Thank Your Lucky Stars (TV series)
| Company type | Television program |
|---|---|
| Industry | Television, music |
| Founded | 1961 |
| Defunct | 1966 |
| Fate | Ended |
Area served | United Kingdom |
Key people | Brian Matthew (host) |
| Products | Pop music television show |
Thank Your Lucky Stars was a British pop music television program created by ABC Weekend TV and aired on ITV between 1961 and 1966. Among its hosts, Brian Matthew stood out as the most prominent. The series showcased numerous leading British pop bands and regularly featured guest appearances from American artists.
Performers generally lip-synced their newest singles, occasionally presenting two tracks, often corresponding to both the A-side and B-side of a record. Major acts such as The Beatles and The Rolling Stones sometimes delivered up to four performances in a single episode.
A representative lineup from 1961 included The Dale Sisters, Adam Faith, John Leyton, The Brook Brothers, Geoff Goddard, and Dion DiMucci. Audience involvement played a significant role, particularly during the Spin-a-Disc segment where a guest DJ and three teenagers critiqued singles, primarily from American artists. Janice Nicholls gained recognition for her signature phrase "Oi'll give it foive," while another notable commentator was Billy Butler.
The Beatles appeared for their second nationally broadcast television performance on this show, following their initial TV debut on Tuesday Rendezvous in December 1962. The original theme tune was composed by Peter Knight & The Knightriders, later succeeded by "Lunar Walk" composed by Johnny Hawksworth.
Concluding on 25 June 1966 after featuring over two thousand musical acts, the program encountered resistance from the Musicians' Union due to its reliance on mimed performances—a practice that was discontinued in 1966.
The majority of Thank Your Lucky Stars episodes are now missing, with only a small number of complete shows and fragments remaining.
Cultural references
The band Generation X referenced the show in their song "Ready Steady Go!" with the line: "I'm not in love with Juke Box Jury/I'm not in love with Thank Your Lucky Stars".