Copyright 2025 - Thank Your Lucky Stars
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Friday, 31 March 2017 12:58

1961- Saturday 21st October, 5:50 - 6:30 pm

Saturday 21st October 1961 5:50 - 6:30 pm

Hosts: Keith Fordyce and Brian Matthew

The Temperance Seven -- Chilli Bom Bom

Ronnie Hilton -- Hey Look Me Over

Danny Williams -- Moon River

Michael Hill --

Chas McDevitt and Shirley Douglas -- Mommy Out De Light

The Vernons Girls --

The Springfields -- Bambino

Guest DJ Jimmy Young

Published in Series 2
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Friday, 31 March 2017 12:56

1961 - Saturday 14th October, 5:50 - 6:30 pm

Saturday 14th October 1961 5:50 - 6:30 pm

Hosts: Keith Fordyce and Brian Matthew

Dennis Lotis -- She'll Have To Go

Jess Conrad -- Every Breath I Take

The Allisons -- What A Mess!

Bert Weedon -- Ghost Train

Oliver Reed -- The Wild One

The Vernon Girls -- Let's Get Together

Ivory Joe Hunter -- May The Best Man Win

Guest DJ: Ray Orchard

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Friday, 31 March 2017 12:25

1961 - Saturday 7th October, 5:50 - 6:30 pm

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Saturday 7th October 1961 5:50 - 6:30 pm

Hosts: Keith Fordyce and Brian Matthew

Cliff Richard -- When The Girl In Your Arms Is The Girl In Your Heart

The Shadows -- Kon-Tiki

Helen Shapiro -- Walkin' Back To Happiness

The Mudlarks -- Manana Pasado Manana

The Karl Denver Trio -- Marcheta

Robb Storme -- Earth Angel

Shane Fenton and The Fentones -- I'm A Moody Guy

Guest DJ: Barry Alldis

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Friday, 31 March 2017 12:25

1961- Saturday 30th September, 5:50 - 6:30 pm

Saturday 30th September 1961 5:50 - 6:30 pm

Hosts: Keith Fordyce and Brian Matthew

Billy Fury -- Jealousy

Adam Faith -- The Time Has Come

Matt Monro -- Gonna Build A Mountain

Tony Osborne -- South Sea Bubble

Big Jim Sullivan Combo -- You Don't Know What You've Got

Jackie Atom (Trevor Peacock being silly) -- Hot Hiss of Steam

Carole Deene -- Sad Movies (Make Me Cry)

Guest DJ: Sam Costa

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Friday, 31 March 2017 12:23

1961- Saturday 23rd September, 5:50 - 6:30 pm

Saturday 23rd September 1961 5:50 - 6:30 pm

Hosts: Keith Fordyce and Brian Matthew

Ted Heath and his Music -- Sucu Sucu (Theme From "Top Secret")

John Leyton -- Wild Wind

The Brook Brothers -- Ain't Gonna Wash For A Week

Gary Mills -- I'll Step Down

Kenny Clayton -- Teneriffe

Donna Douglas -- Tammy, Tell Me True

Cleo Laine -- Something's Gotta Give

Guest DJ: Pete Murray

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Friday, 31 March 2017 11:05

1961 - Saturday 16th September, 5:50 - 6:30 pm

Saturday 16th September 1961 5:50 - 6:30 pm

Hosts: Keith Fordyce and Brian Matthew

Don Arrol

Valerie Masters -- Birmingham Rag

The Viscounts -- Who Put The Bomp (In The Bomp, Bomp, Bomp)

David MacBeth -- Just A Twinkle (In Your Daddy's Eye)

Al Saxon -- There I've Said It Again

Patti Brook -- Heaven Is Being With You

Clinton Ford -- Too Many Beautiful Girls (And Not Enough Time)

Guest DJ: David Gell

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Friday, 31 March 2017 11:04

1961 - Saturday 9th September, 5:50 - 6:30 pm

Saturday 9th September 1961 5:50 - 6:30 pm

Hosts: Keith Fordyce and Brian Matthew

Shani Wallis -- Something In The Air (Cerasella)

Eden Kane -- Get Lost

Harry Fowler and Mario Fabrizi -- Buddies

Roy Tierney -- Cupid

Kenny Lynch -- The Story Behind My Tears

Joanne ? --

The Confederates -- Battle Hymn of the Republic

Guest DJ Kent Walton

From TV Times: Kenny Lynch introduced by Harry Fowler and Mario Fabrizi. Shani Wallis will introduce Roy Tierney, an 18 year old waiter she heard singing recently in a Hampstead London coffee bar. Singing star 19 year old Eden Kane is another guest. His “Tip for the Top Twenty” in the programme is Joanne, a pretty young woman whose full name will not be revealed until the programme has started. The Confederates, a new trad Jazz group led by Bobby Mickleburgh, will be making their TV debut in the programme. The Confederates will play, appropriately enough in this centenary year of the American Civil War, their version of the Battle Hymn of the Republic.

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Tuesday, 21 March 2017 15:32

Thank Your Lucky Stars - Home

  • This website is respectfully dedicated to the memory of Brian Matthew. Read More
  • 1

  • When ABC Television’s Thank Your Lucky Stars began in April 1961, it had two main policies. Firstly, the performers would not be restricted to the current hit-makers – a number of up-and-coming artists would also be appearing. Indeed, for a few episodes the newcomers were introduced by the stars as their “pick” for the future.
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  • Secondly, the emphasis being on the then current record by the artiste concerned, rather than a live rendition of it, all performances would be mimed. Although this occurred occasionally on some shows, it was fairly unusual for everything to be mimed at this time.
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  • Producer Philip Jones had previously been Programme Controller at Radio Luxembourg, and when appointed to ABC in the early sixties his brief was to broaden its audience already accustomed to programmes such as Oh Boy!, Boy Meets Girls and Wham!. His idea of Thank Your Lucky Stars was one that certainly delivered on a broader appeal.
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  • All TYLS performances were recorded at the ABC Alpha Studios, Aston, Birmingham, on the Sunday that preceded the Saturday broadcast, a slot which varied slightly, but was traditionally from 17.50 – 18.30, thus clashing with and rivalling BBC’s Juke Box Jury, which went out at 18.00.
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  • The show was initially hosted mainly by Pete Murray, already famous for his TV appearances on Six-Five Special & Juke Box Jury, as well as many radio shows. Keith Fordyce also introduced a few shows from the short first series, which was not fully net-worked, but when it returned for a full run in September, Pete Murray had been dropped and Keith Fordyce had been joined by Brian Matthew, who looked after the segment named “Spin-a-Disc”, which was a sort of mini-Juke Box Jury, with its panel manned entirely by teenagers.
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  • One of these, Janice Nicholls, became something of a celebrity with her catch-phrase comment on a disc she particularly liked: “I’ll Give it Five” (out of five) delivered in her distinctive black-country accent. She became a regular on the show from 1963. The show’s signature tune was originally “Lucky Stars” by Peter Knight & The Nightriders but was later replaced by "Lunar Walk", composed by Johnny Hawksworth.
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  • Part way through series 2, a strike by Equity, the actor’s union, forced Keith Fordyce to leave the show and a series of guest DJs came in to assist Brian Matthew, who considered himself unaffected by the strike because he hadn’t paid his union dues for several years and assumed he was no longer a member.
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  • Unfortunately for Fordyce, when the strike was over, ABC decided not to re-hire him and Brian Matthew was left as the sole host. However, the policy of casting guest DJs for Spin-A-Disc continued, with many of them emanating from Radio Luxembourg, giving viewers the first opportunity to put faces to the familiar voices. Don Moss, Sam Costa, Barry Alldis, Jimmy Savile, Alan Dell, Muriel Young, Pete Murray (back in from the cold!), Jimmy Young & Kent Walton being amongst the regulars hired. In fact, of the then current top DJs, only David Jacobs didn’t appear – unsurprisingly since he was hosting Juke Box Jury for the opposition!
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  • When it came to the all-important performers, the show moved swiftly with the times. During the first couple of series, regular guests included teen-idols such as Adam Faith, Craig Douglas & Billy Fury, mixed with some popular “middle of the road” performers, and bands included The Temperance Seven, The John Barry Seven, The Shadows & Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen.
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  • The Beatles mimed to “Please Please Me” for the broadcast of the 19th January 1963, having pre-recorded it the previous Sunday, as was the regular TYLS formula. They became the first of a wave of vocal groups to break through, but shows still included crooners such as Matt Monro, Ronnie Hilton, and Michael Holliday & there were occasional appearances by “easy-listening” vocalists such as Alma Cogan & Cleo Laine.
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  • By 1964 The Beatles had been joined by a whole host of other hit-making groups, such as The Rolling Stones, The Dave Clark Five, The Searchers, Freddie & The Dreamers, The Kinks and The Hollies. However, room was still found for the likes of Kathy Kirby, Frank Ifield, The Bachelors and Rosemary Squires, so variety was clearly the spice of life as far as producer Philip Jones was concerned.
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  • Although the early emphasis was clearly on British acts, gradually more and more visiting American artists made the bill. Roy Orbison, Gene Pitney, The Supremes, Bobby Vee & Dionne Warwick became regulars, and the show continued to perform well in the ratings. Occasionally there were “Specials”, such as the all-Merseyside performers’ edition broadcast on 21st December 1963. An episode which, incidentally, still exists in the ABC archives, unlike the vast majority of the others.
    Read More
  • However, the groups in particular attracted a large and often hysterical teenage girl following, and host Brian Matthew was becoming rather fed up with the screaming from the audience that inevitably accompanied performances, and believes this was possibly reflected in his demeanour. So it didn’t come as much of a surprise when he was replaced by singer/actor Jim Dale for what turned out to be the final series, which began on 2nd October 1965.
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  • For the final episode, sub-titled “Goodbye Lucky Stars”, broadcast on 25th June 1966, Matthew returned along with former hosts Pete Murray & Keith Fordyce, as guests DJs. Also back was Janice Nicholls, whose “Spin-a-Disc segment had been dropped for this series. It also boasted an appearance by “The World’s Oldest Pop Star, Miss Ruby Miller” – who was in her mid-seventies at the time!
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  • Towards the end its run, the series may have suffered unfavourable comparison with Ready Steady Go, which was an ATV show broadcast on Friday evenings (“The weekend starts here”), and much more youth-oriented than Thank Your Lucky Stars – no MOR singers here!
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  • However, it’s notable that both programmes finished in 1966, TYLS had the longest run, and is thoroughly deserving of its place in TV’s popular music history.
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Tuesday, 21 March 2017 15:17

1961 - Saturday 17th June, 5:45 - 6:10

Saturday 17th June 1961 5:45 - 6:10 (final edition of Series 1)
(Broadcast at 19.40 as an episode of Big Night Out)

Presenter: Pete Murray

Petula Clark -- Romeo
Alma Cogan -- With You In Mind
Tommy Cooper -- Don't Jump Off The Roof Dad
Freddie Earlle --
Michael Holliday -- I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now
The Kaye Sisters -- Palma De Majorca
The Mudlarks -- When Mexico Gave Up The Rumba
The Temperance Seven -- Pasadena
Jeannie Lambe -- Billy (I Always Dream Of Bill)
Helen Shapiro -- You Don't Know
Danny Williams -- The Miracle Of You

Previously, at 17.45 there was a one-off episode of Spin-A-Disc, which later became a segment of Thank Your Lucky Stars:

Host: Jimmy Young
Guest DJ: Alan Freeman
Teenage Team of Experts:
Gloria Johnson
Keith Knight
Delia Seaborn
Melvin Sims

Published in Series 1
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Tuesday, 21 March 2017 15:16

1961 - Saturday 10th June, 5:45 – 6:10 pm

Saturday 10th June 1961 5:45 – 6:10 pm

(not networked)
Host: Pete Murray

Ivor Emmanuel -- The Sound of Music
Gary Miller -- The Story Behind My Tears
Norrie Paramor and his Orchestra -- Spanish Harlem
The Dudley Moore Trio -- Strictly for the Birds
Valerie Mountain -- Gentle Christ
Lance Fortune -- Who's Gonna Tell Me
Jimmy Crawford -- Love or Money

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