TV Pop Diaries
Pop Music on British Television 1955 - 1999

With April 23rd 1964 the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare's birth and the BBC's new channel 2 promising more airtime for the arts Rediffusion made a valiant attempt to outdo the new kid on the block and own Shakespeare, or at least borrow him for a couple of months.

On Friday 3rd April 1964 Manfred Mann's Hubble Bubble (Toil and Trouble) becomes the new theme for Rediffusion's Ready Steady Go. The title is a mis-quoting of Macbeth's three witches who threaten him with "double, double, toil and trouble."

Monday 6th April 1964 sees Rediffusion broadcast Lyrics by Shakespeare from 9.10 - 9.30 pm (also seen as 'With A Hey And A Ho - Cleo Laine Swings Shakespeare.') Again, made to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s birth the show features singer Cleo Laine and saxophonist John Dankworth performing songs from their Shakespeare And All That Jazz album, some of which used Shakespeare's text supported by Duke Ellington's existing Such Sweet Thunder suite. Actor Tony Britton was tasked with narration for this twenty-minute special.

On the 6th of May it was the turn of The Fabs to don bodkins. TV producer Jack Good had relocated to the USA after his third ABC pop series failed and it was his intention to start all over again in a new country. His old protégé Marty Wilde had written to Good in late 1962, alerting him to a new group that everyone in the business in the UK was beginning to talk about, The Beatles. Good later witnessed Beatlemania at full force in February 1964 as he was staying in the same New York hotel as them and managed to get to meet them. Talking to TV Times Good claimed "They've achieved an almost telepathic understanding with live audiences. Completely hypnotise them. Like the Globe Theatre in the 16th century. Audiences were so moved by Shakespeare plays they leapt on stage and joined in the fight scenes! The Beatles, somehow, have captured this same audience mesmerism. They lose much of it on television. That's my problem. I want to reproduce the atmosphere they generate on stage. And I shall draw a direct parallel with Shakespeare." Good had a three-week break from assembling his next production, Shindig, the USA version of his Oh Boy format. He had also brought back to the UK a colleague, director Rita Gillespie, who had also worked with Good in the past. Talking about reaching the fans Good promised "Within touching distance of their idols. Let them catch every note, every grin, every drop of sweat, every half-raised eyebrow. They'll react. I want this show to have pace. Something different. Another new experience in pop entertainment."

Recorded at the massive studio five at Rediffusion's Wembley complex on April 28th, between 7 and 8 pm with the audience circled around the stage. The stage setting was meant to represent The Globe Theatre, with the title Around The Beatles presumably a pun, with the audience within smelling distance. Due to the anticipated ticket requests only people born on October 26th (a date randomly picked out of a hat) and between the ages of 15 and 18 were liable for application. The tickets might have been made available via a competition on Ready Steady Go. The Beatles would return to the studio later in the year to perform a pre-recorded set for Ready Steady Go, plugging Beatles For Sale.

Brian Epstein told the Daily Mirror ahead of the broadcast "Until now The Beatles have never sounded right on television. That is why we have had them miming on most of their appearances. But on this show none of their record hits will be mimed." Their songs were actually pre-recorded for miming purposes in April at IBC's studios at the back of BBC Broadcasting House.

Producer Good had the idea to do a comedy skit at the beginning. The Fabs had done comedy on TV before with Mike & Bernie Winters, Morecambe & Wise and Ken Dodd, plus their live Christmas show in London had a comedy routine, but this time there would be a surprise for all concerned. The Beatles were tasked with learning Shakespeare, but it was not as mad as it seemed. There was a very brief excursion by Paul into the Bard's world in A Hard Day's Night, quoting Hamlet "That this too too solid flesh would melt." The Beatles found themselves on stage with actors Trevor Peacock and Andre Tayir, performing the Pyramus and Thisbe section from A Midsummer Night's Dream with Paul as Pyramus, John as Thisbe, Ringo as Lion and George as Moonshine. The (mostly) good natured barracking up in the balcony during the Shakespeare routine came from band friend John Baldry.

The introduction of the show sees the group in Herald's outfits for a trumpet fanfare. After the Shakespeare skit was over Good returns to the usual Good formula, powering through song after song, no gaps, no time to take a breath, one singer, and thirty seconds later another, and another. Leading up to The Beatles' own session at the end, and probably giving them the best time they'd have on stage in front of a camera. Supporting them were Sounds Incorporated, Millie, Cilla Black, P.J. Proby, Long John Baldry and The Vernon's Girls. Jerry Lee Lewis was invited, but couldn't make the date. Proby was an unknown in the UK but Good had seen him in the USA and invited him over to perform on the show. Good's connections at Decca Records secured him a deal, with his first UK hit Hold Me released in May.

Broadcast between 9.45 - 10.48 pm which was a little late for a school night, it was seen in 7.6 million homes according to Television Audience Measurement ratings, reaching number 6 in the Network chart for week ending May 10th. A repeat at a more kid-friendly time of 6.08 - 7.00 pm was broadcast on Monday 8th June 1964, albeit with P J Proby's I Believe removed. The repeat nudged out Ready Steady Win which was due to begin its own run on this date. It was eventually shown by ABC across America in November, replacing an episode of Wagon Train. To help American sales along Murray "The K" Kaufman appears on the show.

It was well received in the press with the Daily Mirror claiming "Jack Good whammed into viewers last night with the greatest, liveliest beat show ever."

Rediffusion weren't done with the Stratford lad just yet as in June they broadcast a proper, full production of A Midsummer Night's Dream starring Patrick Allen, Benny Hill, Bernard Bresslaw and Alfie Bass.

AROUND THE BEATLES

Rediffusion

6th May 1964