TV Pop Diaries
Pop Music on British Television 1955 - 1999

Southern's Dad You're A Square had seen its final episodes as an outside broadcast roadshow, that format was transplanted into this new quiz show which would see pop stars pitted against each other on their knowledge of modern music.

Due for its first transmission on 28th September but delayed, this Mike Mansfield directed show was hosted by Muriel Young and Shaw Taylor, although Don Wardell took over later and was joined by Cathy McGowan for three shows. There were two teams divided by gender. The theme was recorded by Tom Jones' group The Squires and was released as a 45 on Decca.

Talking to Beat Instrumental magazine in June 1966 Mansfield, who chose all the records for the show himself, said "We are restricted to a certain extent because ours is a panel programme. We have two teams of pop stars-three boys and three girls- discussing the records we play, and we always play their own releases. We have an average of 16 records per programme and I choose them from the 40-odd we receive each week. There's every chance an unknown artist with a song by a newcomer could get his record played. And not just once either. If we particularly like a record we play it two or three times in consecutive weeks".

It was reported in Record Mirror in May 1966 that the show was to be extended by six weeks due to its success. After its run it was replaced the following week with Countdown.

POP THE QUESTION

Southern

12th October 1965 - 7th June 1966