TV Pop Diaries
Pop Music on British Television 1955 - 1999

After the mis-fires of both Pop The Question and Countdown Southern's Mike Mansfield proposed a new idea, this time the show would be location-based. The series would be a musical tribute to two great rivers, the Thames in London and the Seine in Paris. Filmed in the summer of 1966 on board The Southerner, Southern TV's own boat, the show was hosted by Anglo-Franco singing star Petula Clark and would feature singers performing their songs along the respective riverbanks. The four-parter was originally scheduled to be shown in September 1966, but it took almost two years for the series to be shown in its entirety.

The Musical Associates were Tony Hatch and Mike Leander, with the theme written by Tommy Moeller of Unit 4 + 2 and sung by Petula Clark. Ketty Lester, who recently had her own Southern TV special, had been hired to appear when the production was due to begin late February or early March 1966. Dionne Warwick was also sought for the show, which by January 1967 was now being promoted in the music press as seven, thirty-minute shows.

On 5th April 1966 Southern TV's Pop The Question was broadcast from The Congress Theatre, Eastbourne. Producer Mike Mansfield had recently filmed Unit 4 + 2 in a recording studio for the forthcoming A Tale Of Two Rivers but the band couldn't make their mind up which of the five songs recorded should be the new single. So Mansfield issued the Pop The Question audience with voting cards and played them each song and the two were chosen that way. It's not known if either song made it to the finished edition of A Tale of Two Rivers, broadcast on 23rd January 1967.

Filming continued on 1st June 1966 with Petula Clark performing Homeward Bound on the banks of the River Thames and then taking to the river itself for a shoot starring Dave Clark and Cathy McGowan in a power boat the following day. 16th July 1966 saw filming in Paris with Marianne Faithfull, Richard Anthony and Claude Francois, with Lulu in Paris on the 18th performing two songs, Pigalle and Moulin Rogue. Further filming would include Adam Faith, Sandie Shaw, Mark Wynter, Unit 4 + 2 and dance troupe The Gojos. However, according to Melody Maker filming continued 2nd November 1966 with Lulu in Paris again. A TV Times article revealed that Lulu sung her lines in French with help from her manager's three children who all went to French school in London. The songs in the French and London halves were to be all sung in their respective languages.

Mike Mansfield spoke to Disc in September 1966 about working with Sandie Shaw on the project "For instance, when we were shooting her spot on 'Tale Of Two Rivers'" (a series Mike produced still to be networked this year)" she was carrying her shoes in her hands. Suddenly in the middle of the number she just threw them away into the river! A fantastically creative idea. Not only that, but she thought it was worth ruining a pair of shoes for it!"

Quite while it took almost two years to be shown is unknown. The international flavour of the show must have made it potential Montreux TV awards and export worthy, but it wasn't to be.

A TALE OF TWO RIVERS

Southern

23rd January 1967 - 27th May 1968