TV Pop Diaries
Pop Music on British Television 1955 - 1999

Although Frankie Vaughan had been the host for many TV shows over the years why it took so long for someone to squeak up and give him his own series proper is one of British TV's great mysteries. The man was not without charm and talent.

Vaughan had previously been the host of several TV specials before, probably starting with ABC's Big Town Saturday Night on 5th May 1956 which pitched up in his hometown of Liverpool, and later that year on ATV's Val Parnell’s Saturday Show on 29th December 1956. It's likely he made his Sunday Night At The London Palladium debut on 31st March 1957, performing three of his hits, before being given his own mini-documentary in the form of ABC's In Person on 23rd June 1957. He finally got a show of his own for the BBC, The Frankie Vaughan Show 29th June 1957, but this would just be a one-off. Another one-off hosted special for the BBC was broadcast 18th January 1958, while ATV would also give him credible airtime in the London Palladium slot when Bernard Delfont Presents: The Frankie Vaughan Show played on Sunday 22nd June 1958, with another the following month, Sunday 27th July 1958.

He was back on hosting duties on 25th October 1958 but this time it was a slightly different affair. When Frank Abelson was growing up in Liverpool he felt that he might have been the only Jewish kid in town and decided that, should he become famous, he'll spend time and effort into helping young kids get off the streets and away from the temptations of violence and a sense of alienation. ATV's Frankie Vaughan with Members of the Boy's Club helped bring attention to the kind of clubs that Abelson (Vaughan) frequented when he was a kid. As a result of being a regular of the club he nearly took up boxing as a career, until he became a student art teacher in Leeds, probably becoming the first in a long line of British pop stars who got their start at art college. The show itself was broadcast from the Festival Hall in London but The Six-Five Special had previously popped up at Liverpool's Boys' Club on 19th October 1957 and Vaughan would be there too.

Another ATV hosted special at the end of the year would continue a pattern of TV appearances over the next few years. Sunday Night at the London Palladium, Specials for ATV, Thank Your Lucky Stars, guest appearances on variety shows, panel duties on Juke Box Jury, even refereeing in charity football matches.

His long-overdue series for ATV had a weekly feature where he would perform a new song, submitted by new songwriters. However, many of the songs were considered to be "girl's songs", so (according to TV Times) Marianne Faithfull was invited onto one show to sing one of them. Ivor Raymonde provided the backing singers (replaced by The Mike Sammes Singers for the second series), Vaughan's own group The V Men provided musical backing, while Basil Tait was the show's musical director. As a nod to potential American sales his guests included American singing stars Vicki Carr and Sue Thompson.

He would be back the following year with guests The Seekers, Dickie Valentine and Tom Jones, but then it appeared to be over. Despite getting himself a backing group, The V Men, and more big hits with There Must Be A Way and Nevertheless, he would now only be invited as a guest artist on other people's shows. However, things would take a serious turn in autumn 1968 when he offered himself as a mediator after an outbreak of gang violence in Glasgow saw youths ending up in hospital with knife wounds. After discussions with both sides he spoke on national TV with Cliff Michelmore about the effects of poverty and poor housing on Britain's youth.

Frankie's show never bagged the coveted TV Times front cover, but for the second series he did get one full page surrounded by his own art.

THE FRANKIE VAUGHAN SHOW

ATV

21st August 1965 - 25th September 1965

7th May 1966 - 11th June 1966