Producer Mickie Most created this live music programme, set in a fictional, rundown ballroom in the Midlands – once grand, now struggling financially and forced to embrace rock music or risk becoming a bingo hall.
Broadcast from Studio 1 at ATV Birmingham – previously the home of New Faces for four years and Crossroads for ten, Peter Cook played the bow‑tied manager of this converted ballroom (“once one of the most sophisticated ballrooms in the Midlands”).
He dressed in a tuxedo and frequently mocked the bands performing – refusing to hide his disdain – while a live audience, often very lively, booed or chanted “off, off, off”.
In the ballroom, Les Ross, a Birmingham DJ, acted as assistant manager. He ran a stall selling junk food, introduced the bands, and handled a nostalgia feature (“Revolver Reviver”) on the show.
Chris Hill was brought in as a kind of professional heckler to fan the flames of audience reaction.
The show opened each episode with full‑throttle performances: just as the show began, a band would finish the final seconds of a number, with the audience already warmed up and bouncing. The crowd itself was composed of selections made at Midlands’ clubs.
To keep viewers engaged at home, Revolver used split‑screen technology during performances.
Originally slotted for an early evening time, Revolver was shifted to a late Saturday night broadcast – arguably more suited to pub leavers, but much less accessible for many viewers.
Despite its ambition and energy, Revolver lasted only one series.
Broadcast from Studio 1 at ATV Birmingham – previously the home of New Faces for four years and Crossroads for ten, Peter Cook played the bow‑tied manager of this converted ballroom (“once one of the most sophisticated ballrooms in the Midlands”).
The show opened each episode with full‑throttle performances: just as the show began, a band would finish the final seconds of a number, with the audience already warmed up and bouncing. The crowd itself was composed of selections made at Midlands’ clubs.
