TV Pop Diaries
Pop Music on British Television 1955 - 1999

Newcastle based Tyne Tees decided to grab some of the Something Else audience, with their own show featuring music, interviews and articles on youth culture and the problems they faced.

Tyne Tees' producer Malcolm Gerrie had been Chris Cowey's English and drama teacher at school and when Gerrie and Andrea Wonfor came down to the Sunderland Mecca to make a documentary about its amazing weekly attendance they discovered Cowey was the DJ there. Gerrie invited Cowey to audition as a presenter for Check It Out.

Among the bands featured were The Idols, The Toy Dolls, but it was Public Image Limited who gave the show any reason to remember it when they were invited. They played one new song followed by an ill-tempered chat with Chris Cowey and Lyn Spencer, leading to John Lydon's walk out.

CHECK IT OUT

Tyne Tees

(possibly) 1st July 1979 - 25th February 1982