Given the wiping of that era, I don't know if any complete episodes still exist of this series.
However, I recently viewed a partial episode via a National Film and Sound Archive access copy (second half of the hour-long episode).
What struck me was the amount of advertising. Generally speaking, shows back then had less advertising than today's shows, so it was surprising to see a show so ad-filled.
The commercials are very different to those of the US in a way you might not expect. While 1950s Americans preferred a commercial break to consist of a single long commercial, the commercial breaks in the partial episode I viewed consisted of several short commercials. I do not know if this is typical of Australian TV of the 1950s.
As for the show itself, it isn't bad at all. The footage I viewed included several pop singers (such as Johnny Marco), a pianist performing some music, and a comedy sketch.
The sketch isn't particularly funny (too much like radio with pictures), though the audience seems to like it, while the songs are for the most part quite good. The pianist was a bit nervous, but performed well.
There was a contest where a photo of a celebrity when they were young was shown, with viewers sending in their ideas of who they thought it was.
The episode ended with a song about the election.
The sets were basic, camera-work acceptable but unstylish. Yet so much has changed since the 1950s that the show had a sort of atmosphere of a different era, which is a plus.
However, I recently viewed a partial episode via a National Film and Sound Archive access copy (second half of the hour-long episode).
What struck me was the amount of advertising. Generally speaking, shows back then had less advertising than today's shows, so it was surprising to see a show so ad-filled.
The commercials are very different to those of the US in a way you might not expect. While 1950s Americans preferred a commercial break to consist of a single long commercial, the commercial breaks in the partial episode I viewed consisted of several short commercials. I do not know if this is typical of Australian TV of the 1950s.
As for the show itself, it isn't bad at all. The footage I viewed included several pop singers (such as Johnny Marco), a pianist performing some music, and a comedy sketch.
The sketch isn't particularly funny (too much like radio with pictures), though the audience seems to like it, while the songs are for the most part quite good. The pianist was a bit nervous, but performed well.
There was a contest where a photo of a celebrity when they were young was shown, with viewers sending in their ideas of who they thought it was.
The episode ended with a song about the election.
The sets were basic, camera-work acceptable but unstylish. Yet so much has changed since the 1950s that the show had a sort of atmosphere of a different era, which is a plus.
