Sydney Tonight was an Australian television variety series which aired from December 1956 to early 1959 on Sydney station ATN-7. Originally compered by Keith Walshe, it was later hosted by Roy Hampson and re-titled Tonight. The series featured a format including guests, interviews, audience participation, and music.[1] Like In Melbourne Tonight, which came later, it was patterned on the groundbreaking U.S. series Tonight Starring Steve Allen.
| Sydney Tonight | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Tonight |
| Genre | Variety show |
| Presented by |
|
| Country of origin | Australia |
| Original language | English |
| Original release | |
| Network | ATN-7 |
| Release | December 1956 – 1959 |
| Related | |
| Tonight Starring Steve Allen | |
In October 1958, station ATN-7 experimented by using video-tape recordings of Sydney Tonight segments as part of their morning line-up. Reviewing the morning line-up, Nan Musgrove of The Australian Women's Weekly criticised the use of the Sydney Tonight segments, saying that "I may be peculiar, but ladies in full warpaint and baretopped evening dresses at 7:30 a.m. wiggling their way through seductive songs are not my favorite breakfast entertainment",[2] though the reviewer had more positive feelings towards the other morning offerings, soap opera Autumn Affair and music series The Toppanos.
The series had segment titled Ardath Hit Parade which was later spun off into its own series.
A kinescope of a 1958 episode of the series is held by the National Film and Sound Archive.[3]
Reception
editThe 2 January 1957 edition of Australian Women's Weekly gave the series 2/4, saying that "Variety artists so far have been good" but felt that Walshe was not a compelling host.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b "TeleVision Parade". The Australian Women's Weekly. Vol. 24, no. 31. Australia. 2 January 1957. p. 20. Retrieved 30 June 2013 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "TeleVision Parade". The Australian Women's Weekly. Vol. 26, no. 22. Australia. 5 November 1958. p. 66. Retrieved 30 June 2013 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Sydney Tonight". National Film and Sound Archive. Retrieved 16 September 2013.
