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TV Pop Diaries
Pop Music on British Television 1955 - 1999

A show which replaced Hit Parade. Bandleader Billy Cotton introduces a regular team of singers including Dennis Lotis, Shanni Wallis, The Kentones and the George Mitchell Singers, with the concert orchestra conducted by Stanley Black. It provided early TV exposure for session guitarist Bert Weedon, who would become a TV regular up until The Beatles era.


A BBC spokesman told Melody Maker "The idea of the show is to present the leading music news and gossip of British publishing houses, together with personalities, interviews and song revivals. There is no regular format, but there will be two regular spots - a British tune of the week and a 'first performance' in which we hope to be able to announce the first performance of a new pop song that will come on the market."


Cotton didn't think much of the show, but it did provide experience for him to lead his own series, Wakey Wakey / The Billy Cotton Band Show.


Not to be confused with ATV's show with the same name in 1960.







THE TIN PAN ALLEY SHOW


BBC

6th February 1956 - 9th July 1956 (fortnightly)