Details

Release year: 1974

Storyline

Countdown was a long-running popular weekly Australian music television show broadcast by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation from 8 November 1974 until 19 July 1987.

Top credits

Cast

Ian 'Molly' Meldrum — Self - Host
Debra Byrne — Self
Stevie Wright — Self
Daryl Braithwaite — Self, Self - Host

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Did you know

• Around 100 master tapes of this series from its early seasons (1974-1978) were erased by the Australian Broadcasting Commission. Only the efforts of Paul Drane and director Ted Emery, who, on hearing of the erasure, snuck in during the middle of the night and hid as many tapes as they could in their cars, prevented all of the tapes from this period being erased. Among the tapes they saved was the March 1975 episode that was the first to be broadcast in colour.

• Although often associated as the host of the programme, Ian 'Molly' Meldrum was not seen on camera until his weekly 'Humdrum' report was launched in June 1975.

• A number of episodes, particularly from the first four years of production (1974 - 1978), are missing.