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BBC Radio 2 is a radio channel that started transmitting on the 30th September 1967. It replaced Light Programme.

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Sunday Night is Music Night

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Music: Easy Listening, Soundtracks & Musicals

The world's longest-running live orchestral programme featuring the BBC Concert Orchestra

The world's longest-running live orchestral music programme on radio, featuring the BBC Concert Orchestra and broadcast from locations throughout the UK

Friday Night Is Music Night

Sunday Night is Music Night: The Good Old Days

Music: Classical

23/08/2013

The Good Old Days

BBC Radio 2 - Sunday Night is Music Night, The Good Old Days

Featuring the BBC Concert Orchestra with special guests live in concert.

Ken Bruce, aided and abetted by Barry Cryer, presents Friday Night Is Music Night, as we recall BBC TV series The Good Old Days, first broadcast 60 years ago.

Ken Bruce aided and abetted by our guest music hall chairman Barry Cryer presents tonight's Friday Night is Music Night, as we recall the BBC TV series - The Good Old Days - first broadcast 60 years ago.

Later this year Friday Night Is Music Night will celebrate its 60th anniversary - for the last 60 years the BBC Concert Orchestra has been a constant feature of our Friday evening listening.

1953, as it turned out, was a fruitful year in BBC production. Apart from Friday Night is Music Night there had been the great achievement of the live coverage of the Queen's Coronation , drama presented a new series called The Quatermass Experience, Rag, Tag and Bobtail made their very first appearance on the small screen for small people and a new current affairs show was launched entitled Panorama. Then on the 20th July 1953 the entertainment department produced the first of a series of shows which would continue for the next 30 years - The Good Old Days.

The Good Old Days was the brain child of producer Barney Colehan - who before moving to television worked in radio on shows like Have A Go with Wilfred Pickles. The Good Old Days format may be puzzling and dated to today's audience. Recorded at the City Varieties Theatre in Leeds, the Good Old Days recreated the golden era of the Victorian-Edwardian music hall performed by the stars of the present-day. The likes of Morecambe and Wise, Ken Dodd, Arthur Askey and Ted Ray all appeared. The audience was asked to wear suitable attire or else they were banished to the seats in the circle away from the television cameras. The Good Old Days original chairman was Leonard Sachs known for his loquacious introductions to the variety of guests who queued up to do a turn.

Tonight, two guests who regularly appeared on the Good Old Days reunite to celebrate this golden entertainment show - Barry Cryer and Bernard Cribbins. Bernard performs Marriott Edgar's classic tale - Albert and the Lion - whilst Barry acts as our music hall chairman. Soubrette Sophie-Louise Dann performs tributes to the great Marie Lloyd and Vesta Tilley, tenor Alexander Grove entertains with a touch of operatic song and Mark Walsh recalls the great Max Miller. We'll also be joined by virtuoso accordionist Martynas. The BBC Concert Orchestra are as ever on hand conducted by Gavin Sutherland . And we'll end(as the Good Old Days always did) with a chorus of Down at the Old Bull and Bush.

There will be more Good Old Days memories from guests Barry Cryer and Bernard Cribbins during our concert interval.

The show was recorded at the Hackney Empire in June and first broadcast in August 2013.

Amazing music. Played by an amazing line up.

Radio 2: Amazing music. Played by an amazing line-up. The home of great music, entertainment and documentaries

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