1976

I'm going to start a thread devoted to working out the hosts for shows from 1976. I've found information from researching old Melbourne Age newspapers. The Melbourne Age was pretty good, in the early days, of naming the hosts/guest acts of upcoming shows for the weekend. Toward the end of the decade however, there was much less information about each show. They just had a generic comment for Countdown virtually every week.

Anyway, I was hoping that, together, we could all research what we can to help fill in the gaps. I know university libraries, state libraries and other institutes around the country have extensive collections (mainly electronic) of newspapers going back to the 70s. Perhaps there is information in newspapers other than the Melbourne Age that contain the information we need.

Worth a try, don't you think? I welcome any additions or corrections.

07/03/76 – Ted Mulry (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)
14/03/76 -
21/03/76 – Renee Geyer (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)
28/03/76 -

04/04/76 -
11/04/76 – Daryl Braithwaite (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)
18/04/76 – Molly Meldrum (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)
25/04/76 – Chuck McKinney (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)

02/05/76 – Glenn Shorrock (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)
09/05/76 – Andy Upton (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)
16/05/76 – Ray Burgess (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)
23/05/76 – Ted Mulry (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)
30/05/76 -

06/06/76 –
13/06/76 - John Paul Young (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)
20/06/76 -
27/06/76 – Benjamin Hugg (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)

04/07/76 -
11/07/76 – Keith Lamb (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)
18/07/76 -
25/07/76 – Frankie Holden (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)

01/08/76 -
08/08/76 -
15/08/76 -
22/08/76 -
29/08/76 -

05/09/76 – Ted Mulry (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)
12/09/76 – Marcia Hines (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)
19/09/76 -
26/09/76 – John Paul Young (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)

03/10/76 -
10/10/76 – Les Gock (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)
17/10/76 – Mick Pealing (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)
24/10/76 – Gary Twinn (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)
31/10/76 – Shirley Strachan (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)

07/11/76 – Red Symons (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)
14/11/76 – Frankie Holden (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)
21/11/76 – Marcia Hines (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)
28/11/76 – Ted Mulry (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)

05/12/76 – John Paul Young (Source: Rage)
12/12/76 – Daryl Braithwaite (Source: Rage)
19/12/76 –
26/12/76 –

Ah-ha, found one from ...

1976

06/06/1976 - Mark Holden (Source: The Melbourne Age, June 3, 1976 - TV Guide)

6.00PM - COUNTDOWN - ABC pop series for young people, with local and overseas personalities. Mark Holden pres. Rabbit. Stylus Normie Rowe, Robin Jolley, Madder Lake. (The Melbourne Age, June 3, 1976)

Lucky to find this one.

Another one ...

1976

08/08/76 - Mark Holden (Source: The Melbourne Age, 5th August, 1976)

"6.00PM COUNTDOWN - ABC pop magazine for young people with local and overseas personalities. Mark Holden pres. Richard Clapton, Stylus, Ray Burgess, ABBA, Avalanche, Peter Frampton, Brian Terry." (The Melbourne Age, August 5, 1976)

Love the nostalgia!

They keep coming ...

1976

15/08/76 - Gary Twinn (Source: The Melbourne Age, 12th August, 1976)

"6.00PM COUNTDOWN - ABC pop magazine for young people with local and overseas personalities. Gary Twinn pres. Hush, Rabbit, Skyhooks, Sailor, John Paul Young and the Allstars, Supernaut." (The Melbourne Age, August 12, 1976)

Updated list ...

1976

07/03/76 – Ted Mulry (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)
14/03/76 -
21/03/76 – Renee Geyer (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)
28/03/76 -

04/04/76 -
11/04/76 – Daryl Braithwaite (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)
18/04/76 – Molly Meldrum (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)
25/04/76 – Chuck McKinney (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)

02/05/76 – Glenn Shorrock (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)
09/05/76 – Andy Upton (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)
16/05/76 – Ray Burgess (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)
23/05/76 – Ted Mulry (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)
30/05/76 -

06/06/76 – Mark Holden (Source: The Melbourne Age, June 3, 1976 - TV Guide)
13/06/76 - John Paul Young (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)
20/06/76 -
27/06/76 – Benjamin Hugg (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)

04/07/76 -
11/07/76 – Keith Lamb (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)
18/07/76 -
25/07/76 – Frankie Holden (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)

01/08/76 -
08/08/76 - Mark Holden (Source: The Melbourne Age, 5th August, 1976)
15/08/76 - Gary Twinn (Source: The Melbourne Age, 12th August, 1976)
22/08/76 -
29/08/76 -

05/09/76 – Ted Mulry (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)
12/09/76 – Marcia Hines (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)
19/09/76 -
26/09/76 – John Paul Young (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)

03/10/76 -
10/10/76 – Les Gock (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)
17/10/76 – Mick Pealing (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)
24/10/76 – Gary Twinn (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)
31/10/76 – Shirley Strachan (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)

07/11/76 – Red Symons (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)
14/11/76 – Frankie Holden (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)
21/11/76 – Marcia Hines (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)
28/11/76 – Ted Mulry (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)

05/12/76 – John Paul Young (Source: Rage)
12/12/76 – Daryl Braithwaite (Source: Rage)
19/12/76 –
26/12/76 –

August 8, 1976 - hosted by Mark Holden

First show for 1976 - March 7 - hosted by Ted Mulry

March 14, 1976 - doesn't specifically say who hosts the show.

March 21, 1976 - hosted by Renee Geyer

28th March, 1976 - it's not clear who hosts the show.

April 4, 1976 - host unknown.

11th April, 1976 - Daryl Braithwaite as host.

18th April, 1976 - host unknown.

25th April, 1976 - hosted by Chuck McKinney

2nd May, 1976 - hosted by Glenn Shorrock

9th May, 1976 - presented by Andy Upton

16th May, 1976 - hosted by Ray Burgess.

23rd May - hosted by Ted Mulry (Source: The Age)

30th May, 1976 - host unknown

13th June, 1976 - hosted by John Paul Young



(Source: The Age)

27th June, 1976 - hosted by Benjamin Hugg



(Source: The Age)

4th July, 1976 - hosted by Red Symons



(Source: The Age)

11th July, 1976 - presented by Keith Lamb



(Source: The Age)

18th July, 1976 - host unknown



(Source: The Age)

25th July, 1976 - hosted by Frankie Holden & Jimmy Mansie (Ol'55)



(Source: The Age)

These little ad's are a great find. Just wondering what the black strip under the date is covering up?

1st August, 1976 - host unknown



(Source: The Age)

8th August, 1976 - hosted by Marc Holden



(Source: The Age)

Nothing Matt, the black strips were just part of the TV Guide at the time. It went right across the page. I've just clipped the Countdown bit, and put it with the date.

15th August, 1976 - Garry Twinn hosts



(Source: The Age)

22nd August, 1976 - host unknown



(Source: The Age)

29th August, 1976 - host unknown



(Source: The Age)

5th September, 1976 - hosted by Ted Mulry



(Source: The Age)

12th September, 1976 - hosted by Marcia Hines



(Source: The Age)

19th September, 1976 - Edited version of Sherbet Live at the Adelaide Festival Hall



(Source: The Age)

26th September, 1976 - hosted by John Paul Young



(Source: The Age)

3rd October, 1976 - hosted by Mark Holden


(Source: The Age)




10th October, 1976 - hosted by Les Gock


(Source: The Age)




17th October, 1976 - hosted by Mick Pealing


(Source: The Age)




24th October, 1976 - hosted by Gary Twinn


(Source: The Age)




31st October, 1976 - hosted by Shirley Strachan


(Source: The Age)

7th November, 1976 - host Red Symons

(Source: The Age)


14th November, 1976 - host Frankie Holden

(Source: The Age)


21st November, 1976 - host Marcia Hines

(Source: The Age)


28th November, 1976 - host Ted Mulry

(Source: The Age)

5th December, 1976 - hosted by John Paul Young (Source: Rage, ABC)


(Source: The Age)



12th December, 1976 - hosted by Daryl Braithwaite (Source: Rage, ABC)


(Source: The Age)

Well, that's it ... January through to December of TV listings for Countdown in 1976. I'll keep looking, and I hope you guys can help fill some gaps. The Age was obviously my main source of information for two reasons. It provides excellent detail much of the time, which other papers don't seem to do as well. Secondly, it is easily found online, as opposed to physically attending state libraries. That may be my next port of call. Anyway, I look forward to any further contributions you guys might have to help out. Cheers.

RetroTragic, I’ve only just read these posts after being off this forum for a while. I just wanted to say “fantastic work”, and I’m so thrilled someone loves the detail as much as I do. Also, I can now say, my early Countdown knowledge is so much better!

Cheers mate!

Thank you, vinylLOVER. It has been such a pleasure, and absolute fun, to search for this information and post them here for us all to help fill in the gaps. I thought it was important to supply the evidence from the newspapers at the time, so we are virtually certain of who hosted what. I've hit a stumbling block though, as I have exhausted all current online google searches for newspapers. My next step might have to be a visit to a large city library that contains newspapers on microfiche, and sit through endless copies of newspaper TV guides - absolute bliss for me ... ha ha.

Of course, if anyone else has access to such a library, and wants to help fill in gaps, that would be just so fantastic. Together, we will get there - every episode to air on ABC from 1974 to 1987.

Here's one for the Top 80 shows they played over summer holidays 1977/1978. I didn't realise they played them on Tuesday nights.

Another one, this one the final of the Top 80 specials ...

80 songs in 55 minutes?

The Top 80's from early 1976 started on January 6th (Tuesday night) and ran for 5 weeks. So I guess they played 20 songs per show.

Oh yeah, maths is not my strongest. :blush: With each song going for three or four minutes (about standard), that makes sense.