Early in 1953 Barney Colehan devised a one-off show entitled "The Story of the Music Hall" presented by
Deryck Guyler. The programme proved so popular that it was decided to create a series under the title of "The Good Old Days". The show was first broadcast on 20 July 1953 and the first two shows were compered by Don Gemmell. Early series of the show were broadcast live. The show included many regulars such as
Joan Sterndale-Bennett,
Tessie O'Shea,
Hattie Jacques,
Ray Alan,
Roy Castle,
Roy Hudd,
Ken Dodd,
Barbara Windsor,
Eartha Kitt,
Danny La Rue,
Hylda Baker,
Les Dawson,
Larry Grayson,
Tommy Steele,
Frankie Vaughan,
John Inman,
Bernard Cribbins,
Frank Carson,
Des O'Connor,
Rod Hull,
Ron Moody and
Arthur Askey. The series 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. The club was originally founded by
Leonard Sachs and business partner Peter Ridgeway. Out of 245 episodes, 108 are believed to survive complete in the archives; Surviving editions were rebroadcast on
BBC Four from December 2015 to February 2018, and again from January 2026. On 16 December 1983,
Goodbye to the Good Old Days was shown, a documentary celebrating the end of the 30-year run that year;
Barry Cryer served as
narrator for the documentary. The final show aired on New Year's Eve that year. ==References==