25 August 2023 tbs.pm/79556

On Saturday, Scottish Television, the New Independent T.V. Company, which covers Central Scotland, comes into operation. It has been eagerly awaited and Saturday sees the culmination of many plans. It is, in fact, a date of importance in Scotland’s calendar. ARE YOU READY TO PARTICIPATE?

Advertising feature placed in local newspapers in Scotland in August 1957

WHAT TO LOOK FOR

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE PROGRAMMES

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“The 64,000 Challenge” – Aug. 31, 8.00
Top place in television’s “gimmick shows” must go to the fabulous “The 64,000 Challenge”, based on the American show, “The $64,000 Question”, which is so well-known that it has become a catch phrase.

The “64,000” in the British show is 64,000 shillings – £3,200. If you answer eleven very hard questions accurately, you can walk out of the studio, after five appearances, with either that amount in cash, or £3,520 in Defence Bonds.

Tonight (August 31) the questions are put by Robin Bailey, and the show is a live transmission from one of the Associated Television’s London Theatres.

“The Adventures of Robin Hood” – September 1, 6.15.
Every Week at the film studios at Walton-on-Thames, another Robin Hood film rolls off the cameras. For costume drama has proved amazingly popular with television viewers. One of the most successful dramas is “The Adventures of Robin Hood”. The star of this is Richard Greene, Plymouth-born 36-year-old actor who learned most of his profession with the Brandon Thomas Repertory Company in Edinburgh and Glasgow. Tonight’s (1 September) episode is entitled “The Coming of Robin Hood”. In it, Robin of Locksley arrives home from fighting in the Holy Land to find his estates stolen. A plan to assassinate him fails, and he fights his way to Sherwood Forest, where he is welcomed by a band of outlaws.

“About Religion” – September 1, 7.00.
The subject chosen for this week’s “About Religion” programme is “Doubt and be Damned”. The speaker is The Right Reverend Dr George F. McLeod, the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.

“I Love Lucy” – September 1, 7.30.
“I Love Lucy” is one of, if not the most popular domestic comedy series ever devised. Its following in America tops 50,000,000. It tells the story of a young married couple, Lucy (Lucille Ball) and Ricky (Desi Arnaz), who live in a comfortable apartment. Ricki [sic] is a band leader, and Lucy has an almost overpowering ambition to join him in show business. But Ricky believes a woman’s place is in the home. Their married life is portrayed with not only hilarity, but also tenderness, and despite their “quarrels”, you know that everything will turn out right in the end. Desi Anraz is in real life a bandleader as well as a TV star. He leads a Latin-American group. He has produced “The Long, Long Trailer” and “Forever Darling”, two films in which he and his wife, Lucille Ball, co-starred. Tomorrow night’s (Sunday, September 1) episode is entitled “The Black Eye” – and just goes to prove that their television married life holds no secrets.

I Love Lucy

Film Festival – September 1, 10.05.
The film chosen for tonight’s (Sunday, September 1), “Film Festival” is the comedy “Storm in a Teacup”, starring Vivian Leigh in the part of Victoria, Rex Harrison as Frank Burdom, [sic] and Cecil Parker as The Provost.

The story is set in a little Scottish town called Balkie, Frank Burdon (Rex Harrison), a young English reporter, arrives in the tiny community to join the local paper, “The Advertiser”. He meets Victoria, daughter of the Provost, William Gow. Gow is standing for election, and fancies himself as Dictator of Scotland. He is supported by Horace Skirving, owner of the “Advertiser” and also Horace’s wife, Lisbet, who fancies that she is in love with Glow. Frank Burdon meets Honorie Hegarty, a poor Irish widow who has been fined for non-payment of her dog’s licence. When she appeals to Gow, he refuses to listen and her dog is to be destroyed. Burdon prints an article against the petty injustice of the incident, the row spreads to London, police arrive, and the whole thing brews into a “Storm in a Teacup”.

“The One O’Clock Gang” – September 2, 3, 4, 5, 6; 1.00p.m.
“The One O’Clock Gang” – Larry Marshall, Sheila Mathews and Brian Douglas – are a bunch of “pals” who are going to have lunch with you five days a week, 52 weeks a year. This programme is an informal get-together between half-a-dozen folk who are out to entertain viewers in a relaxed sort of way. They’ll talk, they’ll joke, and occasionally they’ll bring along a well-known personality. In short, the idea is that the folk in the programme – the Gang – will become personal friends of the viewers. The music will be supplied by the Tommy Maxwell Four. Script is by Robin Gardiner and Gordon Fleming.

“Fanfare” – September 2, 9.00.
At nine o’clock tonight (September 2), Archie McCulloch, well-known Scottish impressario and theatrical columnist, presents the first addition of his weekly show, “Fanfare”, a talent show with a football twist, with Geraldo and his Orchestra, and the Fanfarettes. The system in this programme is that a number of varied acts – they can range from fire-eaters to ballroom dancers and red-nosed comics – are divided into teams, football teams (tonight they are Celtic and Hearts) and compete against each other. Each team is led by a personality from the real football team. The acts are judged by a panel of three, including Referee Alex MaClintosh [sic – Alex McIntosh] – who is the “permanent fixture” in the judges box, and are awarded points. The team which collects the largest number of points is the winner. The judges also pick a winning act, which is given a “spot” in the following day’s “One O’Clock Gang” show.

The programme is produced and directed by Rai Purdy.

“For Scots Only” – Tuesday, September 3, 9.30.
Anything goes in this lively discussion programme, with Sir Andrew Murray, O.B.E., D.L., J.P., Lady Hilde Morton, Russell Steele and Jack House. The chairman is Mr Lionel Daiches, Q.C., and the subject under discussion tonight (September 3) is “Scotland’s drinking laws”.

The programme is directed by Anna Lett.

“Holiday Night” – Wednesday, September 4, 10.15.
“Holiday Night” tonight (September 4) comes from Butlin’s Holiday Camp, Clacton-on-Sea. Resident comedian Freddie Sales introduces Eric Winstone and his Orchestra, Susan Denny, Dorothy Squires and Bill (Uke) Scott. “Holiday Night” is a light-hearted laughter show from the coast, designed and directed to bring you Wednesday night glamour and entertainment.

“Television Playhouse” – Thursday, September 5.
What does a man do on his release from a mental home if he is convinced that he was sane at the time he was “put away”. Tonight (Thursday, September 5), playwright Ivan Butler poses that question, in his “Poison Unsuspected”, and unfolds his answer.

“Cool For Cats” – Friday, September 6, 6.30.
Kent Walton introduces this disc programme for “Squares”. The records are arranged by newspaper critic Ker Robertson.

“Friday Fare” – Friday, September 6, 10.30.
Phyllis Holden gives housewives (and helpful husbands) hints for successful shopping, and invites viewers wishing for further information on products in “Friday Fare” to write to her at Scottish Television, Theatre Royal, Glasgow.

“Sports Desk” – Saturday, September 7, 5.30.
All today’s results, with up-to-the-minute reports, verdicts and film flashes from the day’s main sporting events in Scotland. The programme is edited by Scottish Television’s Sports Editor, John Wilson, and is directed by Anna Lett.

Dangerous Cargo (1954)

“Feature Film Theatre” – Saturday, September 7, 7.00.
“Feature Film Theatre” this Saturday presentes [sic] Susan Stephen, Jack Watling and Karel Stepanek in “Dangerous Cargo”. This is the story of how a gang of criminals plan a bullion robbery at London Airport. One of the men was a P.O.W. in the same prison camp as one of the men in charge of the bullion shipment. He insinuates himself with the man and his family until he obtains information which enables him to blackmail his “friend”. Will the bullion guard help in the robbery …… or will he tell the security police in spite of the hold criminals have over him?

“Hour of Mystery” – Saturday, September 7, 10.35.
Internationally-famed actor Donald Wolfit introduces “Hour of Mystery”, which tonight (Saturday, September 7) presents Maxine Audley and Guy Rolfe in “Portrait in Black”, by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts. Also in the cast are Alan Cuthbertson and Colin Croft.

A house in mourning for its master can be an uncomfortable place to visit – particularly if one happens to be in love with the widow. And some frightening facts come to light as tempers run short in “Portrait in Black”.

In Brief………
Rosemary Clooney’s guest in “The Rosemary Clooney Show” (Saturday, August 31) is her own husband, Jose Ferrer. Her guest on September 7 is Janet Leigh (Mrs Tony Curtis).

The National News on Saturday, August 31, will be screened from the Theatre Royal, Glasgow. The newscaster will be Ludovic Kennedy, husband of Moira Shearer, who will be seen in the opening show.

The new Scottish transmitting station at Blackhill [sic], in Lanarkshire. Scottish programmes will be beamed from here. (The Stage, 29 August 1957, p.6)

Galaxy Of Stars For Opening

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FOR their opening show, on the evening of Saturday, August 31, Scottish Television, the new independent TV company covering Central Scotland, have lined up a bigger galaxy of star names, than has ever before been seen in Scotland.

The list includes James Robertson Justice, whose heavily-built, muscular, figure topped by its bristling beard is famed as characterising the Scots, will present the programme. Jack Buchannan will be travelling especially to Glasgow, to the Theatre Royal studios of STV, for the opening occasion.

David Niven and Deborah Kerr – who are both at present filming Otto Preminger’s “Bonjour Tristesse” in the South of France – were interviewed on the sunlit Riviera beaches by a Scottish Television staff-man who flew out specially for the occasion. As the reporter interviewed the stars, the film company’s cameraman shot the scene – and Otto Preminger, one of the world’s top film directors, personally supervised the shooting.

On the opening night, Moira Shearer will be seen by viewers in her dressing room at the Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh, where she will be appearing in the Festival play, “Man of Distinction”, with Anton Walbrook. And the same evening, her husband, Ludovic Kennedy – he is the man who was with Lord Altrincham on the now-famous face-slapping incident occasion – will be announcing the national news from the Theatre Royal in Glasgow.

Others in the cast of “This Is Scotland” are Jimmy Logan, Stanley Baxter, Shiela O’Neill and Geraldo and his orchestra. They are all currently appearing in Stewart Cruickshank’s “Five Past Eight” show at the Alhambra Theatre, Glasgow. Because all the show’s “big names” are booked for “This is Scotland”, the “Five Past Eight” show have dropped their normal Saturday evening first house. Others in the cast are Kenneth McKellar (from the “Five Past Eight” show in Aberdeen), the City of Glasgow Police Pipe Band – one of the best-known pipe bands in the world, and the Clyde Valley Stompers, the little Scottish jazz band which has proved so amazingly popular since the young musicians in it turned professional 18 months ago.

Week-end Programmes

Planned coverage area of Black Hill, from the Commercial Television Year Book 1957