“Studio One” begins with f.a.q. show

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32678, 6 August 1971, Page 4

“Studio One” begins with f.a.q. show

I Familiarity breeds content, for the average i listener to average music, which helps explain the success of such shows as the “Black and White Minstrels” and will no doubt contribute to a warm reaction to New Zealand’s new “Those Were The Days.”

By the same token, the annual “Studio One" has a disadvantage, because the “new faces” competitors, as a rule, sing pop music which appeals to a limited section of the audience, and the song-writers, naturally, produce songs which are not) familiar. “Studio One” for 1971 began on Wednesday evening, with four "new faces” and three new songs. Among the performers was Noel Signal, with a concert voice and song, but 90 per cent of the material presented in this contest will be familiar only to those who appreciate modern music. No doubt they are enthusiastic about it, but it leaves a lot of others quite cold. In the song-writing contest, there are always some very pleasant melodies: “Nobody Knows,” which topped the first bill, was a good example. Variety is the spice 'of life, and no-one would expect every musical show to churn out the same

familiar songs. But “Studio One” can never hope to reach more than a section of i the national television audi- i ence. It was a well-staged show, 1 but it seemed just a little < tired, and so did the compere, I Jim McNaught. The panel of i song judges, as usual, had<

i very little to offer in their comments, Stephanie Till [being an exception. 4 e ■;>

Alec Stewart and Brian' i Stead continued their personal battle, and the fight between Zenith and Mogul went another brisk round, in "The Troubleshooters.” This was one of the indoor, “Power Game” type stories, and it was very well told. The methods of big business are sometimes startling. In the interests of industrial espionage, for instance, Stewart’s secretary was clearly prepared to give her all. The exotic Mrs Foss, the wife of the Canadian tycoon of an earlier story in the (series, was there to kick up her heels and drag Stewart through a long night on the town, during which he appeared to talk business steadily. She was the key to the situation and she did Stewart down—until the last moment, when a woman’s whim gave Mogul a victory. Dors Reissen was an indefatigable, calculating and manhungry Mrs Foss. The Zenith man, Gar-1 field Morgan—was familiar. Wasn't he in "Softly, Softly” at one time? The persona) and conflicts in “The Troubleshooters” provide strong material, * which is given added impact by the intimacy of the delayed, studied closeups. It remains one of the week’s best shows.

* * • “Survey” went into the problems of cigarette smoking, and made a very good job of what it set out to do. There was no reference directly, to health hazards, but Dougal Stevenson, a very pleasant investigator, concentrated on the difficulties

iof giving up smoking. He h |six guinea pigs, who we asked to give up smokin. by various methods whic i ranged from will-power to hypnotism. It is a subject of much interest to manv people.

Each day for a week there were progress reports on the class, and very natural and real they were. Although it is difficult to believe that the journalist really does sit in the bath each morning with a typewriter on a board before him, while he works and eats his breakfast.

It was a thorough investigation. There was even a Big Brother, a machine which was brought into various rooms to determine whether smoking had been going on there.

; It was a little sad to be told that when the guinea pigs were visited five weeks after the trial period, only one had shaken off the habit. He was the one who relied on will power.—PANDORA.