TV Pop Diaries
Pop Music on British Television 1955 - 1999

A R&B flavoured show, but hosted by folk singers Robin Hall and Jimmie MacGregor, famed for their appearances on BBC's Tonight from January 1960 onwards and later on The White Heather Club, so not by any means the obvious choices for a show like this. Nightly programming like Tonight, Nationwide, and BBC and ITV local news shows would quite often get folk or topical singer/songwriters like Hall & MacGregor, Jake Thackray, Lance Percival, Richard Stilgoe, Victoria Wood, Cy Grant and others to come in and perform quickly written songs to lighten an otherwise news heavy programme. Robin and Jimmie had success with singles, EPs and LPs throughout the sixties, thus assuring them of almost as much TV and radio work as they wanted.

The first show went out on a Sunday tea-time, co-starring new HMV signings Manfred Mann, but by the time the series got going in the new year it had been moved to late nights on Tuesdays, replacing Southern's The ABC of Jazz.

Like most Southern TV output information about the show is difficult to find, however some tantalising details have come to light, like the 3rd March 1964 show which featured an appearance by The Alex Harvey Soul Band. The series was also played by Tyne Tees.

This would not be Robin and Jimmie's only pop at R&B, as they were brought back to Southampton later in 1964 to host The R&J Road Show.

ROBIN AND JIMMIE AND RHYTHM AND BLUES

Southern

29th December 1963, 4th February 1964 - 10th March 1964