Name That Tune

Name That Tune is a British television game show that put two contestants against each other to test their knowledge of songs. Originating from the United States on NBC Radio in 1952, the show first aired on the ITV network in 1976. Tom O'Connor was the first presenter before Lionel Blair took over in 1984. History The British version began in 1956. Marion Ryan was the singer in the popular musical quiz Spot the Tune on Granada Television for seven years, with a total of 209 half-hour programmes. Several stars hosted it, including disc-jockey Pete Murray, Canadian pop singer Jackie Rae, and comedians Ken Platt and Ted Ray. The big band in support was that of Peter Knight and his Orchestra. The contestants had to guess the title of a song after hearing only a small sample. The winner of the most cash must try to name as many £5 tunes as possible within 40 seconds. The show also featured a jackpot tune which reached at least £600 on one occasion. It was later revived as Name That Tune on ITV. The UK pilot was recorded in 1976 and became a 15-minute slot on the popular entertainment series Wednesday at Eight, which went on to become London Night Out. However because the game was so popular, producers Thames Television decided to turn Name That Tune into a half-hour weekly series in 1983. The big band in support was that of Alan Braden and his orchestra. From 1976 until 1983 it was hosted by Tom O'Connor. Lionel Blair took over from O'Connor in 1984 until the series was dropped from the ITV schedules in 1988. Maggie Moone and Irish trio Sheeba sang the songs that contestants had to guess, while the pianist (whose hands were a regular feature) was Ronnie Price. Nick Jackson served as the announcer.