Countdown Episodes * 70s & 80s Australian Music Programs * Music Video * Molly Trading * Collecting * Archival Information * Record/CD releases and more .........
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COUNTDOWN IS BACK THIS JANUARY, 2019 ... ON rage !!!!! Stay tuned below with regular Countdown full archival information for each Countdown episode rage shall be airing every Saturday throughout January ...
I'm going to start a thread devoted to working out the hosts for shows from 1978. 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.
19/02/78 –
26/02/78 – Marcia Hines (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)
05/03/78 –
12/03/78 –
19/03/78 –
26/03/78 – Shirley Strachan (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)
02/04/78 –
09/04/78 – Gary Twinn (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)
16/04/78 –
23/04/78 – Leo Sayer (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)
30/04/78 – John Paul Young (Source: Rage)
07/05/78 – Samantha Sang (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)
14/05/78 – Dr. Hook (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)
21/05/78 – John Paul Young (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)
28/05/78 –
04/06/78 –
11/06/78 –
18/06/78 –
25/06/78 – Meatloaf (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)
02/07/78 – John Paul Young (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)
09/07/78 –
16/07/78 – Jon English (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)
23/07/78 – Dame Edna Everidge (Source: Rage)
30/07/78 – Marc Hunter & Marcia Hines (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)
06/08/78 – Johnny Cougar (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)
13/08/78 – Albie Donnelly & Angry (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)
20/08/78 –
27/08/78 –
03/09/78 –
10/09/78 –
17/09/78 – Graham Parker (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)
24/09/78 – Marc Hunter (Source: Rage)
01/10/78 – Six Rocktober DJs (Source: Rage)
08/10/78 – Darryl Cotton (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)
15/10/78 – Kate Bush & Leif Garrett (Source: Rage)
22/10/78 –
29/10/78 –
05/11/78 – Peter Frampton (Source: Rage)
12/11/78 –
19/11/78 – Jon English (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)
26/11/78 –
03/12/78 - Test Cricket – First Test from Gabba
10/12/78 – Elton John (Source: Rage)
"Bonnie's First In Line On Countdown - BONNIE TYLER, currently charting with It's a Heartache, will assist Ian Meldrum in presenting the first edition of Countdown for 1978 from ABV-2, at 6 pm, Sunday. February 12. The singer, a favourite with Countdown's young audiences, was last seen in the programme with Lost in France. Countdown will continue to present local and overseas acts, report the latest pop news and give a rundown of the week's ten best-selling records. Programmes will be produced in either Melbourne or Sydney, with an occasional edition from other centres. First of these will be a programme to be recorded next month at the Adelaide Festival of Arts. Producer of Countdown is Ted Emery." (Melbourne Age, Thursday 9th February, 1978)
It's just so fantastic to come across articles, TV guides and stories that offer up information to help fill in the gaps. I'll keep looking ...
19/02/1978 - Leif Garrett (Melbourne Age, Thursday February 16, 1978 - TV Guide)
"6pm COUNTDOWN - ABC pop series, with new releases from Australia and overseas, pop news and this week's Top Ten, hosted by Ian Meidrum and guest compere Leif Garrett sings two numbers and pres. In the studio, Rose Tattoo." (Melbourne Age, 16th February, 1978)
09/07/1978 - Errol Brown (Source: Melbourne Age, 6th July, 1978 - TV Guide)
6.00PM - COUNTDOWN - ABC pop series, with new releases from Australia and overseas, pop news and this week's Top 10: Errol from Hot Chocolate pres. Dragon, Stylus, Jon English. With lan Meldrum. (Melbourne Age, 6th July, 1978)
11/06/1978 - Shirley Strachan (Source: Melbourne Age, June 8th, 1978 - TV Guide)
COUNTDOWN ABC pop series, with new releases from Australia and overseas, pop news and this week's Top Ten: Shirley of Skyhooks pres. DeWaii, Skyhooks and two Melbourne groups appearing for the first time, Cold Chisel and Beathoven. With Ian Meldrum.
I like what you are putting together here, it's interesting reading even if we never get to see any of the wiped episodes.
March 5 was Skyhooks - The Herald 4/3/78
March 19 was hosted by Molly at the Adelaide Festival
July 3 Marc Hunter - The Herald 2/7/78
Oct 22 1978 Graham Bonnett - The Herald 21/10/78
Thanks Armin. I know, it's such a shame we will most likely never get to see these shows, but it's valuable television history to, at least, record the hosts of every show possible.
12/02/78 - Bonnie Tyler (Melbourne Age, Thursday February 9, 1978 - article)
19/02/78 – Leif Garrett (Melbourne Age, Thursday February 16, 1978 - TV Guide)
26/02/78 – Marcia Hines (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)
05/03/78 – Skyhooks - The Herald 4/3/78
12/03/78 –
19/03/78 – Molly Meldrum at the Adelaide Festival
26/03/78 – Shirley Strachan (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)
02/04/78 –
09/04/78 – Gary Twinn (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)
16/04/78 –
23/04/78 – Leo Sayer (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)
30/04/78 – John Paul Young (Source: Rage)
07/05/78 – Samantha Sang (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)
14/05/78 – Dr. Hook (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)
21/05/78 – John Paul Young (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)
28/05/78 –
04/06/78 –
11/06/78 – Shirley Strachan (Source: Melbourne Age, June 8th, 1978 - TV Guide)
18/06/78 –
25/06/78 – Meatloaf (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)
02/07/78 – John Paul Young (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)
09/07/78 – Errol Brown (Source: Melbourne Age, 6th July, 1978 - TV Guide)
16/07/78 – Jon English (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)
23/07/78 – Dame Edna Everidge (Source: Rage)
30/07/78 – Marc Hunter & Marcia Hines (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)
06/08/78 – Johnny Cougar (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)
13/08/78 – Albie Donnelly & Angry (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)
20/08/78 –
27/08/78 –
03/09/78 –
10/09/78 –
17/09/78 – Graham Parker (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)
24/09/78 – Marc Hunter (Source: Rage)
01/10/78 – Six Rocktober DJs (Source: Rage)
08/10/78 – Darryl Cotton (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)
15/10/78 – Kate Bush & Leif Garrett (Source: Rage)
22/10/78 – Graham Bonnett - The Herald 21/10/78
29/10/78 – Bette Midler (Sydney Morning Herald, "Today's Programmes", 29th October, 1978, p. 80)
05/11/78 – Peter Frampton (Source: Rage)
12/11/78 –
19/11/78 – Jon English (Source: Melbourne Age TV Guide)
26/11/78 –
03/12/78 - Test Cricket – First Test from Gabba
10/12/78 – Elton John (Source: Rage)
The Age often printed that Ian Meldrum presented, but this was mostly a generic comment for many episodes when, in fact, there was a guest host, and it just wasn't stated. So, it's hard to say, if you haven't seen the actual episode, whether Molly or a guest hosted.
Well, that's it ... January through to December of TV listings for Countdown in 1978. 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.