Okay, the line up for 70s Countdown episodes this Saturday night are below, further detailed archival info on some of the shows are available under the time slot below. One episode I don't have any info on which is interesting, if I find info for the last episodes I shall post. ENJOY!

12:00am
COUNTDOWN March 1st, 1975 (ABC)
12:30am
THE ABC OF OUR LIVES Interview with Michael Shrimpton (2006) 3 (Rage)
COUNTDOWN September 7th, 1975 (Prog. 330068) (Rage)
THE ABC OF OUR LIVES Interview with Michael Shrimpton (2006) 4 (Rage)
COUNTDOWN December 5th, 1976 (Prog. 330155) (Rage)
40 YEARS IN THE MAKING Interview with Michael Shrimpton (1996) 3 (Rage)
THIS DAY TONIGHT Quest '76 Auditions (May 31st, 1976) (Rage)
Countdown Prog. 330177 January 23rd, 1977 (Rage)
COUNTDOWN July 3rd, 1977 (ABC)

*** SHOW INFO ***
Year:1975
Date:01/03/1975
Show no: unknown
Summary:FIRST EPISODE OF ROCK PROGRAM, COUNTDOWN, TO BE TRANSMITTED IN COLOUR OPENING TITLES COUNTDOWN
MCU JOHN FARNHAM OPENING PROGRAM VS LIVE IN STUDIO SKYHOOKS SINGING HORROR MOVIE C/A
SKYHOOKS IN LUNA PARK
VS FARNHAM LIVE IN STUDIO
MCU FARNHAM INTRODUCING SHERBET
VS SHERBET CLIP I'LL GO MINE
VS SHERBET DOING COUNTDOWN ID
MCU FARNHAM INTRODUCING DENISE DRYSDALE
VS DENISE DRYSDALE SINGING IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN
MCU FARNHAM INTRODUCING STEVIE WRIGHT
VS STEVIE WRIGHT PERFORMING GUITAR BAND LIVE IN STUDIO
MCU FARNHAM INTRODUCING LINDA GEORGE
VS LINDA GEORGE PERFORMING GIVE IT LOVE
MCU FARNHAM INTRODUCING DARYL BRAITHWAITE
VS BRAITHWAITE IN STUDIO SINGING YOU'RE MY WORLD C/A BRAITHWAITE ON YACHT
VS BRAITHWAITE DOING COUNTDOWN ID
VS HUSH LIVE IN STUDIO PERFORMING C'MON
MCU FARNHAM INTRODUCING DEBBIE BYRNE
VS BYRNE PERFORMING, THE BOOGIE MANS GONNA GET YOU, IN STUDIO
MCU FARNHAM INTRODUCING THE CAPTAIN MATCHBOX WHOOPEE BAND
VS CAPTAIN MATCHBOX WHOOPEE BAND PERFORMING WANGARATTA WAHINE
MCU FARNHAM INTRODUCING RAY BURGESS
VS BURGESS IN STUDIO PERFORMING TOUCH ME
MCU FARNHAM DOING TOP 10
VS WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE LIVE IN STUDIO PERFORMING NUMBER 1 MY LITTLE ANGEL
END TITLES AND CREDITS

THE ABC OF OUR LIVES Interview with Michael Shrimpton (2006) 3 (Rage)

Year:1975
Date:07/09/1975
Show no: 329
Summary:SHOW HOSTED BY MARTY RHONE. MOLLY (WITHOUT HAT, WEARING RUGBY JUMPER) INTRODUCES HUMDRUM
OVERSEAS CLIPS:
ALICE COOPER 'DEPARTMENT OF YOUTH'
SWEET 'ACTION'
BRIAN FERRY 'YOU GO TO MY HEAD'
ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA 'ELDORADO'
BEE GEES 'JIVE TALKING'
STUDIO PERFORMANCES:
DRAGON 'STAR KISSED'
MARCIA HINES 'FROM THE INSIDE'
HUSH 'GLAD ALL OVER'
MARTY RHONE 'DENIM AND LACE'
ANDY GIBB 'WORDS AND MUSIC'
LOCAL CLIPS:
DARRYL BRAITHWAITE 'CAVALRY'
WENDY GROSE 'BLUE SUNNY SKY'
SHERBET 'HOUND DOG'
TOP TEN:
(READ ONLY OF ITEMS 10 TO 2 WITH FULL PLAY OF NUMBER 1)
SKYHOOKS 'ALL MY FRIENDS ARE GETTING MARRIED' (NUMBER 1)

THE ABC OF OUR LIVES Interview with Michael Shrimpton (2006) 4 (Rage)

Year:1976
Date:05/12/1976
Show no: 90
Summary:THIS SHOW HOSTED BY JOHN PAUL YOUNG FEATURED THE BAY CITY ROLLERS LIVE IN THE STUDIO. MOLLY PRESENTED A GOLD RECORD AND IV THEM RE RIOTS IN CONCERT, TOUR, FUTURE PLANS AND RECORDING. JOHN PAUL YOUNG WAS ALSO IV RE RECORDING AND SINGLE. FTG WAS SHOWN OF THE GROUP SHERBET BEFORE THEIR CONCERT IN LONDON.
LIVE STUDIO PERFORMANCES:;
SILVER STUDS 'WAY BACK IN THE FIFTIES';
AIR SUPPLY 'LOVE & OTHER BRUISES';
BAY CITY ROLLERS 'I ONLY WANT TO BE WITH YOU';
DRAGON 'THIS TIME';
RUSSELL MORRIS 'RUNNING JUMPING STANDING STILL';
FILM CLIPS:
AC/DC 'DIRTY DEEDS DONE DIRT CHEAP'
(EXCERPT);
HUSH 'SUNDAY';
PUNKZ 'ANYWAY YOU WANT IT';
GEORGE HARRISON 'THIS SONG';
LEO SAYER 'YOU MAKE ME FEEL LIKE DANCING';
JACKSON BROWNE AND THE EAGLES 'YOUR BRIGHT BABY BLUES';
SHERBET 'ROCK ME GENTLY'
(EXCERPT);
TED MULRY GANG 'JAMAICA RUM';
CLIPS CORNER
(EXCERPTS):
REDHOUSE 'I LIKE DANCING';
*****FOOT 'THE WAY THAT YOU DO IT';
SHIRLEY 'EVERY LITTLE BIT HURTS';
CHARTBUSTERS:;
LITTLE PATTIE 'ONLY IF YOU WANT TO';
CHICAGO 'IF YOU LEAVE ME NOW';
MANFRED MANN 'BLINDED BY THE LIGHT';
TOP TEN:
AIR SUPPLY 'LOVE AND OTHER BRUISES';
RICK DEES & HIS CAST OF IDIOTS 'DISCO DUCK';
SHIRLEY 'EVERY LITTLE BIT HURTS';
SHERBET 'ROCK ME GENTLY YOU'VE GOT THE GUN';
BRIAN FERRY 'PRICE OF LOVE';
*****CAT 'MISSISSIPPI';
CHICAGO 'IF YOU LEAVE ME NOW';
DAVID DUNDAS 'JEANS ON';
BRYAN FERRY 'LET'S STICK TOGETHER';
ABBA 'MONEY MONEY MONEY'

40 YEARS IN THE MAKING Interview with Michael Shrimpton (1996) 3 (Rage)

THIS DAY TONIGHT Quest '76 Auditions (May 31st, 1976) (Rage)

Countdown Prog. 330177 January 23rd, 1977
(16) MAX MERRITT & THE METEORS 'SLIPPING AWAY;(15) SILVER STUDS 'HAPPY DAYS';(14) BRYAN FERRY 'LET'S STICK TOGETHER';(13) TED MULRY GANG 'DARK TOWN STRUTTERS BALL';(12) JOHN PAUL YOUNG 'I HATE THE MUSIC';(11) ROD STEWART 'TONIGHT'S THE NIGHT';(10) BILLY OCEAN 'LOVE REALLY HURTS WITHOUT YOU';(9) R & J STONE 'WE DO IT';(8) C W MCCALL 'CONVOY';(7) FOX 'SINGLE BED';(6) TED MULRY GANG 'JUMP IN MY CAR';(5) ELTON JOHN & KIKKI DEE 'DON'T GO BREAKING MY HEART';(4) ABBA 'DANCING QUEEN';(3) SHERBET 'HOWZAT';(2) QUEEN 'BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY';(1) ABBA FERNANDO (CLIPS STARTS WITH FTG OF YOUNG IN BLONDE WIG LIP SYNCHING TO SONG)

COUNTDOWN July 3rd, 1977
(*** NO ARCHIVAL INFO ON THIS EPISODE)

Thanks for all the info Jason. In regard to July 3, 1977 show I have a strong suspicion that this show was played a few years back which was guest host Jon English and features the Thelma Houston clip Don't Leave Me This Way among others. Quality on this show is a little washed out though overall it is still very watchable.

RIP Michael Shrimpton. 😥

Yep - July 3rd was shown a few years back - it is a bit washed out as it was recovered from a domestic recording, only in VHS format.

Great to see all these old 70s shows - they have been all shown before but not for a fairly long time so getting upgraded copies would be a very good idea

Pity I am in Melbourne and cant record any of these. Looks like one episode playing from 1975 right now and the remainder tonight. Hopefully I can get copies sorted of all these!!

An unexpected surprise that I only found out about yesterday, pity it took the death of Michael Shrimpton for these to be unearthed again.

Just watching 31/08/75 now - geez so much was totally erased from the 1970s, what remains is priceless - but this is really the show from its halcyon days. Even though many of us love the 80s episodes they dont have the level of excitement of the 70s as the promo films really took over and studio performances declined.

The 23 Jan 1977 show was titled on screen as the 5 Dec 1976 show, and vice versa. So who was right - rage titlers, or the runsheet archives?

And yes, the 3 July 1977 show was definitely a VHS transfer. That Alice Cooper clip is extremely rare, shame the quality was not very good.

The episode from 5 Dec 1976 which rage titled on screen as 23rd January 1977 is the episode from 5th December, 1976 as Molly kept asking Bay City Rollers what will come after X Mas and saying in Humdrum, that certain bands will be big next year. All these references to the end of the year and beginning of next year kept coming up which is why when I saw them putt the date of 1977, it didn't make much sense.

I haven't watched this properly yet, but when I fast forwarded through, it looked to be the same episode that the ABC had wiped, but someone had a home recording of. From memory, this was first shown during retro month 2009 (or maybe 2010). I remember keeping the Thelma Houston video from it. And yes, it's not the best quality. I wonder why they chose to re-air this episode?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the 1 March '75 episode hosted by John Farnham had some serious tape damage during Daryl Braithwaite's 'You're My World'. Is that new or was it the same when they aired this episode in the 90's? Anyone know, or do I have to pull out my VHS recording to compare. I seriously hope the master tape hasn't deteriorated over 20 years.

I haven't watched this yet (70s Countdowns don't really interest me), but theoretically they should have a digitised copy of this in their library/archives from when it was first aired on rage - unless this was before, say, 2001, before digital TV existed in Australia.

They had re-encoded the Christmas 1986 episode of Countdown when it repeated (first airing on rage in 2009) a year or two ago (in the newer encoding method with the larger/blurrier rage logo and text font), suggesting they didn't have (or couldn't find) the digitised copy they aired just a few years ago.

Jason, Love your insight and dedication to Countdown. Long time collector. Upset to learn about this Saturday night special as I only caught wind of it later. Managed to digitally tape the repeats on ABC and ABCMe through the week but missed out on Mar 1, 1975, Jul 3 1977 and Jan23, 1977. Is there any way I can get hold of them ? I'm in the process of digitising my entire collection so happy to share with you. Cheers. Anthony.

Noticed this last night when I watched the special for the first time. Will dig out my old copy and see if there's damage to the Daryl Braithwaite clip on that one as well.

The 1st March 1975 is also a home recording folks - which is why tape damage is evident in places including Daryl Braithwaite. It was an extremely good quality U-Matic which has been cleaned up considerably since its first repeat on Rage around 93/94. Those of us who recall seeing it back then would remember what poor quality it was back then. No Master tape exists as such other than the digital remaster of the U-Matic dub.

Never knew the March 1 1975 episode was a home recording or that home video recorders were even around in 1975. In light of that it's now in pretty good shape with the exception of a small section of the DB clip.