TV Pop Diaries
Pop Music on British Television 1955 - 1999

Singer Sheila Matthews, accompanied by Malcolm Lockyer and his band led this early, ten-minute fortnightly ITV show. Sheila would phone a number at random to invite them to the show in a fortnight's time. If the number was engaged she would pursue until she got through. TV Times recalled one incident "The other night the number was engaged. It flummoxed Sheila, but only for a moment. She went straight on with the programme. To allow for having to dial a second time, meant speeding up one song leaving her accompanists, Malcolm Lockyer and his Music, to take their time from her."

The show initially alternated every other week with another music show Melody Maid, featuring singer Sheila Norman which was broadcast on the first Friday of Rediffusion's contract, but by the beginning of 1956 Friday's Girl show had grabbed a weekly spot. Friday's Girl seems to have been extended to a full fifteen minutes a few shows into its run and appeared to have been set in her (studio bound) flat. Both shows were initially directed by Eddie Kebbell.

The TV Times didn't do the show any favours with the description of the first edition "In this unsophisticated, informal programme Sheila Mathews sings three songs of varying types, accompanied by an ensemble of piano, bass, drum, vibraphone, electric guitar and clarinet." The third show on 4th November carried an additional credit "Original music and lyrics by Dick Lester" making it one of his first ventures in British TV.

There had also been a five-minute lunchtime show Friday's Man, which began 30th September.

The show seems to have been sacrificed to make way for American import Douglas Fairbanks Presents.

FRIDAY'S GIRL

Associated-Reduffusion

7th October 1955 - 1st June 1956