The Good Old Days

The Good Old Days
Genre	Old Time Variety, Family
Starring	Leonard Sachs
Country of origin	UK
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	30
Production
Producer(s)	Barney Colehan
Location(s)	Leeds City Varieties Music Hall
Release
Original network	BBC1
First shown in	1953
Original release	1953 – 1983

The Good Old Days was a popular BBC television light entertainment programme directed by Barney Colehan which ran from 1953 to 1983.

It was performed at the Leeds City Varieties and recreated an authentic atmosphere of the Victorian–Edwardian music hall with songs and sketches of the era performed by present-day performers in the style of the original artistes.

The audience dressed in period costume and joined in the singing, especially "Down at the Old Bull and Bush" which closed the show. The show was compered by Leonard Sachs, who sat in a pulpit-like structure at the side of the stage. In the course of its run it featured about 2,000 performers. Each show was an hour long. All acts were in the style of late Victorian/Edwardian stage acts.

The show was first broadcast on 20 July 1953 and the early shows were compered by Don Gemmel.

The Good Old Days was inspired by the success of the "Ridgeway's Late Joys" at the Players' Theatre Club in London: a private members' club that ran fortnightly programmes of variety acts in London's West End.

Typical line-ups were :

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