TV Pop Diaries
Pop Music on British Television 1955 -
Granada, in something of a coup, signed the Rollers to host a tea-
Produced by Muriel Young the series showed the band at their best, performing (actually
miming) in front of an audience of screaming girls, and at their worst, pretending
to be interested in the other acts on the show. Young had ambition for the show,
according to TV Times, "And she hopes if Shang A Lang works it might make the comparatively
late spot of 7 p.m. in its own area." Most pop shows made by the ITV regions tended
to be tea-
Regular features included Derek Longmuir's interviews with pop celebrities, an archive spot "let's roll back", and guitar lessons from a real legend, Big Jim Sullivan, playing with Eric and Woody. For some reason the drawings of the band that appeared on the drum skin in the opening credit sequence seemed to be been drawn by someone who didn't like them.
The band played songs from their new album Once Upon A Star and even had reports on the making of the album from the studio sessions through to mastering and pressing of the record. However, a little material had to go a long way, so like fellow Granada stars Arrows hey had to play songs from the new album over and over again.
The show would be repeated the following Saturday morning for kids who couldn't get home in time to see it the first time around.
The show had various directors over its twenty-
Unfortunately a policeman suffered a fatal heart attack while trying to keep fans from rushing a police van outside the Granada studios in Manchester. Fans had assumed the group were inside, but it was actually guest star Cliff Richard.
They didn't come back for a second series, unlike Arrows, but headed for America, making a series for the kings of Saturday morning TV in the USA, Sid and Marty Krofft, however there would be a Christmas special.
As TV Times suggested "So switch on... keep rollin."
A video compilation was released in 1993.
SHANG-
Granada
1st April 1975 -