ABC to mark Countdown anniversary with 50 Years On special
Iconic ABC series to be honoured in a 50 year special with Daryl Braithwaite, Kate Ceberano, Marcia Hines, Russell Morris, Leo Sayer and more.
- Published by David Knox
- on
- Filed under News
EXCLUSIVE:
ABC will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Countdown with a huge commemorative special, Countdown 50 Years On.
At 6:30pm on Friday 8 November 1974, Countdown burst into loungerooms all over the nation, igniting a generation and changing the Australian music industry forever.
50 years on, the ABC is inviting viewers to a special at 7.30pm on Saturday 16 November that will bring the glory days of the 70s and 80s rocketing into the here and now.
Myf Warhust and Tony Armstrong will host a night of music with Countdown OGs including Daryl Braithwaite, Joe Camilleri, Kate Ceberano, GANGgajang, Marcia Hines, Grace Knight, Russell Morris, Leo Sayer and Ross Wilson.
Contemporary acts Electric Fields, Kate Miller-Heidke, Nooky, Regurgitator and Katy Steele will also reimagine classic Countdown hits.
Dylan Lewis and Hush guitarist Les Gock are special guests.
Gavin Wood aka the voice of Countdown will also lending his iconic vocals across the 90-minute special.
The special event will reveal behind the scenes stories and interviews from Countdown’s original 13-year run, with never-before-seen archival footage and electrifying live performances.
The celebrations will also feature across ABC Radio:
ABC Radio is bringing Countdown In Your Town to Adelaide, Brisbane, Perth and Newcastle throughout November. Alongside fan favourite ABC Radio presenters, the live events will feature bands playing iconic hits from the Countdown era.
Across the country ABC Radio will be broadcasting Countdown’s Top 20 Greatest Moments on Saturday 9 November at 6pm AEDT. Hosted by ABC Radio Sydney’s James Valentine, the broadcast will celebrate some of the most iconic show moments from Whispering Jack and the Material Girl to ABBA, Iggy Pop and more.
As Molly Meldrum famously said, do yourself a favour, tune in and turn up to an anniversary celebration not to be missed.
Production Credits
Countdown 50 Years On is an ABC Production. Executive Producer Cathie Scott, Supervising Producer Jess Skinner. Musical Director Dorian West. Music Producer Louise Perryman. Producers Richard Martin and Tony Norton. Head of Arts, Music and Events, Kath Earle.
- Tagged with Countdown, Countdown 50 Years On
12 Responses
Is this something we can get tickets to attend or is it just a televised event?
Just saw this actually.
What does that mean David that you don’t know?
Oh lol. I meant “I just saw this ticket link article.” If you hover your cursor over “this” I linked to ticket availability. But I can see the purple is hard to identify, bugger. At the time I posted there were tix avail, but not now.
Good on the Sydney Broadcasting Corporation for marking the occasion but the irony of the actual Melbourne Ripponlea studios where the show was made, sadly being bulldozed as we speak, is not lost on me!
Sydney ABC was always jealous Melbourne had such a popular music show and tried many times to steal it up there or make an alternative during Countdown’s run.
I get Myf Warhurst and Dylan Lewis being involved as both at least were alive and watched Countdown. Both experienced the effect Countdown had on Australian music at the time. Both worked in Studio 31 at Ripponlea (Myf – Spicks & Specks, Dylan – Recovery and 1030 Slot) with pretty much the same crew that made Countdown and each have experience and ties to music in their own right. Not sure though what Tony Armstrong’s connection co-hosting is though? He was born 2 years after Countdown was axed. I feel there would be 100’s of other people who actually have a connection to Countdown that could have helped co host this better.
I watched Sounds while my younger sisters always wanted to watch Countdown. All I remember is that the typical 1 hour episodes was mostly relentless plugs, rambling, embarrassing interviews that went nowhere and mostly middle of the road pop acts miming dreadfully. The ABC picks the few highlights of 13 years and repackages them endlessly as nostalgic kitch. By 5th of 6th class listening to stuff like the Bay City Rollers, ABBA and John Paul John was considered childish. Sounds started first, was 3 hours long, bands in Sydney played live, there was serious coverage of music in Sydney and with Seven’s money was the first broadcast bands and videos in colour (which I could watch once we got a colour TV around 1978). Of course Rage at night on Weekends replaced everything else in 1987 while I was at uni.
…also known as how to destroy a generation.
Should be good. Grew up with Countdown – I remember watching the first Countdown in colour, featuring Skyhooks, back in 1975.
Really looking forward to watching.
Would love to see Molly as part of it but not sure he’s up to it, healthwise….
Genuinely surprised they’re not filming this on Sydney Harbour again. Perhaps they’ve used up their credits.
Wrong city….
You’re thinking of the New Year’s Eve concerts which had a “Countdown” branding but didn’t really represent Countdown.
Actually I was thinking of both NYE and Aus Day as well as the series they did on the Opera House and how I wouldn’t have put it last them to transplant a Melbourne institution to a Sydney location.