Sunday Night at the London Palladium

This variety show ran from 1955 to 1967, networked live across the UK from the London Palladium, to more and more ITV regions as they set up to receive it. The original host was Tommy Trinder, who appears in this clip making topical jokes about medical TV dramas – this would have been one of his last shows, since he was replaced by Bruce Forsyth in 1958. The conductor seen at the start of the clip is Cyril Ornadel, who later composed and performed the theme music to ATV's 1978 classic, Sapphire and Steel. It's a great variety bill, packing in everything from Tiller Girl dancers to stand-up acts, slapstic routines to classical singers, and there's an audience game show slap bang in the middle, Beat The Clock.