
Needless to say, I wasn't on it and am sure neither was Brian.
|
|
|
|
Post by markg on Oct 9, 2014 21:13:09 GMT
Of those missing shows, I was on two of them and do have off-air audio recordings on Boots Special cassettes. I.e. The Alvin and Sparks ones.
|
|
|
|
Post by Ray Langstone (was saintsray) on Oct 10, 2014 9:05:21 GMT
Of those missing shows, I was on two of them and do have off-air audio recordings on Boots Special cassettes. I.e. The Alvin and Sparks ones. Copy them and send them to Kaleidoscope? Piece of otherwise missing history. |
|
|
|
Post by christian bews on Oct 11, 2014 23:07:31 GMT
I've seen that clip just recently it was filmed at the same exact studio where 'countdown' was made.
|
|
|
|
Post by simoncbradley on May 4, 2020 8:53:40 GMT
Of those missing shows, I was on two of them and do have off-air audio recordings on Boots Special cassettes. I.e. The Alvin and Sparks ones. Morning Mark, A little idle googling during lockdown got me to this page where I was amazed to see some discussion about Series 1 of Pop Quest on which I think I've deduced you were a member of the winning Thames team ? I was part of your (highly inadequate  ) Granada opposition that day and have no audio or video whatsoever (or photographs for that matter) saved from any of my 4 appearances, so anything you are able to share, or point me to, would be appreciated. My memories (I was only 12, despite them looking for 13-18) are obviously very hazy from 45 years ago, but I do remember Brian from the Thames team being amazingly good and almost single-handedly wiping the floor with us (as he also had in Round 2, but we scraped into the Semi's as the highest losers). I phoned Yorkshire TV back in the pre-internet days to enquire about remaining footage, only to be told that all tapes had been wiped and used again, as obviously happened in those days especially for a kids TV quiz show. As mentioned, anything you can share (audio/video/photo) would really be appreciated, if only to show my kids who don't believe me when I bore them about it  Thanks, Si |
|
|
|
Post by markg on May 7, 2020 14:23:04 GMT
Hi, Si!
Yes, I remember the Granada team, we had a good laff with you guys if I recall, and were sad we had to knock you out so early on, and was most pleased you got to come back.
I also remember you had to have a playoff as there were two teams with the same "highest losers" total (in fact they had a higher total but it seemed there was a 'discussion' and they got knocked a point off as one answer was incorrect). Now, I think they had to send a call-out to get one of the Granada contestants back as they'd gone on holiday and they got flown back by Granada specially. (Was that you, or one of the girls?). Anyway, you guys pipped the other team after the play-off tiebreaker, at which point the captain of the losing team did a swear, and they had to film the whole tiebreaker again with the exact same answers given. Which was really rubbing it in.
Re the footage - Brian managed to get some footage some years after the event, and sent me a copy of a DVDr. I was going to reply him once I got round to playing it, but.. I never got motivated to actually watch it! Cringe basically. I looked like Garth out of Waynes World in those days, I don't look anything like that now (I went to a school reunion, they saw my name badge and said "I remember your name but I don't remember you" )
Rosemary was our other team member, We never saw her again after the filming, I did keep in touch by letter for a while..
Cheers,
Mark.
|
|
|
|
Post by simoncbradley on May 10, 2020 17:33:07 GMT
Hi Mark, Well...where to start ?! It was me on holiday in Bude, Cornwall with Mum and Dad when we got the call to say we were joint highest losers and they wanted us back for a 3 question play off. They did offer to fly us back but the logistics of that were too difficult so we drove through the night (in a Simca 1500 !) to Leeds. My memory is that we got all three questions correct taking us through to the semi quite easily. We also had to do a retake during one of our appearances where I audibly said (shouted !) "Christ, No !" as one of my team mates gave what I knew was a wrong answer ! Both my team mates were much older than me 16 & 18 I think, and I didnt keep in touch at all afterwards. So ridiculous when you look how easy, and frivilous, it is these days. I'm ashamed to say I can't even remember their names, although one was from Liverpool and the other from Manchester. Amanda was one maybe ? The thick dark locks I had on the show, disappeared only about 13 years after that, being a very premature slaphead ! To be fair, if you looked anything like you did 45 years ago it would be rather strange ! Do you still have the DVD or any electronic burning of it (or any photo's for that matter) that I could take a copy of ? Would love a quick look for old times sake....and to show the kids ! I presume you saw our genial host was jailed recently ? www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/former-radio-1-dj-caught-3889158Cheers, Si |
|
|
|
Post by markg on May 11, 2020 7:42:39 GMT
Hi,
No, I didn't see that! Well, of all the TV and Radio things I got on over the years between 1975 and '79 I had been pleased that none of the 'presenters' had got found to have done 'things', and now it seems he's a second offender. That article is horrendously written to say the least (taking nothing away from the crime), and the caption on the photo that could be labelled "Steve plays a record" is hilarious in infinite irrelevant detail.
So, in 1975 I'd have been 14, and my sister Amanda would have been 11 (she was around for the shows, and got to be in the studio audience - told not to look at the overhead monitor screens, she did every time she was on camera, even nudging the person sat next to her and pointing!)
Your two team-mates were older by what seemed a significant margin (I think one of them was involved in Manchester local radio) and obviously more matuwer to us kids. I'll have to dig up that cassette to find out their names.
Brian went on to be Brian Betteridge of the band "Back To Zero", they got signed to Fiction records at the same time as The Cure did, but only released one single. But, I'd lost touch with him by then, and only found out some years later.
Bit of a drag that the two episodes I'd have liked to have on DVD were the Sparks one and the final w/AlvinStardust that had you guys..
There was an excerpt of episode 1 on "Marc On TV" DVD, I got to write a bit about the experience on the liner notes.
Cheers,
Mark.
|
|
|
|
Post by simoncbradley on May 11, 2020 20:01:04 GMT
Mark, One clear memory I have of Brian, was the intro's round in one of the episodes against us (may well have been the final) when he identified Oh Boy by Mud after literally a single drum beat. Another detail from the time was that we were in the hotel (Leeds Ramada ?) lobby with all the England cricketers (I'd already got their autographs at breakfast) on the morning the news broke that the Headingly wicket had been dug-up by protesters on behalf of George Davis (https://yorkshireccc.com/news/view/3341/throwback-thursday-19th-august-1975-g-davies-is-innocent). A vivid memory is of Tony Grieg taking a call in one of those wrap around booths which was meant to keep you enclosed, but because he was 8ft or so, he was way above the top I've still got my John Menzies autograph book from that time, and the highlight remains Marc's, with Showaddywaddy, Pilot, Alvin, and other Yorkshire TV peeps very much bringing up the rear ! So what else did you get yourself on in that era ? 75-79 sounds like a right old career ! That, unfortunately, was the end of my TV career apart from Sky catching me doing some bad (drunk) Dad-dancing at the test match in Antigua last year which Bumble took the piss out of, followed by a dropped crowd catch at Trent Bridge in June ! Anyway, thanks for the update, and anything you can do to get me a copy of the DVD or cassette I'd most appreciate. Cheers, Si |
|
|
|
Post by markg on May 13, 2020 14:40:26 GMT
Hi, no that was me with the "Oh Boy" intro - I had to be that quick otherwise I'd have never got past Brian! It got mentioned about 3 years later in NME or Melody Maker, in a Shakatak review, there was a thematic link or something..
Damn it, I typed a really long reply, but this board lost it somehow. Yep, remember the Cricket team discovering about the pitch.
My sister collected loads of autographs, I always thought they were a bit silly, but there they all were, these celebs, offering. Would have been rude not to.. Molly Weir was lovely, like your old Aunty. She was there a few times, on each of our visits, so she remembered us, asked how we were, wished us good luck and so on.
I did Quiz Kid (Radio 1) in 1976/7, got the record for most points scored on my first episode, but got knocked out by Brian in the semi-final. I did go along to watch him win it in the final, so no hard feelings etc.
I did a bunch of local radio review progs, and a couple of TV shows - it takes blummin ages to do a telly, whereas on the radio you can turn up and be recording 5 minutes later!
Will see where the cassettes are, and b back soon!
Regards,
Mark.
|
|
) Granada opposition that day and have no audio or video whatsoever (or photographs for that matter) saved from any of my 4 appearances, so anything you are able to share, or point me to, would be appreciated.