Created by Bill Torrance Running time 30 mins Original release 1980 – 1989 Final episode date 1989 Location Aberdeen | Executive producer(s) John Hughes Original network Grampian Television First episode date 1980 Network Grampian Television | |
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Producer(s) Grampian Television
Shihallion Television Presented by Bill Torrance, Johnny Beattie, Dougie Donnelly People also search for Sportscene, River City, Now You See It Cast Dougie Donnelly, Johnny Beattie, Bill Torrance | ||
Shammy dab theme tune beggars mantle
Shammy Dab was a Scottish comedy panel quiz show, first broadcast as a local radio feature and later as a regional television series, produced and broadcast by Grampian Television during the 1980s.
Contents
History
Shammy Dab was created in 1975 by Bill Torrance as part of a series for Radio Forth in Edinburgh entitled Fair Flummoxed. The radio version mainly featured Scottish country dance bands.
A number of television pilots were produced, including one by former STV head of programming Clark Tait. The format was picked up by Grampian Television producer Martin Cairns, where the name was changed to 'Shammy Dab' (referring to a cheap wall decoration where a wall was stippled with a wet sponge - when done well, it was said to be a shammy dab). Torrance was the show's original host and was succeeded by Johnny Beattie and latterly, Dougie Donnelly.
Game play involved two teams of Scottish celebrities (usually led by captains Andy Cameron and George Duffus) taking part in various rounds including identifying mystery objects, naming an area of Scotland by watching footage, defining Scottish words & phases and guessing a tune played on the piano by Art Sutter.
In later years, the series was also aired on Border Television and Scottish Television. Few episodes of the series have officially survived in the Grampian archives (now kept by STV in Glasgow).
Theme music
The original theme tune was written by Dave and Barbara Murricane, while the later theme was performed by Fife folk duo Beggars Mantle.