Joan Bilceaux

John D&apos;Arcy

Don Bennetts

Hit recordings were danced to and lip-synced in settings.

Hit Parade

A popular series despite an odd format

This Australian TV series (which aired from 1956 to 1959) was a music series with an unusual format. The hit records of the week were played, and a group of people known as the &quot;Hit Paraders&quot; lip-synced them, sometimes acting out the plot of the song.

I recently viewed an episode via an NFSA access copy (listed as episode #40, though I believe this may be incorrect). In the episode, the set design consists of a street with a café, a butcher shop and other such shops. The &quot;buildings&quot; on the set are used as part of the miming of the songs, as I said above some of the songs are not just lip-synced, but woven into a simple form of storytelling. For example, a song called &quot;He&apos;s Got the Whole World in His Hands&quot; is mimed by a woman holding a baby carriage, with people surrounding the carriage to see the baby. A song called &quot;Boppin&apos; in a Sack&quot;, which mocked the &quot;sack dresses&quot; of the era, is lip-synced by three men, surrounded by women wearing such dresses.

I would like to note that the episode is incomplete, missing the opening intro.

Despite the odd format and idiosyncratic production values, I found it to be quite enjoyable and very watchable. Over a dozen of the episodes still exist, I would like to see more.

The series appears to have been popular with viewers. Produced by HSV-7 in Melbourne, it was also shown on TCN-9 in Sydney.

This Australian TV series (which aired from 1956 to 1959) was a music series with an unusual format. The hit records of the week were played, and a group of people known as the "Hit Paraders" lip-synced them, sometimes acting out the plot of the song.

I recently viewed an episode via an NFSA access copy (listed as episode #40, though I believe this may be incorrect). In the episode, the set design consists of a street with a café, a butcher shop and other such shops. The "buildings" on the set are used as part of the miming of the songs, as I said above some of the songs are not just lip-synced, but woven into a simple form of storytelling. For example, a song called "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands" is mimed by a woman holding a baby carriage, with people surrounding the carriage to see the baby. A song called "Boppin' in a Sack", which mocked the "sack dresses" of the era, is lip-synced by three men, surrounded by women wearing such dresses.

I would like to note that the episode is incomplete, missing the opening intro.

Despite the odd format and idiosyncratic production values, I found it to be quite enjoyable and very watchable. Over a dozen of the episodes still exist, I would like to see more.

The series appears to have been popular with viewers. Produced by HSV-7 in Melbourne, it was also shown on TCN-9 in Sydney.

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Hit Parade

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