New Faces

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New Faces
Also known asNew Faces of... (1986–88)
Genre Talent show
Presented by Leslie Crowther
(Regional pilot)
Derek Hobson (ATV)
Marti Caine (Central)
Theme music composer Ed Welch
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series6 (ATV)
3 (Central)
No. of episodes166 (ATV)
39 (Central)
Production
Production locations ATV Centre (ATV) [1]
Birmingham Hippodrome (Central) [1]
Running time60 minutes (inc. adverts)
Production companies ATV (1973–78)
Central (1986–88)
Original release
Network ITV
Release31 May 1973 (1973-05-31) 
3 December 1988 (1988-12-03)
Related
Opportunity Knocks

New Faces is a British television talent show that aired in the 1970s and 1980s. It has been hosted by Leslie Crowther, Derek Hobson and Marti Caine. It was produced for the ITV network by ATV, and later by Central.

Contents

Original series: 1973–1978

The show first aired as a pilot on the ATV network on 31 May 1973 with host Leslie Crowther and a judging panel consisting of Noele Gordon, Tony Hatch, Clive James and John Smith assessing performances from ten acts looking for a break in show business. Welsh singer Jennifer Jones won the show that also featured a man who blew up a hot water bottle until it burst followed by a few choruses of "Spanish Eyes". [2] [3]

A further pilot aired on 7 July 1973 with new host Derek Hobson and a full series followed from 29 September 1973 to 2 April 1978. It was recorded at the ATV Centre in Birmingham. The show's theme tune, "You're a Star!", was performed by singer Carl Wayne, formerly of The Move and it was eventually released, becoming a minor hit. [4]

Winners went on to have careers in television entertainment, such as Lenny Henry. Many top entertainers began their careers with a performance on this programme. The acts were evaluated by a panel of experts, including Tony Hatch, Mickie Most, Clifford Davis, Arthur Askey, Ted Ray, Ed Stewart, Jack Parnell, Alan A. Freeman, Muriel Young, Lonnie Donegan, Lionel Blair, Ingrid Pitt, Shaw Taylor, Terry Wogan and Noel Edmonds.

Four judges would make up the panel each week. Contestants received marks out of ten from the four judges in three categories such as "presentation", "content" and "star quality" – The "star quality" category was later replaced by "entertainment value". The highest score any act could attain was thus 120 points. Patti Boulaye was the only act who ever attained the maximum mark, doing so in the programme's final season. Les Dennis received 119 points, with only Tony Hatch giving him less than a perfect '10' for Presentation. Arthur Askey was on the same panel and started singing "Tony is a spoilsport" when Hatch awarded Dennis 9 as his final score. [5]

Series 1–6 Winners

SeriesDateArtist(s)Act
Pilot7 July 1973Trevor ChanceVocalist (in the style of Jack Jones)
129 December 1973Tom WaiteVocalist
26 July 1974 Aiden J. Harvey Impressionist
327 July 1975 Marti Caine Comedian
431 July 1976 Roger de Courcey Ventriloquist
52 April 1977Koffee 'n' KremeVocal duo
62 April 1978 Patti Boulaye Vocalist

Series One Final (1973) [6]

Key  Winner  Runner-up  Third place
OrderScoreArtist(s)Act
1257Tom WaiteVocalist
2250 Showaddywaddy Eight-piece group
3233Jackie CarltonComedian
4217Jean De BothVocalist
5215John D. BryantGuitar/vocalist
6213Charlie JamesFemale vocalist
7205Ricki DisoniVocalist
8203Yakity YakFour-piece group
9185Anthony WatersActor/vocalist
10184George Huxley's Dixieland Jazz Bandsix-piece jazz band
11176Dri JinjaFolk trio
12171Elaine SimmonsVocalist
13143TrottoFolk trio

Series Two Final (1974) [7]

Key  Winner  Runner-up  Third place
OrderScoreArtist(s)Act
1396 Aiden J. Harvey Impressionist
2353Nicky MartynComedian
3337Michelle FisherVocalist
4333Art NouveauGroup
5=327Susan CopeVocal / Piano
5=327Jeffrey HooperVocalist
7322Johnny CarrollComedian
8312The CosmopolitansVocal Trio
9306 Sweet Sensation Group
10301Nicola ChristieVocalist
11300Tony GerrardComedian
12234Jimmy ListerComedian / Impressionist

Series Three Final (1975) [8]

Key  Winner  Runner-up  Third place
OrderScoreArtist(s)Act
1539 Marti Caine Comedian
2538Al DeanComedian
3528Ofanchisix-piece group
4478 Lenny Henry Impressionist
5475Mike FelixComedy/vocalist
6472 Tony Maiden Impressionist
744120th Century Steel SoundNine-piece group
8431TobySix-piece group

Series Five Final (1977)

Key  Winner  Runner-up  Third place
OrderScoreArtist(s)Act
1369Koffee 'n' KremeVocal Duo
2363Bryan TaylorVocalist
3341SimoneVocalist
4338KiteThree-piece group
5=337Mike 'Stand' DouglasComedian
5=337The Bob Clarke EnsembleJazz trio
7333Peter Collins with StyleGroup
8319Mr Carline & Mr WallingComedy duo

Series Six Final (1978)

Key  Winner  Runner-up  Third place
OrderScoreArtist(s)Act
1565 Patti Boulaye Vocalist
2554Stella StarrVocalist
3543Kirk St. JamesVocalist
4534Pat O'HareVocalist
5530Civvy StreetFive-piece group
6524Mike JohnsonJazz guitarist
7522Alan J. BartleyComedian
8509PoacherSix-piece country group
9498Bazz HarrisComedian

Revived version

The series was revived by Central for three series between 1986 and 1988, presented by past winner, Marti Caine. Her catchphrase was bellowed at the voting studio audience: "Press your buttons... NOW!". The show also featured a panel of experts including the journalist Nina Myskow, who often made critical comments. In this incarnation, the home audience decided who won by sending in postcards (phone voting was soon introduced by BBC rival Bob Says Opportunity Knocks ), though, the audience did vote for its favourite act using a gigantic lightboard known as Spaghetti Junction lighting up to a varying degree as they pushed their buttons.

1986 final

Key  Winner  Runner-up  Third place
OrderFinishedArtist(s)Act
11st overall in panellists' voteDuggie SmallComedian
27 pointsWalker & CadmanComedians
35 points Billy Pearce Comedian
40 pointsWayne DentonClub singer
522 pointsJulie A. ScottSoprano
656 points (public phone-in winner)Gary Lovini17-year-old violinist
743 pointsJames StoneSoul singer
8Pauline HannahImpressionist
9Freddy PhilipsSinger/comedian
10Scott Randele
11Maggie Dee
12High Jinks

Note: The James Stone who appeared in this final is the same one who appeared in the Britain's Got Talent semi-finals of 2008.

1987 final

Key  Winner  Runner-up  Third place
OrderFinishedArtist(s)Act(s)
194 pointsJimmy TamleyVentriloquist
292 points Joe Pasquale Comedian
370 pointsBrothers Demented
432 pointsMike SterlingMusical theatre-style singer
526 pointsRichard CourticeTenor vocalist
610 pointsBilly JonesRock 'n' roll singer/guitarist
7Lea CassellImpressionist
8Derek BarronPianist/organist
9Paul DuffySaxophonist
10Denny WatersComedian
11Barbara AllanVocalist
12 Stiles and Drewe Singing duo

1988 final

[9]

The 1988 final took place at the Birmingham Hippodrome Theatre on Saturday 3 December 1988 and was hosted by the 1975 winner Marti Caine.

Key  Winner  Runner-up  Third place
Performance OrderFinishedArtist(s)Act(s)
12118 pointsStephen Lee GardenMusical theatre-style singer
11102 pointsSteve WomackComedian
980 pointsDonimoComedy Mime
254 pointsStevie RiksImpressionist
46 pointsTim MurrayVocalist
1Max BaconVocalist
3The Mad HattersComedy Group
5Steve TandyComedian
6Janice WatsonSoprano Vocalist
7The Brothers CondoComedy Group
8T.J. KingVocalist
10Louisa ShawVocalist

Note: Vocalist Tim Murray is the son of 1950s singer Ruby Murray. [10]

Famous winners and contestants

Other winners and contestants

Transmissions

ATV

SeriesStart dateFinal dateEpisodes
Pilots31 May 19737 July 19732
129 September 197329 December 197314
26 April 19746 July 197413
321 September 197427 July 197544
420 December 197531 July 197633
511 September 19762 April 197730
610 September 19772 April 197830

Series 3 was not fully broadcast on Scottish Television, with episodes not being broadcast during the weekends, which resulted in their votes not being counted. Episodes were instead broadcast on a Thursday evening between December 1974 and July 1975.

Central

SeriesStart dateFinal dateEpisodes
119 September 198613 December 198613
24 September 198728 November 198713
310 September 19883 December 198813

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References

  1. 1 2 Bentley, David (21 June 2013). "TV programmes made in Birmingham: New Faces". Birmingham Live . Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  2. "Midlands TV Listings". Daily Mirror. Trinity Mirror. 31 May 1973. Retrieved 27 January 2019.
  3. Terry, Metcalf (1 June 1973). "Arts Review - Television". Birmingham Daily Post. Trinity Mirror. Retrieved 27 January 2019.
  4. "The precarious path of talent show fame". BBC. 12 December 2011. Retrieved 13 December 2011.
  5. Master copy held in the BFI National Archive
  6. "You're a Star, Superstar!: Series One Grand Final". Original TV Broadcast. ATV. 29 December 1973. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
  7. "You're a Star, Superstar!: Series One Grand Final". Original TV Broadcast. ATV. 6 July 1974. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
  8. "You're a Star, Superstar!: Series Three Grand Final". Original TV Broadcast. ATV. 27 July 1975. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
  9. The Stage - Thursday 8 December 1988
  10. Liverpool Echo - Monday 3 October 1988
  11. "Our Century 1950–1975".
  12. Hogan, Michael (11 December 2011). "Wonderland special: New Faces – I once had the X Factor". Daily Telegraph . Archived from the original on 9 January 2012. Retrieved 13 December 2011.
  13. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 412. ISBN   1-904994-10-5.
  14. "You're a Star, Superstar!: Charlie James Profile" . Retrieved 4 August 2019.
  15. "You're a Star, Superstar!: Series One, Episode 9" . Retrieved 4 August 2019.