With BBC2's debut in 1964 a ten-minute teaser show titled Line-Up broadcast at the
beginning of the evening previewed samples of the following evening's output.
It was decided that a new late night arts review show with the station's output at
its centre would be broadcast Monday to Saturday. Line-Up's presenter Denis Tuohy
would be joined by journalist Joan Bakewell for the new venture which in time would
go beyond the boundaries of Line Up and review ITV shows, art, cinema, music and
literature. Tony Benbow and Philip Jenkinson would join in the late sixties. Granada's
Scene at 6.30 had expanded its range by commissioning an arts companion show the
year before, so this wasn’t new territory.
Among the musical guests over the years were The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Tim Buckley,
Julie Felix, Richie Havens, Donovan, Deep Purple and Marianne Faithfull.
The show would also launch a few spin-offs. The Look of the Week, Colour Me Pop which
would invite a band in to play (or mime) songs from their new album, while One Man's/Woman's
Week would follow a celebrity, similar to What Do Artists Do All Day? in 2016.
On Saturday 6th September 1969 a re-vamp, Line Up: The Week, would offer a look back
at the week in the arts, while a more general change of title would see the introduction
of Line Up: Monday, Line Up: Tuesday etc the following week. Mel Oxley would host
the Monday show, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday will be handled by Joan Bakewell,
Michael Dean, Tony Bilbow and Sheridan Morley, while Thursday will be an interview
show with Joan Bakewell.
It was brought to an end in December 1972 after eight years, but was brought back
for one week in 1986 to help commemorate BBC TV's fiftieth anniversary, plus another
one-off show for Permissive Night on BBC Parliament in 2008.
