TV Pop Diaries
Pop Music on British Television 1955 - 1999

After helping establish satire on British TV with That Was The Week That Was and the award-winning Frost Report David Frost was given the opportunity to present a more serious, journalistic look at the news by his old employer, Rediffusion. Frost would get his teeth stuck into some of the most controversial and vain people in the news including unreformed Nazi sympathisers, fraudsters and dictators alike, three times a week from Wednesday to Friday.

Despite the hard core take on current events he wouldn't completely leave comedy behind him, so Barry Cryer, Eric Idle, Neil Shand and Dick Vosburgh wrote comedy introductions for each show where applicable, while Anthony/Tony Jay, who would later co-write political comedy Yes Minister, was also on the production team. John Cleese would also be on screen to provide comedy.

Nor would music be ignored as many pop acts would be invited, including various Beatles (but only for interviews). Famously, Paul McCartney turned up on his show in late 1967 to explain Magical Mystery Tour to the baffled audience who had seen it the night before.

The theme tune, written by George Martin, would also follow Frost when he hosted his London Weekend shows later in 1968. Talking to the Daily Mirror about the tune Martin said "Before the Frost Programme started, I was amusing myself writing musical portraits of friends, I saw David as a perfect example of the Jet Set. He was commuting regularly to America then, and was on first name terms with top people on both sides of the Atlantic. I tried to capture this in a bouncy tune."

The show would become involved in the 'first play' exclusive controversy, as would The Eamonn Andrews Show and Good Evening. However, a spokesman for the show told Disc in November 1967 "Getting the record performed for the first time on our show doesn't really worry us - the thing is that one has such a vast choice." Asked specifically about allegation from Island Records' Chris Blackwell that certain shows were vying for the debut of Traffic's 'Here We Go Round The Mulberry Bush' the spokesman commented "There's certainly no prejudice from us against Traffic."

During his tenure at Rediffusion Frost produced the magnificent At Last The 1948 Show which also featured Barry Cryer.

THE FROST PROGRAMME

Rediffusion

28th September 1966 - 26th January 1968