Stairway to the Stars (TV series)

Last updated

Stairway to the Stars
Genre Talent show
Presented by
Country of originAustralia
Original languageEnglish
Original release
Network HSV-7
Release9 November 1956 (1956-11-09) 
November 1958 (1958-11)

Stairway to the Stars was an early Australian television series that aired on Melbourne station HSV-7. The first episode aired 9 November 1956, with the series ending circa November 1958.

Hosts of the series included Eric Pearce for early episodes and Geoff McComas for later episodes.

Originally broadcast on Fridays, it later moved to Wednesdays. Competition in the time-slot varied. At first, since HSV-7 was the only station in Melbourne, the series had no competition in the time-slot. By March 1957 the series competed against U.S. series Alfred Hitchcock Presents on GTV-9 and UK series The World is Ours on ABV-2. [1] By November 1958 episodes competed against U.S. comedy series Susie on GTV-9, while ABV-2 featured Election Talk and UK series Fabian of the Yard . [2]

The series was a talent show. For example, the episode broadcast 21 December 1956 featured a pop vocalist, a soprano, a dancer, a tenor, and a saxophonist, as well as Sonia Korn as the guest. [3]

Related Research Articles

GTV is a commercial television station in Melbourne, Australia, owned by the Nine Network. The station is currently based at studios at 717 Bourke Street, Docklands.

Swallows Parade was an Australian radio and television series. The radio version was broadcast by Melbourne station 3DB in the 1950s, and was also heard on other Major Broadcasting Network stations on a Thursday evening, with auditions being held on Tuesdays. It was presented in front of a live audience from various towns and cities with Major Network outlets.

Sweet and Low was an Australian television series which aired from 24 August 1959 until 28 September 1959 on ABC Television station ABV-2 in Melbourne. Hosted by Bob Walters, the half-hour series presented performances by jazz musicians. Bruce Clarke appeared as a guest in the second episode.

Geoff and Judy was a short-lived television variety series which aired in 1959 on Melbourne television station GTV-9. Hosted by Geoff Corke and Judy Jack, the series aired at 1:00PM on Tuesdays. The obscure series is largely notable for pairing two then-popular figures in Melbourne television. At the time, Australian series tended to be aired on a single station only, something that would change in the 1960s.

The Ken Noyle Show is an Australian television series which aired on ABC Television. A half-hour variety series, in Sydney it aired on Thursdays, while in Melbourne it typically aired on Wednesdays.

Eric and Mary was an Australian television programme which aired in 1956. It was one of the earliest Australian-produced television series. It was an "informal programme with guest artists", likely an interview show, hosted by Eric Pearce and Mary Parker. It was broadcast on Melbourne station HSV-7. The station began broadcasting on 4 November 1956, and Eric and Mary debuted a few days later on the 7th.

The Jack Perry Show is an early Australian variety television series. Broadcast on Melbourne station GTV-9, it was one of the first regular series by the station. It was hosted by Jack Perry, aired live and also featured guests. Lasting about a month, the half-hour series aired at 7:30PM, with competition in the time-slot consisting of British series The Adventures of Robin Hood on HSV-7 and American sitcom Life with Elizabeth on ABV-2. Although his variety series was short-lived, host Jack Perry proved popular with 1950s and 1960s era Melbourne viewers as part of the clown duo Zig and Zag, who had a long running children's show on station HSV-7 originally titled Peters Fun Fair.

The Late Show is an Australian television variety series which aired from 1957 to 1959 on Melbourne station HSV-7. Aired on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays and competing in the time-slot with GTV-9's popular In Melbourne Tonight, the series included a mix of music and comedy. People who hosted the series during its run included John D'Arcy, Bert Newton and original host Noel Ferrier.

Women's World was an Australian television series which aired from 1956 to 1963 on ABC. Originally broadcast in Sydney and later Melbourne, it would appear the last couple years of the series were only broadcast in Sydney.

Juke Box Saturday Night was a short-lived Australian television series which aired on Melbourne station GTV-9 from around November 1957 to January 1958.

Anything Goes was an early Australian television variety series which aired on Melbourne station GTV-9. Broadcast on Wednesdays at 8:00 PM, it aired from 23 January to 20 February 1957.

The Johnny Gredula Show was an Australian television variety series which aired from 18 April 1957 to 20 February 1958 on ABC. Produced in Sydney, the series also aired in Melbourne via kinescope recordings. Regulars included the Noel Gilmore Quintet and Margaret Day.

Tele-Variety was a four-part Australian television variety series which aired fortnightly on Sydney station ABN-2 on Saturdays from 7 December 1957 to 18 January 1958. It alternated in the time-slot with Look Who's Dropped In. The producer was Harry Pringle. It is worth noting that ABC series of the period often had shorter seasons than those on commercial television.

Football Inquest is the name of two Australian television series, which both aired in Melbourne. The first aired 1957 on GTV-9, while the second aired 1960-1974(?) on HSV-7. There was also a South Australian version.

Personal Column is an Australian television program. It aired on Melbourne station HSV-7, broadcast weekly at 4:00PM on Wednesdays from 27 August 1958 to 6 May 1959. Episodes aired in a 15-minute time-slot. It was replaced on the schedule by Brenda's Time with HSV personality Brenda Marshall, a program about which very little information is available. The archival status of either program is not known. It should not be confused with Personal Album, a GTV-9 series which also aired from 1958 to 1959.

Be My Guest is an early Australian television series, which aired weekly on Melbourne station HSV-7 from 30 January 1957 to 24 April 1957. Episodes were 15 minutes in duration, and hosted by Eric Pearce. It was likely an interview series, but little is known about it, and it is not known if any kinescope recordings were made of it. However, despite its obscurity, it is notable as an early example of Australian-produced television content.

News Magazine is an Australian television program which aired from 1958 to 1960 on Melbourne station HSV-7. Hosted by HSV personality Brenda Marshall, little is known about the show, however it is notable as an early example of an Australian news program. It aired in a daytime time-slot on Tuesdays, and during its run the time-slot running time varied from 10 minutes to 20 minutes. Archival status of the series is not known, however as few Australian newscasts are known to survive from the 1960s, the program may be lost, though this is not confirmed.

Football Survey is an Australian television series which aired in 1957. Broadcast at 7:50PM on Mondays on Melbourne station GTV-9, it was a series in which Australian rules football personalities discussed the weekend matches, and aired in a 10-minute time-slot. It was sponsored by Brylcreem, and was originally hosted by Ian Johnson, later by Sam Loxton.

Young Seven is an Australian television series which aired 1957 to 1960 on Melbourne station HSV-7. Originally hosted by Don Bennetts and later by Madeline Burke, it was a children's series aired in an unusual 45-minute time-slot, though towards the end of its run it aired in a 60-minute time-slot. Running time excluding commercials is not known. It was made up of various segments, including "Youth Takes a Bow" and cartoons. In early 1958 it aired at 5:15PM, aired against Happy Show on GTV-9 and Children's TV Club on ABV-2. All three series consisted of a mix of local and imported segments.

Science Today is an Australian television series which aired in 1958 on ABC. It was an educational series for schools, with subjects including the magnifying glass and microscope, the weather bureau, animal life found at the seashore, among others. It aired at 3:30PM on Wednesdays in Melbourne, and aired live. At least some of the episodes were also shown in Sydney.

References

  1. "Friday Television". Radio/TV Supplement. The Age . 14 March 1957. p. 6. Retrieved 4 July 2013.
  2. "Wednesday Television". Radio/TV Supplement. The Age . 4 November 1958. p. 11. Retrieved 4 July 2013.
  3. "Friday Television". Radio/TV Supplement. The Age . 20 December 1956. p. 6. Retrieved 4 July 2013.

External