Face the Music (British game show) explained

Genre:Panel game show
Creator:Walter Todds
Presenter:Joseph Cooper
Country:United Kingdom
Language:English
Num Series:10
Num Episodes:114
Runtime:30 minutes
Channel:BBC2 (1967–77)
BBC1 (1983–84)

Face the Music is a British panel game show that originally aired on BBC2 from 3 August 1967 to 2 January 1977 and then moved to BBC1 from 17 April 1983 to 16 December 1984 with Joseph Cooper hosting the entire run.

The theme music for the show was the Popular Song from the Façade suite by Sir William Walton (who was a guest on the programme in his 70th birthday year). During its most popular period the programme had a weekly audience of over 4 million.[1]

Format

The programme, chaired by Joseph Cooper,[2] took the form of a quiz, with a panel of three music-loving celebrities, but without scoring or any winner. Each week there would be a special guest, who would also have to answer questions – with the focus being on topics that related to the guest's life and career, so as to lead to amusing anecdotes. The questions to the panel were asked in a series of rounds, each with a theme, such as "The Face, The Music", where the panel would have to identify a composer from their picture, as well as the composer of the music played along with it.

The most demanding round was the "Dummy Keyboard", where Cooper would play a famous piece on a dummy (soundless) instrument, requiring the panel to identify it from hand movements alone.[3] For the benefit of the audience at home, the music in question – which Cooper was hearing through earphones for the purpose of synchronisation – would be slowly faded in as the piece progressed.

Another round was "Hidden Melody" where Cooper would perform a popular tune in the style of a famous composer, while including extracts of works by that composer to help the listeners.[3] Robin Ray, if a member of that week's panel, would typically identify the opus number of the quoted works.

For opera lovers, the panel were shown a filmed performance of one opera with the soundtrack of a different one, and asked to identify both.

Transmissions

Series

Series Start date End date Episodes
1 3 August 1967[4] 31 August 1967[5] 5
2 16 September 1970[6] 21 October 1970[7] 6
3 22 March 1971[8] 7 June 1971[9] 12
4 14 February 1972[10] 29 May 1972[11] 16
5 14 May 1973[12] 27 August 1973[13] 16
6 6 May 1974[14] 19 August 1974[15] 16
7 24 September 1975[16] 17 December 1975[17] 13
8 24 October 1976[18] 19 December 1976[19] 8
9 17 April 1983[20] 22 May 1983[21] 6
10 28 October 1984[22] 16 December 1984[23] 8

Specials

Date Entitle
26 December 1967[24] Christmas Special
24 December 1972[25] Christmas Special
25 December 1973[26] Christmas Special
25 December 1974[27] Christmas Special
20 December 1975[28] Christmas Special
26 December 1976[29] Christmas Special
2 January 1977[30] 100th Episode

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Joseph Cooper . . 6 August 2001 . 20 April 2011.
  2. Web site: Pianist Joseph Cooper dies . BBC News . 6 August 2001 . 20 April 2011.
  3. Web site: Obituaries – Joseph Cooper . . 20 April 2011 . Anderson . Martin.
  4. Web site: Face the Music - BBC Two England - 3 August 1967 . . 9 February 2021.
  5. Web site: Face the Music - BBC Two England - 31 August 1967 . . 9 February 2021.
  6. Web site: Face the Music - BBC Two England - 16 September 1970 . . 9 February 2021.
  7. Web site: Face the Music - BBC Two England - 21 October 1970 . . 9 February 2021.
  8. Web site: Face the Music - BBC Two England - 22 March 1971 . . 9 February 2021.
  9. Web site: Face the Music - BBC Two England - 7 June 1971 . . 9 February 2021.
  10. Web site: Face the Music - BBC Two England - 14 February 1972 . . 9 February 2021.
  11. Web site: Face the Music - BBC Two England - 29 May 1972 . . 9 February 2021.
  12. Web site: Face the Music - BBC Two England - 14 May 1973 . . 9 February 2021.
  13. Web site: Face the Music - BBC Two England - 27 August 1973 . . 9 February 2021.
  14. Web site: Face the Music - BBC Two England - 6 May 1974 . . 9 February 2021.
  15. Web site: Face the Music - BBC Two England - 19 August 1974 . . 9 February 2021.
  16. Web site: Face the Music - BBC Two England - 24 September 1975 . . 9 February 2021.
  17. Web site: Face the Music - BBC Two England - 17 December 1975 . . 9 February 2021.
  18. Web site: Face the Music - BBC Two England - 24 October 1976 . . 9 February 2021.
  19. Web site: Face the Music - BBC Two England - 19 December 1976 . . 9 February 2021.
  20. Web site: Face the Music - BBC One London - 17 April 1983 . . 9 February 2021.
  21. Web site: Face the Music - BBC One London - 22 May 1983 . . 9 February 2021.
  22. Web site: Face the Music - BBC One London - 28 October 1984 . . 9 February 2021.
  23. Web site: Face the Music - BBC One London - 16 December 1984 . . 9 February 2021.
  24. Web site: Face the Music - BBC Two England - 26 December 1967 . . 9 February 2021.
  25. Web site: Face the Music - BBC Two England - 24 December 1972 . . 9 February 2021.
  26. Web site: Face the Music - BBC Two England - 25 December 1973 . . 9 February 2021.
  27. Web site: Face the Music - BBC Two England - 25 December 1974 . . 9 February 2021.
  28. Web site: Face the Music - BBC Two England - 20 December 1975 . . 9 February 2021.
  29. Web site: Face the Music - BBC Two England - 26 December 1976 . . 9 February 2021.
  30. Web site: Face the Music - BBC Two England - 2 January 1977 . . 9 February 2021.

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