6.5 /10 2 Votes
Genre Pop Country of origin Australia First episode date 15 November 1958 Network Nine Network Cast Brian Henderson | 8/10 IMDb Presented by Brian Henderson No. of seasons 15 Final episode date 17 June 1972 Program creator Bruce Gyngell | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Created by Bruce Gyngell
Mayfield B. Anthony Based on American Bandstand
by WFIL-TV Awards Gold Logie Award for Best Personality on Australian Television Similar Six O'Clock Rock, The Go!! Show, In Melbourne Tonight, Kommotion, The Mike Walsh Show | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Bandstand, was an Australian music, variety television show which screened from November 1958 to June 1972. It was produced at the studios of TCN-9 in Sydney and eventually became a national program as Nine Network expanded into other Australian cities in the early 1960s. It evolved from an earlier series, Accent on Youth (March–November 1958), which in turn followed on from TV Disc Jockey (June 1957–February 1958). The host of Bandstand was Brian Henderson, who was also a newsreader for TCN-9 from January 1957 until his retirement in November 2002.
Contents
Bee gees just one look
Founding
Bandstand was created in November 1958 by TCN-9 television executive Bruce Gyngell in consultation with Mayfield B. Anthony, who based it on the American show of a similar name, American Bandstand. The host for virtually the entire run was Brian Henderson, who was also a local newsreader from January 1957. From 1960 it developed a national profile as the Nine Network expanded into other Australian cities.
TCN-9 broadcast an earlier pop music television show, TV Disc Jockey, from June 1957 to February 1958. Its host was John Godson, with each episode filmed in front of about 40 teenagers, who "listen to the records, rock-'n-roll, drink vast quantities of coke, and generally have fun under the eye of the TV camera." In March 1958 TV Disc Jockey was replaced by Accent on Youth. Henderson was its host and by May 1958 he was the most popular local identity with the station's viewers. The show was renamed as Bandstand and Henderson continued as its host until its last episode on 17 June 1972. By then he was chief news reader and remained in that position until retirement in November 2002.
Synopsis
Bandstand is closely associated with a core group of pop performers, who regularly appeared on the show, which became known as the Bandstand Family. Over the years they included Col Joye, Little Pattie, Warren Williams, Lucky Starr, Sandy Scott, Bryan Davies, Johnny Devlin, Laurel Lea, Judy Stone, Digby Richards, Bee Gees, the Allen Brothers (a duo of the unrelated, Peter Allen and Chris Bell), Cathy Wayne and Olivia Newton-John. The Bandstand Family toured Australia and were recorded on albums. Most of the artists were signed with Festival Records – Gyngell's old employers.
The musical director was Bob Young; all the band tracks and vocal performances were pre-recorded at Natec Sound Studios in Bligh Street Sydney. Its Audio Director was Max Alexander who also worked for Channel Nine.
Bandstand had three producer-directors over its timespan. The original was Warwick Freeman who was responsible for its development and building its image. Second was Ray Newell who carried on the tradition. Brian C. Morelli took over in 1969 he returned the programme to live vocals and successfully produced the show on location including the Australiana Village, Wilberforce NSW and in Singapore and Malaya, the Sidney Myer Music Bowl Melbourne for the King of the Pops Award night. He also instigated the Bandstand Awards. The categories were voted on by all of the Network stations, Australia wide, who transmitted Bandstand. As well, under Morelli's leadership, he continued the Junior Bandstand annual series and introduced a teenage series entitled Midi-Bandstand. The show continued until the final broadcast, with Henderson, on 17 June 1972.
An attempt was made in 1976, by the Nine Network, to revive the show with a new host, Daryl Somers. Its format was based on the BBC production, Top of the Pops, and ran for two years. The change in music tastes however gave this type of format a limited life. Morelli was engaged again for the 1976-78 series, it was produced by the Reg Grundy group and featured popular music groups and soloists including former Six O'Clock Rock host, Johnny O'Keefe. New release international artist's promotional films were also integrated. This was the way in which Australia was introduced to the Swedish quartet, ABBA.