The Black and White Minstrel Show
| The Black and White Minstrel Show | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Created by | George Mitchell |
| Starring |
George Chisholm Stan Stennett Leslie Crowther |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language(s) | English |
| Production | |
| Location(s) | London, England |
| Release | |
| Original network | BBC |
| Original release | 14 June 1958 – 21 July 1978 |
The Black and White Minstrel Show was a British light entertainment show that ran on BBC television from 1958 to 1978 and was a popular stage show. It was a weekly light entertainment and variety show presenting traditional American minstrel and country songs, as well as show and music hall numbers, usually performed in blackface, and with lavish costumes. The show was created by BBC producer George Inns working with George Mitchell.
The show was first broadcast on the BBC on 14 June 1958. It began as a one-off special in 1957 called The 1957 Television Minstrels featuring the male Mitchell Minstrels (after George Mitchell, the musical director) and the female Television Toppers dancers. It was popular and soon developed into a regular 45-minute show on Saturday evening prime time television, featuring a sing-along format with both solo and minstrel pieces (often with extended segueing), some country and western and music derived from other foreign folk cultures. The male Minstrels performed in blackface; the female dancers and other accompanying artists did not. The show included "comedy interludes" performed by Leslie Crowther, George Chisholm and Stan Stennett. It was initially produced by George Inns with George Mitchell. The Minstrels' main soloists were baritone Dai Francis, tenor John Boulter, and bass Tony Mercer. During the nine years that the show was broadcast in black and white, the blackface makeup was actually red as black did not film very well.
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