TV Pop Diaries
Pop Music on British Television 1955 - 1999

NBC had launched a new type of comedy show, NBC's Saturday Night in October 1975, featuring not only the best of new comedy talent from the USA and Canada, but big name guest hosts from film and TV, while at the same time attracting the best music talent they could get their hands on. We had Saturday Night at the Mill.

BBC's daily lunchtime magazine show Pebble Mill was always cheap TV, it looked it, the makers knew it too, and despite it presentation shortcomings they unwisely spread the format to other parts of the schedule, like the early evening 6.55 Special in the early eighties, Pop At The Mill in 1977, a talent show version and this unwanted diversion in 1976. There was nothing appealing about the daily version of the show, so what made them desire to have a late night Saturday version could only put down to a lack of budget or (likely)imagination.

Filling in the schedule spot vacated by Parkinson it would, like its daytime version, be broadcast from the studios foyer, making it prone to any passing Herbert who wanted flick V's, poke their tongue or moon at the cameras pointed outside. Producer Roy Ronnie told the Birmingham Mail "Putting on a show at night in the foyer has had its problems, particularly for the technicians. It's not going to look like Blackpool Illuminations, but the general effect won't be good if the show seems to be taking place against blacked-out windows. So the trees in the grounds will be getting some light, to give the impression of depth. Special sound effects have been installed too."

To show how serious the producers were about the show, Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen, who hadn't had a hit since 1962, were the resident band.

The musical output was strictly middle of the road, but things went a bit Saturday Night Live when on 25th February 1978 they invited an on the plug Kate Bush, performing Them Heavy People. Why it never occurred the producers to invite pop acts on the plugging trail is unknown. On 7th April 1979 Dusty Springfield turned up to promote her second Mercury LP.

A 1980 strike by members of the Musicians Union hit the show. Ball and his jazzmen played loudly outside the studio in an attempt to drown out any conversation on the inside, leading to one of the few truly memorable editions.

Ex-Magpie host Jenny Hanley also joined the show, only to be confronted by a rude guest for her trouble, singer B A Robertson. Other guests in this series included Bill Wyman, Petula Clark, Sarah Vaughan and The Shadows, so some money had been found for better guests just before the end.

SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE MILL

BBC1

6th March 1976 - 4th July 1981