Typical acts were Little and Large, Keith Harris and Orville, Lena Zavaroni, The Jimmy Brown Dancers, Bernie Clifton, Showaddywaddy, The Wurzels, Sacha Distel, Peters and Lee, Val Doonican, Ronnie Corbett, The Goodies and Nana Mouskouri.
5 July 1975 Location – BBC1 Big Top at Blackpool The first of a new series of variety shows featuring artists appearing at Britain's seaside resorts starring Ken Dodd with The Diddymen.
12 July 1975 Location – BBC1 Big Top which this week visited Great Yarmouth Starring Peters and Lee with special guests Billy Dainty, Alan Randall impersonating George Formby, Frank Carson, Stu Francis, Cool Breeze and introduced by Noel Edmonds featuring New Edition.
Guests – Dick Emery was the host of the show with an all-star line-up featuring Sacha Distel who performed his new single and 'Beach Baby' on Great Yarmouth beach with New Edition, singing in both English and French, Clodagh Rodgers, Little and Large, Norman Caley (keep an eye on his arms) and introduced by Noel Edmonds.
9 August 1975 Location – Gerry Cottle's Circus, Torbay Hosts – Noel Edmonds and Val Doonican Guests – Windsor Davies and Don Estelle with a comedy routine and two songs including their number one hit 'Whispering Grass', Lynn Rogers, Peter Hudson telling the longest joke in the world about a kangaroo and an elephant, Ian Lavender, Bill Pertwee (both from Dad's Army), John Inman, Mike Reid and Radio 1 DJs David Hamilton, Tony Blackburn (and his then wife Tessa Wyatt) featuring New Edition.
Keeping the animal theme they then performed Funky Gibbon Also appearing were the hosts comedy double act Dailey & Wayne, Roy Hudd with strongman Khalil, 15-year-old Kimberly Clark, Des Lane and his penny whistle, Lulu making it two Eurovision Song Contest winners on the show, impressionist Janet Brown, Kenneth McKellar and Tony Blackburn as the presenter.
Rolf Harris is the host and also appearing are The Bachelors with the debut of new double act Stuart Gillies and with a cat and a shark but not his ostrich Bernie Clifton impressionist Johnny More, singer Rita Morris, New Edition and Tony Blackburn.
Also appearing are Keith Harris and Orville with Cuddles, Tessie O'Shea, Lena Zavaroni, Derek Dene with a golfing sketch, Jon Britain and presenter Tony Blackburn and featuring New Edition.
performing a German folk dance routine,= though 'Mrs Slocombe' has been in the bar a bit too long, Showaddywaddy, clown Charlie Cairoli in a messy custard pie sketch with Tony Blackburn and The Goodies singing "Bounce".
Guests included Dana, ventriloquist Dawson Chance, Jim Davidson, Des Lane with his penny whistle, Don Robinson and his chimpanzees and resident song and dance group New Edition also performing.
3 July 1976 We are still in Scarborough and it is an (American Bicentennial edition) The show is hosted by The Three Degrees and also appearing are Kenneth McKellar, impressionists Brother Lees (one of the three has a bit of a problem with his chair which rather mucks up their synchronicity), from Italy 'The Flag wavers' and Dailey and Wayne.
The main hosts are Basil Brush Show with Roy North Also are Lulu, Mike & Bernie Winters, Janet Brown, Dream Express, Ron Martin and the ever-present New Edition.
Dave Lee Travis is also on the show and introduces the Cimmaro Brothers who cross a tightrope 25 feet above a cage full of lions and without a safety net and at one stage blindfolded.
Also appearing are Tony Monopoly, Paul Daniels and Cannon and Ball both before they became big stars, Surprise Sisters, Mary Chipperfield with her chimpanzee act and we also get to see some tigers too and clowns Jacko Fossett and Little Billy in a barbershop routine with David Hamilton and 'a member of the audience' most likely a stooge.
We also get to see The Bachelors, Sacha Distel, The Grumbleweeds who start with a tasteless impression of Peters and Lee, Keith Harris and Orville with Cuddles appearing and Kenny Lynch joins Jimmy Tarbuck for the closing section of the show with a few more racist jokes by both.
The hosts are Peters and Lee and guests include singer Vince Hill, Roger De Courcey and Nookie the Bear, The Patton Brothers, Fivepenny Piece, Jodie Grey and Alan Stewart and of course New Edition.
We see some of the best routines from New Edition, Keith Harris and Cuddles (still no sign of Orville), Jim Davidson, Frank Carson, Salty the Sea Lion and dare-devil stunts including Tony Blackburn parachuting but not enjoying a perfect landing, The Great Khalil and Dick Sheppard's car catching fire.
Tony Blackburn is the presenter and hosting the show are The Bachelors with special guests, Little and Large, plus chart-topping group Showaddywaddy, comedian Dave Ismay, James Boys, Shades of Love and the Cimmaro Brothers are back with a motorcycle act this time.
Guests include Claude Francois, Joe Dassin, acrobatic act, the Half Wits, Jennifer, Norman Caley (who surprises the unsuspecting French audience and even directs the traffic at one stage), New Edition and the host Tony Blackburn who still cannot resist a David Hamilton joke.
Guests this week include the newly crowned Miss Seaside Special, Johnnie and Roy, Mission Hall Jazz Band, Des O’Connor, Jack Douglas with George Truzzi, Alan Randall, Roger Kitter, Brian Taylor, Shades of Love, Californians, Page Three, David Hamilton is the host and of course New Edition sing and dance their way throughout the show, including a 'Mack and Mabel' routine filmed at Noirmont Manor.
Performers include New Edition, Hope and Keen with John Inman in their ballet scene, the spoof Dave Masters stunt, Roger Kitter with children doing impersonations, Michael Barrymore, Little and Large with their 'Kung Fu Fighting' sketch, circus act Van Buren with a disappearing motorcycle, the Ronnie Corbett strongman routine and the Battle of the Flowers.
Presented by Andy Williams with his guests Sacha Distel and Demis Roussos with Rod Hull and Emu who does an act featuring a new trick also performed with Larry Grayson at the London Palladium, Boney M, Sheila and B.
Presented by Petula Clark (who lived in Switzerland) in the big top with her guests Charles Aznavour, the Manhattan Transfer, The Three Degrees, Claude Francois (who sadly died before this programme was broadcast), singer Udo Jurgens, Wolfgang Danne and Jillian (performing a comic ballet routine) and again featuring Geoff Richer's First Edition with a Beatles medley and later in the show a disco one too.
Also appearing are Roy Castle (who does a trumpet routine before singing on a golf course with Sacha), impressionist Tony Venner, Brothers Lees, Jean Vallée from Belgium, pianist Colin 'Fingers' Henry (who at one stage plays while his head is on the floor) and The Black Gold.
Guests are Jim Davidson, Roger De Courcey and Nookie the Bear, Berni Flint, Larry Parker, circus strongman act Samson and Delilah, Udo Jürgens and Annie Cordy.
Appearing tonight are Dionne Warwick, Baccara, Band a Basile, magician Chris Woodward, Arthur Scott and his Sealions (one of whom does a duet with Sacha), Alain Souchon, Annie Cordon, Patrick Juvet, Jeane Manson, Grace Jones Martin Circus.
Guests include Peters and Lee, Dooleys, comedians Charlie Daze and Mike Burton, Brian Marshall, Californians, Good Vibrations, Ron Martin.
9 September 1978 8.20pm to 9.10pm Location Weymouth guests Mike Carter, Lenny Henry, Mike Hope, Albie Keen, John Inman, Dana Gillespie, Salena Jones, Norman Collier, Bobby Crush 22 September 1978 Location Weymouth guests Lennie Bennett, Jerry Stevens, Allan Stewart, Valerie Masters, Diane Cousins, Bobby Knutt, Turnstyle 18 December 1978 Christmas Snowtime Special[4] A Yuletide Spectacular!
Including ski-ing, ice-skating and Alpine sports, recorded on location in the BBC Big Top, 4,000 feet up in the Swiss Alps with international stars Andy Williams, Petula Clark, Boney M, Manhattan Transfer, Sacha Distel, Charles Aznavour, The Three Degrees, Sheila B Devotion, Jacqueline Harbord.
Cliff Richard and Don MacLean, Jerry Stevens, Keith Harris, Lenny Henry and Antonia Rodriguez 11 August 1979 Location Honfleur Introduced by Peter Powell with guests Rod Hull and Emu, Plastic Bertrand, Eruption, Gibson Brothers, Santos 'Loonies', Amanda Lear 18 August 1979 Location BBC Big Top at Pleasure Beach, Blackpool Introduced by Peter Powell with guests Les Dawson, The Krankies, Stu Francis, Les Dennis, Roy Barraclough and from the world of pop music The Dooleys, Berni Flint, Dollar 25 August 1979 Location BBC Big Top, Isle of Man Introduced by Peter Powell with guests Petula Clark, The Grumbleweeds, The Wurzels, Frank Carson, Bobby Knutt, Diane Cousins, Tony Kent, Greg Bonham, Iris Williams 1 September 1979 Location BBC Big Top from Poole Introduced by Peter Powell with guests Rolf Harris, Roy Castle, Amii Stewart, Bernie Clifton, Candlewick Green, Neil Martin and First Edition 8 September 1979 Location Big Top from the Isle of Man Introduced by Peter Powell with guests Lennie Bennett, Ruby Winters and Boney M Snowtime Christmas Special Saturday 22 December 1979 BBC1 6.35pm to 7.25pm Location Leysin, Switzerland This show used a mixture of previously recorded and broadcast segments from the Snowtime Easter Special plus additional guests hosted by Dame Edna Everage.