The Good Old Days is a BBC television light entertainment programme produced by Barney Colehan which ran from 1953 to 1983.
It was performed at the Leeds City Varieties and recreated an authentic atmosphere of the Victorianâ€"Edwardian music hall with songs and sketches of the era performed by present-day performers in the style of the original artistes.
The audience dressed in period costume and joined in the singing, especially "Down at the Old Bull and Bush" which closed the show. The show was compered by Leonard Sachs, who introduced the acts from a desk situated at the side of the stage. In the course of its run it featured about 2,000 performers. Each show was up to an hour long. All acts were in the style of late Victorian/Edwardian stage acts.
History
The show was first broadcast on 20 July 1953 and the first two shows were compered by Don Gemmell.
The Good Old Days was inspired by the success of the "Ridgeway's Late Joys" at the Players' Theatre Club in London: a private members' club that ran fortnightly programmes of variety acts in London's West End.
Out of 245 episodes, 108 are believed to survive complete.
On Friday 30 December 1983 a Goodbye to the Good Old Days was shown, a documentary celebrating the end of the 30-year run that year.
References
External links
- '1950's British TV Milestones', Whirligig (2003). Retrieved 1 June 2005.
- 'History Of The Players' Theatre Club', The Players' Theatre (2004). Retrieved 1 June 2005.
- The Good Old Days on IMDb
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