TV Pop Diaries
Pop Music on British Television 1955 -
Ex-
It was suggested by London Weekend that the Yorkshireman should host a talk show, similar in vein to BBC's resident Yorkshireman Michael Parkinson who had Saturday evenings sewn up at the time.
Starting on Sunday nights in June 1972 Eleven Plus was a late night talk show, but
it found a better location on Friday evenings, re-
Harty seemed genuinely concerned about sudden fame and what it can and will do to
those who were ill-
As the seventies progressed pop acts would continue to appear, and towards the end
he would play host to more eccentric new-
The new decade saw Harty move to BBC2 where he would be given two thirty-
Harty was the man from the media that stars could trust not to make them look foolish, but his inquisitive school teacher manner never went away. He was fascinated with stars' attitudes and behaviour, even if it meant occasionally being on the receiving end, as was the case with Grace Jones who decided to take offence when none was intended and walloped him from behind.
A move to BBC1 in September 1983 saw him in an early evening slot on Tuesdays and Wednesdays where a constant slate of Britain's finest pops stars would turn up. Strangely he was given the task of reading out the top thirty chart on the Tuesday show which he never felt comfortable with, almost like a return to reading out a class attendance list. But he did get a classic sound bite from Boy George who confessed that he would rather have a cup of tea rather then have sex. His patter didn't have an agenda, but you could tell he was fascinated, even smitten with pop stars and their lives.
By the end of 1984 it was all over and he was politely asked to move to one side to allow Terry Wogan to move into his weekday spot, which he kept until he moved aside, returning to radio.
Russell returned to broadcasting on contemporary arts on BBC2 up until his death in 1988.
ELEVEN PLUS / RUSSELL HARTY PLUS
London Weekend 25th June 1972 -
BBC2 30th June 1980 -
HARTY
BBC1 20th September 1983 -