Seaside Special

Infobox Television
show_name = Seaside Special


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genre = Family
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presenter = Various
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country = UK
language = English
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producer = Michael Hurll
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network = BBC1
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"Seaside Special" was a BBC light entertainment television programme in the 1970s. It was an outside broadcast and was always filmed in a big top in a British seaside resort. The programme was developed by BBC producer Michael Hurll.

The show

It was essentially a variety show, hosted by Radio 1 and Radio 2 DJs, consisting of a music act, a comedy act, and dancers New Edition and featured a beauty competition in the 1977 series.

Typical acts were the likes of Little and Large, Keith Harris and Orville, Lena Zavaroni, Bernie Clifton, Showaddywaddy, The Wurzels, Sacha Distel, Peters and Lee, The Goodies and Nana Mouskouri (to name but a few) all having put in appearances.

Some segments of the show were filmed outside the big top, including one memorable occasion when the Brotherhood of Man sang "My Sweet Rosalie" whilst sitting in a particularly unstable looking lifeboat.

The shows theme, "Summertime City", written and sung by Mike Batt, was a UK Top 10 hit in 1975.

History

Although very successful in its day, many (eg Grace Dent) [http://www.radiotimes.com/content/features/tvod/week1/13/] , now regard the programme as epitomising the worst aspects of 1970s television.

The show was briefly revived in the 1980s, but by then the tastes of the viewing public had moved on (see Variety shows history).

1975

05 July 1975
Location - unknown - Torbay ?
guests - unknown

12 July 1975
Location - unknown - Torbay ?
guests - unknown

19 July 1975
Location - Blackpool
guests - Mike & Bernie Winters, The Three Degrees, Peter Gordeno & New Edition. With hosts David Hamilton and Paul Melba

26 July 1975
Location - unknown - Torbay ?
guests - unknown

02 August 1975
Location - unknown - Torbay ?
guests - unknown

09 August 1975
location - Gerry Cottles Circus, Torbay
guests - Windsor Davies and Don Estelle (from the TV comedy It Ain't Half Hot Mum) singing Whispering Grass, Ronnie Corbett, with hosts Mike Read, and David Hamilton

16 August 1975
Location - unknown - Torbay ?
guests - unknown

23 August 1975
Location - unknown - Torbay ?
guests - unknown

30 August 1975
Location - unknown - Torbay ?
guests - unknown

October 2nd 1975 Torbay MC's,Pat Dailey and Bill Wayne, Lulu, Kenneth McKellar, Des Lane, and ABBA appeared for the 1st time on British TV and were introduced on stage by Dailey & Wayne (later edited to show DJ Tony Blackburn doing the introduction.

1976

19 June 1976
location - Gerry Cottles Circus, Blackpool
guests - Wendy Richard, Mollie Sugden, Frank Thornton, John Inman, (all from "Are You Being Served?"), Showaddywaddy and The Goodies, with hosts Tony Blackburn, Dave Lee Travis.

26 June 1976
location - unknown - Scarborough ?
guests - Dana, Jim Davidson, with host David Hamilton

03 July 1976
Location – Scarborough (American Bicentennial edition)
guests Three Degrees, Kenneth McKellar, Brother Lees, Dailey and Wayne, New Edition

10 July 1976
Location - Southsea
guests Lulu, Mike & Bernie Winters, Janet Brown, Dream Express, Ron Martin, host Paul Burnett, and New Edition

17 July 1976
Location - Blackpool
guests Al Dean, Kate T. Fields Rod Hull and Emu, Little and Large, New Edition

24 July 1976
Location - Southsea
featured acts from Gerry Cottles Circus.
guests Tony Monopoly, Paul Daniels, Cannon and Ball, Surprise Sisters, Mary Chipperfield – chimpanzee act, Jacko Fossett and Little Billy, Cimarro Brothers, host Mike Reid, New Edition

31 July 1976
Location - Weymouth
guests The Bachelors, Sacha Distel, Grumbleweeds, Keith Harris and Orville, Kenny Lynch, Jimmy Tarbuck, New Edition

07 August 1976
Location - Weymouth and Cherbourg (Anglo-French edition)
guests Brotherhood of Man, Frank Carson, Alan Randall, Child, Santus Julian troupe, Sacha Distel, New Edition

14 August 1976
Location - Torbay
guests Vince Hill, Roger De Courcey and Nookie the Bear, Patton Brothers, Fivepenny Piece, Jodie Grey, Alan Stewart, Peters and Lee, New Edition

21 August 1976
Location - Torbay
guests Roy Hudd, Moira Anderson, Don Maclean, Black Abbots, Sidney Devine, Wayne King, hosts Tony Blackburn, Dave Lee Travis, David Hamilton, Paul Burnett, New Edition

28 August 1976
Location - Torbay
guests Nicky Benton, Peters and Lee, Larry Grayson, Frankie Vaughan, Roy Hudd, Diane Solomon, Wurzels, Fiddlygig, Terry Turner, New Edition

07 September 1976
Location - southsea
David Hamilton, Boney M and New Edition

1977

11 June 1977
Location Eastbourne
First heat of Miss Seaside Special 1977 Natural Beauty Contest
guests Ronnie Corbett, Anne Hart, Nolans, Janet Brown, Patton Brothers, Dick Sheppard, host Tony Blackburn, New Edition

18 June 1977
Location Eastbourne
Second heat of Miss Seaside Special 1977 Natural Beauty Contest
guests Roy Hudd, Diane Traske, Don Maclean, Roger De Courcey and Nookie the Bear, Jeff Phillips, host Tony Blackburn, New Edition

25 June 1977
Location Great Yarmouth
Third heat of Miss Seaside Special 1977 Natural Beauty Contest
guests John Inman, Ronnie Dukes, Ricki Lee, Berni Flint, Miquel Brown, Mike Hope, Albie Keen, host David Hamilton, New Edition

02 July 1977
Location Lowestoft
Fourth heat of Miss Seaside Special 1977 Natural Beauty Contest
guests Les Dawson, Dana, Bernie Clifton, Brother Lees, Stuart Gillies, host David Hamilton, New Edition

09 July 1977
Location – unknown – East Coast ?
Fifth heat of Miss Seaside Special 1977 Natural Beauty Contest.
guests Cilla Black, Vince Hill, Frank Carson, Dream Express, Jeff Phillips, Lennie Bennett, host Tony Blackburn, New Edition

16 July 1977
Location Bournemouth
Sixth heat of Miss Seaside Special 1977 Natural Beauty Contest.
guests Little and Large, Bachelors, Showaddywaddy, Dave Ismay, James Boys, Shades of Love, host Tony Blackburn, New Edition

23 July 1977
Location Bournemouth
Seventh heat of Miss Seaside Special 1977 Natural Beauty Contest.
guests Peters and Lee, Stu Francis, Michael Barrymore, Bobby Crush, Jodie Grey, host David Hamilton, New Edition

30 July 1977
Location Bournemouth
Eighth heat of Miss Seaside Special 1977 Natural Beauty Contest.
guests Val Doonican, Fiddlygig, Stan Boardman, Les Wilson, [http://www.vanburen.org.uk/family.htm Van Buren & Greta] , host Tony Blackburn, New Edition

06 August 1977
Location Honfleur
First of two programmes from France
guests Cliff Richard, Claude Francois, Half Wits, Norman Caley, host Tony Blackburn

13 August 1977
Location Honfleur
Second of two programmes from France
guests Mireille Mathieu, Boney M, Marie Myriam, host Tony Blackburn

20 August 1977 8pm to 9pm BBC1
Location Torbay
The Final of the Miss Seaside Special 1977 Natural Beauty Contest
guests Jeff Phillips, Tony Blackburn, Vera Lynn, Jim Davidson, Wurzels, Tony Selby, Patton Brothers, host David Hamilton, New Edition

27 August 1977
Location Jersey
Features the first colour TV transmission of the `Battle of the Flowers'.
guests Johnnie and Roy, Mission Hall Jazz Band, Des O’Connor, Jack Douglas, George Truzzi, Roger Kitter, Brian Taylor, Shades of Love, Californians, Page Three, host David Hamilton, New Edition

30 September 1977 6.55pm to 7.40pm BBC1
Special end of Summer edition.

1978

08 July 1978
Location Torbay
guests Little and Large, Caterina Valente, Sheila B. Devotion, Brotherhood of Man, Showaddywaddy, Hoppe's Unrideable Mules

15 July 1978
Location Torbay
guests Clive Webb, Boney M, Joe Dassin, Plastic Bertrand, Matia Bazar, Ian Dury, Roy Walker, Peter Hudson

22 July 1978 7.35pm to 8.25pm BBC1
Location Torbay
guests Marti Caine, Roy Castle, Jean Vallee, Brother Lees, Black Gold, Colin `Fingers'Henry, Inarros Sisters

29 July 1978 8.20pm to 9.10pm
Location Torbay
guests Rolf Harris, Nicole Croisille, Smokie, Bernie Clifton, Stu Francis, Paul Nicholas, Charivari.
Rolf sang a variation of 'Flogging Molly' with the chorus
'Come day go day, Wish in my hearty it was Sunday, Drinking buttermilk all the week, And whiskey on a Sunday.'

05 August 1978 8.30pm to 9.20pm
Location Torbay
guests Jim Davidson, Roger De Courcey and Nookie the Bear, Berni Flint, Larry Parker, Samson and Delilah, Udo Jürgens, Annie Cordy

12 August 1978 8.30pm to 9.20pm
Location St Malo
guests Joe Dassin, Chantal Goya, Laurent Voulzey, Était Une Fois, Café Crème, Arlene, Tony Crosse www.tonycrosse.com

19 August 1978 8.15pm to 9.05pm
Location St Malo
guests Band a Basile, Chris Woodward, Arthur Scott and his Sealions, Dionne Warwick, Baccara, Alain Souchon, Annie Cordon, Patrick Juvet, Jeane Manson, Martin Circus

26 August 1978 8.10pm to 9.00pm
Location Jersey and features the `Battle of the Flowers' (again)
guests Jackie Hall, Terry Wogan, Wurzels, Stuart Gillies, Black Abbots, Tony Hatch, Jackie Trent, Bobby Bennett

02 September 1978 8.10pm to 9.00pm
Location Jersey
guests Charlie Daze, Memory Lane, Peters and Lee, Mike Burton, Dooleys, Brian Marshall, Californians, Good Vibrations, Ron Martin

09 September 1978 8.20pm to 9.10pm
Location Weymouth
guests Mike Carter, Lenny Henry, Mike Hope, Albie Keen, John Inman, Dana Gillespie, Salena Jones, Norman Collier, Bobby Crush

22 September 1978
Location Weymouth
guests Lennie Bennett, Jerry Stevens, Allan Stewart, Valerie Masters, Diane Cousins, Bobby Knutt, Turnstyle

1979

This series was more of a Eurovision production with French, Dutch and Swiss TV companies involved as well as the BBC.
14 July 1979 at 8.15 to 9.05pm
Location Blackpool guests Little and Large, Mick Miller

21 July 1979 at 8.25 pm to 9.15pm
Location Brugesguests Boney M, Amii Stewart, Clive Webb, Chantal Goya, Patrick Hernandez, Gerard Lenorman, Jeane Manson

28 July 1979 at 8.25 to 9.15pm
Location Blackpool
guests Tony Brutus, Angels, Ken Dodd and his Diddymen, Brother Lees

04 August 1979
Location Poole
guests unknown

11 August 1979
Location Honfleur
guests Rod Hull and Emu, Plastic Bertrand, Eruption, Gibson Brothers, Santos `Loonies', Amanda Lear

18 August 1979
Location unknown
guests The Krankies

25 August 1979
Location Isle of Man
guests Frank Carson, Bobby Knutt, Diane Cousins, Tony Kent, Greg Bonham, Iris Williams

01 September 1979
Location Poole
guests unknown

09 September 1979
Location unknown
guests Lennie Bennett and Ruby Winters.