TV Pop Diaries
Pop Music on British Television 1955 -
1955
Thursday 22nd September 1955
NB The opening night of Independent Television (ITV).
The first two channels present the opening night’s programming -
AR / ABC Variety: Channel Nine 8:00 -
The first commercial break was for toothpaste, drinking chocolate and margarine. Advertisers were charged double for pleasure of being the first shown, with the excess charge donated to a charity chosen by the Lord Mayor. However, it was later discovered that the broadcasting companies made a loss on the venture and as a result only sent cheques for 100 guineas.
Introduced by Jack Jackson
Shirley Abicair
Billy Cotton
Reg Dixon
John Hanson
Harry Secombe
AR / ABC Star Cabaret 10:30 -
Jack Billings and The Visionaires
Marti Stevens
George Formby
Billy Ternent
Sheila Matthews
Friday 23rd September 1955
BBC TV Starlight (possibly 'On Show' 9.15 -
Petula Clark
Joe 'Mister Piano' Henderson
Saturday 24th September 1955
ABC ABC Music Shop 3:00 -
Hosted by Gerry Wilmot
Patti Lewis -
Bert Weedon -
Marion Ryan
Tommy Maxwell / Ted Brennan Group -
Lee Lawrence -
Tennessee Ernie Ford -
Peggy Lee -
Pauline Shepherd
ABC Saturday Showtime 8:15 -
Harry Secombe
Pauline Shepherd -
ABC The Jack Jackson Show 10:15 pm – end (first edition)
NB Apparently Jackson fluffed his lines leading into the first commercial break
The Tanner Sisters -
Michael Kent
Max Bygraves with Geoff Love -
Frankie Vaughan -
Benny Lee
Betty Miller
Sunday 25th September 1955
ABC Liberace 2:00 -
ABC Palladium Preview 7:40 -
content unknown
ABC Sunday Night at the London Palladium 8:00 -
Hosted by Tommy Trinder
Guy Mitchell -
Gracie Fields -
Monday 26th September 1955
BBC Television Tea Party (possibly 'Tea Dance' 4.00 -
hosted by Edmondo Ros
Petula Clark
The Beverley Sisters
Ted Heath
Ruby Murray
Anne Shelton
Norrie Paramour
Lou Praeger
Nat Temple
Carole Carr
Frank Chacksfield
Lorrae Desmond
Johnny Brandon
BBC Off The Record 7:30 -
The Beverley Sisters -
Edmund Horckridge -
Lita Roza -
Johnny Brandon -
Ronnie Hilton -
Jack Parnell and his Orchestra -
Tuesday 27th September 1955
AR Penny For A Song 7.30 -
Shirley Abicair
Denis Quilley (as a singer)
Wednesday 28th September 1955
AR Telebox: Band 5:30 -
Nat Temple (first of 26 appearances on the show)
AR Marti Stevens 7.30 -
Thursday 29th September 1955
AR Jack Hylton Presents: Variety 8:00 -
Shirley Bassey -
Friday 30th September 1955
AR Shirley Norman 7.20 -
Ken Beaumont's Melody M<en
Malcolm Lockyer's Music
ITV News 10.00 -
Johnnie Ray Arrives in London
AR Confidentially 9.00 -
Elizabeth Larner -
Saturday 1st October 1955
ABC ABC Music Shop 3:00 -
Malcolm Vaughan
Max Geldray
Jill Day
Robert Farnon
Dennis Lotis
Fran Warren
Connie Haynes
Brul Ives -
ABC Saturday Showtime 8:15 -
Harry Secombe
Marie Benson -
ABC The Jack Jackson Show 10.15 -
content unknown
Sunday 2nd October 1955
ABC Liberace 2.00 -
ABC Val Parnell’s Sunday Night At The London Palladium 8.00 -
Hosted by Tommy Trinder
Johnnie Ray
Alma Cogan -
ABC Celebrity Spot 10:15 -
Ray Ellington
Monday 3rd October 1955
ABC Your Kind Of Music 8:30 -
The Iris Long Trio
Tuesday 4th October 1955
AR Downbeat 7.30 -
NB a technical fault left the show silent for a few moments
Ted Heath and His Orchestra (with new female singer, Toni Eden) -
Maggie Fitzgibbon (in Pin Up spot)
Eddie Thompson
Doreen Harris -
Shirley Abicair
Dennis Quilley (as a singer)
AR Xavier Cugat & His Orchestra 9:30 -
Wednesday 5th October 1955
AR His Band and Nat Temple 5.30 -
Thursday 6th October 1955
AR Billy Cotton & His Band 8:00 -
content unknown
Saturday 8th October 1955
BBC The Saturday Show
Caterina Valente -
ABC Weekend Magazine 9.30 -
Hill and Billie (harmonica duo)
ABC ABC Music Shop 3.00 -
content unknown
ABC Saturday Showtime 8.15 -
Harry Secombe
ABC The Jack Jackson Show 10:15 -
NB The show is replaced on Saturday evenings by On The Town
Kenneth Earle
Malcolm Vaughan
Sunday 9th October 1955
ABC Celebrity Spot 10.15 -
Cherry Wainer
Robert Earl
ABC Val Parnell’s Sunday Night At The London Palladium 8.00 -
Hosted by Norman Wisdom who also played a bit of Cherry Pink Mambo on a trumpet and a tune on the clarinet
Xavier Cugat
ABC Water Rats (a commemoration of the first 65 years, noted in music press, not listed in newspapers)
Max Bygraves -
Monday 10th October 1955
NB an interview with Humphrey Lyttelton appeared on TV today, show unknown
BBC Off The Record 7:30 -
Larry Adler -
Alma Cogan -
Dave King (singing comedian)
Danny Purches -
The Johnston Brothers -
Gisela Griffel
Jack Wallace -
AR Melody 11:45 am -
content unknown
Tuesday 11th October 1955
BBC Rhyme And Rhythm 8:00 -
A Barney Colehan programme of Light Music
AR Penny For A Song 7:30 -
content unknown
Wednesday 12th October 1955
AR The Weddin' o' McGinnis
Andy Stewart
Thursday 13th October 1955
ABC Jack Hylton Presents 7:30 -
content unknown
Friday 14th October 1955
AR Pet’s Parade 7:30 -
Petula Clark
Saturday 15th October 1955
NB ABC changes name to ATV, along with the name change a change to some of the programmes
BBC The Dave King Show 8:30 -
Dave King
Yana -
ATV ATV Music Shop 3.00 -
Pearl Carr & Teddy Johnson -
Betty Miller
Tony Reid
ABC Saturday Showcase (or Saturday Showtime) 8.15 -
Harry Secombe
ABC Weekend Magazine 9.30 am -
Don Harper (swing violinist)
ABC On The Town 10.15 -
Earle and Vaughan
Sunday 16th October 1955
BBC The Show Band Show 7:45 -
NB Cut down from its original 45 minutes to thirty minutes. Broadcast from BBC's TV Theatre at Shepherd's Bush with an audience.
Cyril Stapleton
Ronnie Hilton
The Stargazers
Janie Marden
ATV The Jack Jackson Show 2:00 -
Alma Cogan
Jimmy Young
Sid Phillips
Don Lang
Janie Marden
ATV Val Parnell’s Sunday Night At The London Palladium 8.00 -
Hosted by Tommy Trinder
The Deep River Boys
Julie Andrews
Monday 17th October 1955
BBC Hit Parade 7:30 -
The Stanley Black Orchestra
Petula Clark
Dennis Lotis
Shani Wallis
Jimmy Thompson
The Kentones
ATV Morning Melody 11:30 -
content unknown
ATV Your Kind Of Music 8:30 -
contents unknown
Saturday 22nd October 1955
BBC Charlie Chester 8.30 -
Marian Miller -
ATV ATV Music Shop 3.00 -
Lita Roza
Robert Earl -
Harry Hayward
Greta Keller
ATV Saturday Showtime 8.15 -
Harry Secombe
Sunday 23rd October 1955
ATV The Jack Jackson Show 2.00 -
Ronnie Hilton
Jill Day
Patti Lewis
Johnny Brandon
Freddie Randall
ATV Val Parnell’s Sunday Night At The London Palladium 8.00 -
Hosted by Tommy Trinder
The Crew Cuts
Lena Horne
Monday 24th October 1955
BBC Off The Record 7.30 -
Al Martino
David Hughes
Eve Boswell
The Coronets
Ken Macintosh and his orchestra
Harry Secombe
Stanley Black and concert Orchestra
The George Mitchell Singers
AR Melody (daily series) 11.30 -
content unknown
Tuesday 25th October 1955
AR Penny For A Song 7:30 -
content unknown
Wednesday 26th October 1955
BBC This Is Show Business 9:30 -
content unknown
Thursday 27th October 1955
AR Variety 8:00 -
content unknown
Friday 28th October 1955
AR Shirley Norman in Melody Maid 7.15 -
AR Pet’s Parade 7.30 -
Petula Clark
Saturday 29th October 1955
ATV Saturday Showtime 8.15 -
Harry Secombe
ATV ATV Music Shop
Joss White
Annie Ross
Suzi Miller
Sunday 30th October 1955
BBC Show Band Show 7.45 -
Cyril Stapleton
Josh White
Don Lang with the Show band Singers -
The Stargazers -
Eddie Calvert -
ATV The Jack Jackson Show 2.00 -
Lita Roza
Malcolm Vaughan
Glenn Mason
Johnny Dankworth
(possibly) Barbara Lyon
ATV Val Parnell’s Sunday Night At The London Palladium 8.00 -
Hosted by Tommy Trinder
Johnnie Ray
The Beverley Sisters
ATV Celebrity Spot 10.15 -
Ray Ellington & Marion Ryan
Monday 31st October 1955
AR Melody 11.30 -
content unknown
AR Your Kind Of Music 8.30 -
content unknown
Tuesday 1st November 1955
BBC Special Inquiry 9:15 -
3: Britain’s Teenagers
AR Downbeat 7:30 -
NB The first show produced by Richard Lester
Humphrey Lyttelton & His Band
The Kirchin Band -
Thursday 3rd November 1955
BBC Personality Parade 4.00 -
Josh White
AR Words & Music: A Tribute To Ivor Novello 8:00 -
content unknown
Saturday 5th November 1955
ATV ATV Music Shop 3.00 -
Bill McGuffie
Kim Bennett
Julie Dawn
Issy Bonn
Humphrey Lyttelton
Kim Bennett
Jill Day
Georgia Brown
ATV Saturday Showtime: Wakey Wakey 8.15 -
Billy Cotton's Band
The Keynotes
The 71st U.S. Air Force Band
Sunday 6th November 1955
ATV The Jack Jackson Show 2.00 -
Betty Miller
Eve Boswell
Dennis Lotis
Don Peters
Ronnie Aldridge
Munday and Earle
ATV Val Parnell’s Sunday Night At The London Palladium 8.00 -
Hosted by Tommy Trinder
Ruby Murray -
Alma Cogan with Jewell and Warriss
Monday 7th November 1955
BBC Off The Record 7.30 -
Ted Heath and his music -
Joan Regan
Ray Ellington Quartet -
Lee Lawrence
Edna Savage -
Dennis Hale -
Margaret Bond -
Tuesday 8th November 1955
AR Penny For A Song 7:30 -
content unknown
Wednesday 9th November 1955
BBC November Revue 7.40 -
Josephine Gordon (dancer turned singer)
AR Ralph Reader Presents Chance Of A Lifetime
Rosemary Squires
Thursday 10th November 1955
ATV Jack Hylton Presents 8:00 -
content unknown
Friday 11th November 1955
BBC Force’s Requests 7.30 -
Josh White
AR Cy Grant & His Guitar 11:30 -
AR Pet’s Parade 7:30 -
Petula Clark
AR Shirley Norman in Melody Maid 7.15 -
Saturday 12th November 1955
BBC Dave King 8:30 -
Yana
ATV ATV Music Shop 3.00 -
The Radio Revelers
Dennis Hale
Julie Dawn
The Ray Ellington Quartet
Judy Lane
ATV Saturday Showtime: Wakey Wakey 8:15 -
Billy Cotton
Alan Breeze -
Sunday 13th November 1955
BBC Show Band Show 7.45 -
Cyril Stapleton was off with influenza, so David Jacobs made the announcements and Malcolm Lockyer replaced him as band leader
Eve Boswell
The Stargazers
ATV The Jack Jackson Show 2.00 -
Dorothy Squires
David Hughes
Monty Norman
Max Geldray
Rose Brennan
ATV Val Parnell’s Sunday Night At The London Palladium 7.40 -
Hosted by Tommy Trinder
The Daily Mirror Disc Festival featuring
Max Bygraves
Eddie Calvert
Alma Cogan -
Ted Heath and his Music
Ruby Murray
Joan Regan
The Stargazers
Dickie Valentine -
David Whitfield
Monday 14th November 1955
BBC Hit Parade 7:30 -
Petula Clark
Dennis Lotis
Shani Wallis
Jimmy Thompson
The Kentones
Gillian Lynne
April Olrich
Terence Theobald
ATV Your Kind Of Music 8:30 -
contents unknown
Tuesday 15th November 1955
AR Downbeat 7:30 -
Producer Tig Roe is replaced by Richard / Dick Lester. AR had announced at the end of October that the show will change to include more jazz.
Eric Delaney Band
Eddy Thompson and his Trio
Humphrey Lyttelton
Big Bill Broonzy
Saturday 19th November 1955
ATV ATV Music Shop 3.00 -
The Maxwell-
Edmund Hockridge
The Coronets
Tommy Reilly
Shirley Easton
Frank Weir (tenor sax player)
Bill McGuiffe (piano player)
Tommy Reilly (harmonica player)
ATV Saturday Showtime: Wakey Wakey 8:15 -
Billy Cotton
Sunday 20th November 1955
ATV The Jack Jackson Show 2.00 -
Anne Shelton
Frankie Vaughan
Ronnie Scott
Don Lang
Joan Small
ATV Val Parnell’s Sunday Night At The London Palladium 8.00 -
Hosted by Tommy Trinder
Jerry Colona
Monday 21st November 1955
BBC Off The Record 7:30 -
Mantovani
Jimmy Young
Anne Shelton
Jill Day
Charlie Kunz
Robert Earl
Geraldo and his orchestra
Tuesday 22nd November 1955
AR Penny For A Song 7.30 -
Shirley Abicair
Thursday 24th November 1955
ATV Jack Hylton Presents 8:00 -
Vera Lynn -
Friday 25th November 1955
AR For Members Only 11:30 -
Cy Grant
AR Pet’s Parade 7:30 -
Petula Clark
AR Melody Maid 7:15 – 7:30 pm
Shirley Norman and Four In A Chord sing the hits of the day
AR Time For A Tune 10:30 -
content unknown
Saturday 26th November 1955
ATV ATV Music Shop 3.00 -
Dorothy Squires
Anne Shelton
Cherry Wainer
Margaret Bond
ATV Saturday Showtime: Wakey Wakey 8:15 -
Billy Cotton
Sunday 27th November 1955
BBC Show Band Show 7.45 -
The Stargazers
Betty Miller
ATV The Jack Jackson Show 2.00 -
NB Monty Norman and Diana Coupland announce their engagement during the show
Jimmy Young
Joan Regan
ATV Val Parnell’s Sunday Night At The London Palladium 8.00 -
Hosted by Tommy Trinder
David Whitfield -
Monday 28th November 1955
ABC Your Kind Of Music 8:30 -
Josh White
AR Time For A Tune 10.38 -
content unknown
Tuesday 29th November 1955
AR Downbeat
The Johnny Dankworth Orchestra
Saturday 3rd December 1955
BBC The Bernard Brothers in The Saturday Show 8.30 -
Norrie Paramour
BBC Get Together 10.30 -
Ken Rattenbury and band of local musicians -
Alma Warren -
Kathleen Stobart -
and host David Jacobs (broadcast from London)
ATV ATV Music Shop 3.00 -
Frankie Vaughan
Harry Jacobson
Joan Anderson
Teresa Waters
Johnny Stevens
Peter Regan
Joan Powell
Anne Shelton
Cherry Wainer
ATV Saturday Showtime: Wakey! Wakey! 8:15 -
Billy Cotton -
The Deep River Boys
Sunday 4th December 1955
ATV The Jack Jackson Show 2.00 -
Josh White
The Three Deuces
Eve Boswell
Malcolm Vaughan
Tony Kinsey Quartet
ATV Val Parnell’s Sunday Night At The London Palladium 8.00 -
Hosted by Tommy Trinder
Dickie Valentine -
Patachou (French singer) -
Monday 5th December 1955
BBC Off The Record 8:15 -
The Hedley Ward Trio -
Ambrose and his orchestra -
Rita Williams -
The Keynotes -
Bill Darnel -
Jean Carson -
Bill McGuiffe -
Max Bygraves -
The Beverley Sisters -
Wednesday 7th December 1955
BBC Children's Hour 5.00 -
Shirley Abicair
AR Singing For You 7:15 -
Joan Regan
Thursday 8th December 1955
AR Penny For A Song 7.15 -
Shirley Abicair
AR Jack Hylton Presents Variety 8:00 -
content unknown
AR Dance Music 10:00 -
content unknown
Friday 9th December 1955
AR Hylton’s Half Hour 8:30 -
Broadcast from the Alband Club, which Hylton had just bought
Content unknown
Saturday 10th December 1955
BBC Dave King Show 8.30 -
Yana
ATV ATV Music Shop 3:00 -
Joe Loss
ATV Saturday Showtime: Wakey Wakey 8:15 -
Billy Cotton
Sunday 11th December 1955
BBC Show Band Show 7.45 -
Joan Regan
Eamonn Andrews (possibly reciting his hit)
The Stargazers
ATV The Jack Jackson Show 2.00 -
content unknown
ATV Val Parnell’s Sunday Night At The London Palladium 8.00 -
contents unknown
Monday 12th December 1955
BBC Hit Parade 7.30 -
Petula Clark
Dennis Lotis
Shani Wallis
Jimmy Thompson
The Kentones
Gillian Lynne
Terence Theobald
Denny Bettis
Tuesday 13th December 1955
ATV Jack Hylton Presents: Youth Takes A Bow 10:00 -
The Teenagers
Wednesday 14th December 1955
AR Singing For You 7:15 -
Alma Cogan
Friday 16th December 1955
BBC Children's Hour 5.00 -
Shirley Abicair
BBC Rhyme And Rhythm 8.30 -
Grace O'Connor
Norman George and Dennis Newey
The Three Skylarks and Tony Brent
Musical accompaniment by the Jimmy Leach Dixieland Band
AR Hylton’s Half Hour 8.30 -
content unknown
Saturday 17th December 1955
ATV ATV Music Shop 3.00 -
Harry Jacobson
Harry Dawson
The Tanner Sisters
Don Peters
ATV Saturday Showtime 8.15 -
contents unknown
Sunday 18th December 1955
ATV The Jack Jackson Show 10.15 -
A pantomime special
Vera Lynn -
Liberace -
Lorrae Desmond -
Tony Brent -
The Johnson Brothers -
ATV Val Parnell’s Sunday Night At The London Palladium 7.45 -
Pantomime: Cinderella with Max Bygraves
Tuesday 20th December 1955
ATV Humphrey Lyttelton Band 7:15 -
Wednesday 21st December 1955
AR Lee Lawrence and The Tanner Sisters 7.15 -
AR Musical Play: The Merry Christmas 9.00 -
A musical version of A Christmas Carol, with music by Brian Burke and lyrics by Donald Cotton
Thursday 22nd December 1955
AR Jack Hylton Presents 8:00 -
content unknown
Friday 23rd December 1955
AR The Dick Lester Show 8.30 -
Patti Lewis
Saturday 24th December 1955
BBC Pantomania 8.45 -
Jill Day as Prince Charming
Jack Payne as an ugly sister
ATV ATV Music Shop 3.00 -
R H Elliot
Marion Ryan
The Three Deuces
Ronnie Hilton
Joe 'Mister Piano' Henderson
Virginia Day
Jill Day
Garry Miller -
ATV Saturday Showtime 8.15 -
Contents unknown
Sunday 25th December 1955
BBC Christmas Box 9.00 -
Shirley Abicair
Eve Boswell
Edna Savage
Shani Wallis
ATV The Jack Jackson Show 10.00 -
Shirley Ryan
ATV Val Parnell’s Sunday Night At The London Palladium: Christmas Night With The
Stars 7:45 -
Hosted by Tommy Trinder
Vic Damone -
Alma Cogan
Sunday 26th December 1955
BBC Cabaret Matinee 4.15 -
The Kentones
Kay Porter (13 year old singer)
BBC Off The Record 8.15 -
The top records of 1955
The Johnston Brothers -
Alma Cogan -
Ruby Murray -
Jimmy Young -
Eddie Calvert -
Ronnie Hilton -
Don Lang with the Mariants-
Cyril Stapleton
Julie Dawn -
ATV Penny For A Song 12.45 -
content unknown
AR Confidentially 10.00 -
Reg Dixon
Tuesday 27th December 1955
AR Downbeat
NB Sidney Bechet and Claude Luter's Orchestra were due to appear but the Musician's Union objected
Ted Heath
ATV Jack Hylton Presents: Youth Takes A Bow 10:00 -
content unknown
Wednesday 28th December 1955
BBC Frank Chacksfield Presents Music For A Mellow Mood 10:15 pm -
The Coronets
The Shepherd Singers
Gillian Lynne
Malcolm Goddard
AR Singing For You 7:15 -
Anne Shelton
Thursday 29th December 1955
AR Swing Song 7:15 -
content unknown
Friday 30th December 1955
ATV Hylton’s Half Hour 8.30 -
content unknown
Saturday 31st December 1955
ATV Final Night 8:30 -
content unknown
ATV ATV Music Shop 3.00 -
Ken Mackintosh
Alma Warren
Dennis Lotis
The Maple Leaf Four
The Burt Twins
(possibly) Shirley Abicair
ATV Saturday Showtime 8.15 -
contents unknown