The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club

Last updated

The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club
Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club.jpg
GenreVariety/Cabaret
Presented by Bernard Manning
Colin Crompton
Country of originUnited Kingdom
No. of episodes48 (6 Series)
Production
Production company Granada Television
Original release
Network ITV
Release13 April 1974 (1974-04-13) 
19 June 1977 (1977-06-19)

The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club was a British television variety show produced by Granada Television from 1974 to 1977. It was set in a fictional working men's club in the North of England and was hosted by comedian Colin Crompton as the club's chairman. The show's compere was usually Bernard Manning, who as well as telling jokes and introducing acts often started and often finished the show with a song. Crompton was frequently the butt of his jokes, acting as Manning's stooge.

Contents

The set was arranged like a club, so that, rather than being arranged in terraced seating the studio audience would be seated around tables and be served beer and snacks, join in a singalong and otherwise engage in audience participation.

Crompton, as chairman of the club, would sit at a small table in the corner watching proceedings with apparent lack of interest. He had a large manual fire bell which he would wind and sound purportedly to attract the audience's attention after an act, with various notices from "the Committee" (that is, the officials of the social club of which he was chairman), usually misdemeanours by the club's members or the committee itself:

On behalf of the Committee, I should like to tell you we made a mistake in offering the raffle prize of a diving suit. It is in fact a divan suite.

On New Year's Eve a special episode of Wheeltappers and Shunters New Year's Eve would be broadcast.

Acts

The show featured acts regularly seen on the Northern club circuits and often well-established performers who did well in theatres and clubs but did not succeed so well on British television, such as 1950s crooner Johnnie Ray. But it also gave newer acts their first television exposure, such as Cannon & Ball, the Grumbleweeds, the Dooleys and Paul Daniels. Some artists to appear on the show were:

The show was produced by Johnnie Hamp at Granada Studios in Manchester, although it was once filmed at the Layton Institute, Blackpool.

Actress Elizabeth Dawn appeared as a waitress before she became more famous for her role as Vera Duckworth in Coronation Street (also recorded by Granada in Manchester).

A clip from the show can be seen in the film 24 Hour Party People , where Shaun Ryder, in his formative years, is seen watching Karl Denver perform "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" ("Wimoweh").

The music video to Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds' single "Black Star Dancing" depicts the band performing on the show. [1]

Origins of the name

Wheeltappers and shunters are railway workers. They were commonly employed by steam railways in Britain and elsewhere, but are still found both on British railways and in Eastern Europe.

Although often called "working men's clubs", most such clubs admitted the wives and other women family of the working man, at least some days of the week. This is echoed in the programme's audience being as much female as male.

Episode guide

Series 1

Series 2

Special:

Series 3

Series 4

Special:

Series 5

Special:

Series 6

The series was, for at least part of its run, confined to a midnight slot by London Weekend Television and Southern Television, who felt it did not suit their, perceived, more upmarket demographics.

DVD releases

The complete first series of The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club was released on DVD in September 2009 and the second series (including the New Year's Eve Special) was released in July 2010 with the complete third and fourth series being released in February and June 2011. The complete fifth series was released on 23 April 2012. The complete sixth (and final) series is now available as well. The format for the sixth series has changed, each episode being 30 minutes with just one major performer in each.

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>The Brady Bunch</i> American sitcom

The Brady Bunch is an American sitcom created by Sherwood Schwartz that aired from September 26, 1969, to March 8, 1974, on ABC. The series revolves around a large blended family of six children, with three boys and three girls. After its cancellation in 1974, the series debuted in syndication in September 1975. Though it was never a ratings hit or a critical success during its original run, the program has since become a popular syndicated staple, especially among children and teenage viewers.

<i>Young Talent Time</i> Television series

Young Talent Time is an Australian television variety program produced by Lewis-Young Productions and screened on Network Ten. The original series ran from 1971 until 1988 and was hosted by singer-songwriter and record producer Johnny Young for its entire run. The show was briefly revived by Network Ten in 2012 and was hosted by singer and actor Rob Mills.

<i>The Electric Company</i> American childrens television series (1971–1977)

The Electric Company is an American educational children's television series produced by the Children's Television Workshop. It was co-created by Paul Dooley, Joan Ganz Cooney, and Lloyd Morrisett. The series aired on PBS for 780 episodes over the course of its six seasons from October 25, 1971, to April 15, 1977. The program continued in reruns until October 4, 1985. The Electric Company later reran on Noggin, a channel co-founded by the CTW, from 1999 to 2003. Noggin also produced a compilation special for the show.

<i>The Comedians</i> (1971 TV series) British television show (1971–1993)

The Comedians is a British television show of the 1970s produced by Johnnie Hamp of Granada Television. The show gave TV exposure to nightclub and working men's club comedians of the era, including Russ Abbot, Jim Bowen and Bernard Manning, many of whom went on to enjoy mainstream success in the 1980s. Filmed before a live audience in Manchester, comics each performed 20-minute sets, which were then edited together into half-hour shows featuring up to thirteen stand-up comics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stuart Damon</span> American actor (1937–2021)

Stuart Damon was an American actor and singer. He was best known for his 30-year portrayal of Dr. Alan Quartermaine on the American soap opera General Hospital, for which he won an Emmy Award in 1999. Outside the United States, he was known for the role of Craig Stirling in The Champions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bernard Manning</span> English comedian and nightclub owner (1930–2007)

Bernard John Manning was an English comedian and nightclub owner.

Hello Cheeky is a comedy series starring Barry Cryer, John Junkin and Tim Brooke-Taylor, broadcast on BBC Radio 2 between 1973 and 1979, and also broadcast on television - on the ITV network - in 1976. The format was short comedy sketches, often as short as one line, with occasional longer sketches.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plus (British TV channel)</span> TV channel run by Granada Sky Broadcasting

Plus was a digital channel run by Granada Sky Broadcasting. It was launched on 1 October 1996 under the original name of Granada Plus, and during its availability it underwent successive rebrands as G Plus, G+ and then simply Plus. However, it remained widely referred to by the public at large by its original name. On 1 November 2004, it was permanently closed down by ITV plc in an attempt to bring its replacement, ITV3, onto Sky.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eve Plumb</span> American actress, singer and painter

Eve Aline Plumb is an American actress, singer and painter. She is best known for portraying the middle daughter Jan Brady on the ABC sitcom The Brady Bunch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Freddie Garrity</span> English singer (1936–2006)

Frederick Garrity was an English singer and actor. He was best known as the frontman of Freddie and the Dreamers from 1959 until his retirement in 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Roper</span> English comedian (1934–2003)

George Francis Roper was an English comedian, best known for his appearances in the long-running UK television series The Comedians.

Johnnie Hamp is a British television producer, now retired. He is responsible for the early British television appearances of such acts as the Beatles, Burt Bacharach, Cannon and Ball, Paul Daniels, comedian Woody Allen and singer Lisa Stansfield as Head of Light Entertainment with Granada Television.

George Colin Crompton was an English stand-up comedian.

This is a list of British television related events from 1978.

This is a list of British television related events from 1977.

This is a list of British television related events from 1975.

This is a list of British television related events from 1974.

This is a list of British television related events from 1969.

<i>Black Star Dancing EP</i> 2019 EP by Noel Gallaghers High Flying Birds

Black Star Dancing is the second extended play (EP) by English rock band Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds. It was released on 14 June 2019 on 12" black vinyl, 12" picture disc, 12" pink vinyl as well as digital download and on all streaming services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dukes and Lee</span> English comedy double act

Dukes and Lee were a cabaret duo of Ronnie Duke who was an English musician, dancer and comedian and Ricki Lee who was an English singer. They originated from Yorkshire and were popular on the cabaret circuit in the 1960s and 1970s.

References

  1. "Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds Channel INXS, Bowie in 'Black Star Dancing'". Rolling Stone. 7 May 2019.