Multi-Coloured Swap Shop

The reason...

They could have picked any of those DJs to host Saturday Superstore once they launched it as the '80s successor to Swap Shop.

Yeah.

Right? Swap Shop was the '70s.

The '70s had, had come to an end.

Mm.

Right

...

On Saturday night on BBC Four, um, and this is a program I know, uh, is very close to your heart.

Uh, but there is what is being called a Swap Shop night.

Uh-

Ooh

...

but it's a couple of, uh, programs about the Multicolored Swap Shop, which is having a 50th anniversary this year.

The first one is the documentary that was made about most of those sort of live Saturday morning shows on the BBC that was, uh, first shown in 1996.

But the second program, the Multicolored Swap Shop Summer Stocktaking, which was, um, really just a kind of the highlight edition for the 1981 series of Multicolored Swap Shop, is by far the better program.

we were losing the battle so it you know it went in it went in swings and roundabouts you know there were certain shows that did really well for ITV like number 73 get fresh them kind of shows and then there were like traditional classics that the BBC would roll out and you couldn't touch them.

So like Swap Shop, Saturday Superstore, going live.

And in the beginning, live and kicking.

So as a kid, Saturday morning was appointment viewing.

And probably at the time, maybe the biggest, biggest radio show in Britain.

And then he was, Swap Shop, for me, was the, the first exposure to Noel 'cause I'm a bit older than you.

Swap Shop was a big thing, and I remember-

Yeah

... being really upset when Swap Shop ended.

But then there was Late Break- Late, Late Breakfast Show, which had a Lotus Esprit in the titles, for heaven's sake.

Oh, did it?

That really takes some doing.

We were watching on television in the UK during the featured year, 1976, the BBC television drama series, The Duchess of Duke Street.

[upbeat music] The British children's television series, Multicoloured Swap Shop.

Swap Shop.

Swap Shop.

Swap Shop.

Swap Shop.

And the American television sitcom, Happy Days.

Wednesday, Happy Days.

Yeah

... and Sarah Green on Saturday Superstore and watching Swap Shop, you know, with Noel Edmonds and Posh Paws.

It's, to end up doing Saturday morning telly.

But it's really funny, Jo, 'cause you talk to our ki- our kids about it, and they, they're like, "What Sa- what was Saturday morning telly?"

Well, Edmonds became one of the most visible presenters on the BBC.

He fronted from 1976 their Saturday morning kids show, Multicolored Swap Shop, which was genuinely groundbreaking and innovative for a number of reasons, at least some of which were of Edmonds' own invention.

As the host, he would acknowledge the presence of the cameras and the production assistants in the room.

He'd refer to them and talk to them.

It was one of those shows that I remember thinking, I wish I could be on that show.

There were certain shows like that, Swap Shop.

I always found Tiz Wars a little bit terrifying.

I used to watch Tiz Wars, but I would never have wanted to be on Tiz Wars.

Swap Shop, absolutely, because I loved Swap Shop, because I was a big Keith Chegwin fan.

But Runaround was just absolutely fantastic.

I just loved the concept, and I loved the fact that they had to run around, and they had ship prizes at the end.