The Mike Walsh Show
| The Mike Walsh Show | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Variety |
| Presented by | Mike Walsh |
| Country of origin | Australia |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 12 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 90 minutes |
| Original release | |
| Network | Seven Network (1969-71) Network Ten (1973–76) Nine Network (1977–85) |
| Release | 5 February 1973 – 8 August 1985 |
The Mike Walsh Show was an Australian variety daytime television series. Hosted by Mike Walsh.
History
[edit]An early version of The Mike Walsh Show was a Thursday night variety show broadcast on HSV-7, Melbourne, from August 14, 1969.[1] It was revamped to an interview-based format and extended its coverage to ATN-7, Sydney, from 18 March 1971.[2] The program aired for the last time on 8 July 1971.[3]
In February 1973, the Screen Gems company and the 0-10 Network launched The Mike Walsh Show, produced at TEN-10, Sydney, as a daytime program, airing Monday to Friday in the early afternoons.
In late 1976, Walsh announced that he was taking the show across to the Nine Network, with the first show from TCN-9, Sydney, on 7 February 1977 and airing in the midday timeslot.[4]
At the Nine Network, The Mike Walsh Show increased its coverage to include almost every capital city and regional market in Australia.
Description
[edit]The program featured the latest in music, film, fashion, gossip and politics, and garnered around 5 million viewers locally each week, and presented live performances and interviews from celebrities both locally and internationally.
International guest celebrities included: Alan Alda, Steve Allen, Lauren Bacall, Big Bird, Johnny Cash, Cher, John Cleese, Billy Connolly, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tony Curtis, Vic Damone, Sammy Davis Jr., Phyllis Diller, Kirk Douglas, Michael Douglas, Sheena Easton, Jane Fonda, Bob Hope, Whitney Houston, Bette Midler, Helen Mirren, Roger Moore, Johnny Nash, Olivia Newton-John, Peter O'Toole, Gregory Peck, Vincent Price, Oliver Reed, Lionel Richie, Mickey Rooney, Demis Roussos, Leo Sayer, Boz Scaggs, Del Shannon, John Travolta, Tina Turner, The Village People, Dionne Warwick, Robin Williams, and Stevie Wonder[5]
Awards
[edit]The program won a total of 24 Logie awards including a Gold Logie for Jeanne Little in 1977, and host Mike Walsh in 1980. It also won the following awards:
| Association | Award | Year | Results |
| Logie Awards | Logie x 24+ | Won | |
| United Nations Association of Australia | UN Media Peace Prize | Won | |
| Logie Awards | Gold Logie for host Mike Walsh | 1980 | Won |
| Logie Award | Gold Logie for Jeanne Little | 1977 | Won |
Re-programming
[edit]In February 1985, The Mike Walsh Show moved from its popular daytime timeslot to an evening timeslot, two nights a week. The program in the prime time format was not successful, although The Mike Walsh Show's successor in the daytime slot, Midday with a very similar format to The Mike Walsh Show, ran for fourteen years, garnering numerous awards.
References
[edit]External links
[edit]- The Mike Walsh Show at IMDb
- Official website
- The Mike Walsh Show at the National Film and Sound Archive
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