Producer Mickie Most devised a fictional setting for his new live music show – a rundown ballroom in the Midlands that had lost its traditional revenue streams and had turned to rock music as a way of staying afloat: it was either that or Bingo.
Peter Cook basically played himself as the bow-tied manager of the converted ballroom – “once one of the most sophisticated ballrooms in the Midlands” – who now had to present the music he hated to an audience he hated in this short-lived new wave style pop and rock show broadcast from Studio 1 at ATV Birmingham – previously the home of New Faces for four years and Crossroads for ten.
Cook appeared, dressed in a tuxedo, on a large video screen in front of a very boisterous live audience (who often booed him and chanted “off, off, off”) and was helped on the ballroom floor by assistant manager Les Ross (a Birmingham DJ) who, in addition to selling junk food, presented bands and a nostalgia spot.
To rev the audience up, DJ Chris Hill was involved as a professional heckler.
Although piloted in an early evening slot, the 45-minute show ended up confined to late Saturday night, ideally timed for pub leavers perhaps but clearly not attractive enough for most viewers because just one series was produced.
Peter Cook basically played himself as the bow-tied manager of the converted ballroom – “once one of the most sophisticated ballrooms in the Midlands” – who now had to present the music he hated to an audience he hated in this short-lived new wave style pop and rock show broadcast from Studio 1 at ATV Birmingham – previously the home of New Faces for four years and Crossroads for ten.
To rev the audience up, DJ Chris Hill was involved as a professional heckler.
