Tony Bennett at the Talk of the Town
| Tony Bennett at the Talk of the Town | |
|---|---|
| Created by | |
| Directed by | Peter Fraser–Jones |
| Starring | |
| Composer(s) | Robert Farnon |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 13 |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) |
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| Location(s) | London |
| Running time | 25 minutes |
| Production company(s) |
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| Release | |
| Original network | ITV |
| Picture format | colour |
| Original release | 5 July – 18 October 1972 |
Tony Bennett at the Talk of the Town was a British television series hosted by American pop standards and jazz singer Tony Bennett that aired during 1972. It was staged in London from the Talk of the Town nightclub in conjunction with Thames Television. In the United States and Canada, the programme was known as This Is Music, and was aired in 1974 and 1976, respectively.
The series represented Bennett's ambitious attempt to change how music was presented on television. It featured weekly guest singers such as Sarah Vaughan and Billy Eckstine. It also featured a prominent role for composer and conductor Robert Farnon. Despite the hopes of its creators, no second series ever took place.
At a career crossroads due to the rise of rock music, by 1972 Bennett was in the process of departing from his longtime label Columbia Records for the Verve division of MGM Records (Philips in the UK) and had relocated for a stint in London.
Bennett had always had a strong fan base in England and this had been reinforced by a 1971 concert he gave at Royal Albert Hall with the London Philharmonic Orchestra that had been broadcast by BBC2 in 1972 as the special Tony Bennett Sings. Both the show and the special were well-received and the promoter for them, Derek Boulton, subsequently became Bennett's manager.
As a follow-up, Boulton negotiated a deal to put on a television series to be set at the Talk of the Town nightclub, a well-known London nightspot known for entertainment. It would be co-produced by Thames Television and Tony Bennett Enterprises. Sir Lew Grade of the ITV network was also involved in production of the series.
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