Thank Your Lucky Stars

(ABC) 1961-1966

Thank Your Lucky Stars [click for larger image]

Billy J. Kramer & Dakotas, The Beatles, Cilla Black and The Searchers (15th December 1963)

Probably the least well-remembered of the four 'classic' television pop shows of the Sixties, Thank Your Lucky Stars (TYLS) first hit British television screens in April 1961. Produced by ABC Television, it was intended as a rival show to the already well-established 'Juke Box Jury'.

Thank Your Lucky Stars on ITV from 1961 to 1966. Many of the top bands performed on it, and for millions of British teenagers it was essential viewing. As well as featuring British artists, American guests were frequent visitors.

Audience participation was a strong feature of Thank Your Lucky Stars, and the Spin-a-Disc section, where a guest DJ and three teenagers reviewed three singles, is a very well remembered feature of the show. Generally American singles were reviewed.

The Merseyside specials are very fondly remembered and gained huge audiences.
The show bowed out in the summer of 1966, after two thousand artists had appeared on it.

Thank Your Lucky Stars #1 (1963) - [1of4]

21st December 1963
Host Brian Matthew

1) Billy J Kramer & The Dakotas - I'll Keep You Satisfied

2) Cilla Black - Love Of The Loved

3) Tommy Quickly - Kiss Me Now

Susan Maughan TYLS 8th February 1964

'Oi'll Give It Foive'

Early in 1962 a 16 year-old girl

from Wednesbury in the

Black Country

( then Staffordshire )

was successful in her application

to be on the teenage jury of the

Spin A Disc feature and proved to

be such a hit personality that she

remained as a permanent feature

on the jury for three years.

The girl was Janice Nicholls

Thank Your Lucky Stars l

Thank Your Lucky Stars II

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