This is Tom Jones is an
ATVAssociated Television, often referred to as ATV, was a British television company, holder of various licences to broadcast on the ITV network from 24 September 1955 until 00:34 on 1 January 1982...
variety series starring
Tom JonesSir Thomas John Woodward, OBE , known by his stage name Tom Jones, is a Welsh singer.Since the mid 1960s, Jones has sung many styles of popular music – pop, rock, R&B, show tunes, country, dance, techno, soul and gospel – and sold over 100 million records...
. The series was exported to the United States by
ITC EntertainmentThe Incorporated Television Company was a British television company largely involved in production and distribution. It was founded by Lew Grade.-History:...
and was networked there by
ABCThe American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
.
The series ran between 1969 and 1971 to total 65 color episodes. It was nominated for a
Golden Globe AwardThe Golden Globe Award is an accolade bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign...
for "Best Actor In A Television Series - Musical Or Comedy" in 1969. The award went to
Dan DaileyDaniel James Dailey Jr. was an American dancer and actor.-Early life and career:Born in New York City on December 14, 1915, to James J. and Helen Dailey, both born in New York City. He appeared in a minstrel show when very young, and appeared in vaudeville before his Broadway debut in 1937 in...
for The Governor and J.J.
In recent years, distribution rights to the show have been the subject of litigation, in relation to the original license holder,
C/F InternationalC/F International was a company that licensed television programming to stations, home video companies and other outlets around the world. Its Businessweek profile stated that:...
. For example, as of December, 2004, C/F International was a secured judgement creditor of
Classic World ProductionsClassic World Productions-, based in Naperville, Illinois, was a significant issuer of back music catalogues and television programs.- History :...
and it principal, Darryl Payne, for approximately one million dollars, and was the principal secured creditor at the time of the Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing by the company, six months later. C/F International's action against Classic World Productions and owner Darryl Payne was based on unpaid royalties in relation to "This Is Tom Jones", and related recordings. The 1969-1971 "This Is Tom Jones" television shows are currently sold by
Time-LifeTime–Life is a creator and direct marketer of books, music, video/DVD, and multimedia products. Its products are sold throughout North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia through television, print, retail, the Internet, telemarketing, and direct sales....
, rather than by Classic World Productions or C/F International.
A triple-DVD compilation of performances from the show, subtitled Rock 'n' Roll Legends, was released by Time Life on 26 June 2007, having previously been issued, in various forms, by Classic World Productions. It features performances from
Richard PryorRichard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor was an American stand-up comedian, actor, social critic, writer and MC. Pryor was known for uncompromising examinations of racism and topical contemporary issues, which employed colorful vulgarities, and profanity, as well as racial epithets...
,
Mary HopkinMary Hopkin , credited on some recordings as Mary Visconti, is a Welsh folk singer best known for her 1968 UK number one single "Those Were The Days". She was one of the first musicians to sign to The Beatles' Apple label....
,
Peter SellersRichard Henry Sellers, CBE , known as Peter Sellers, was a British comedian and actor. Perhaps best known as Chief Inspector Clouseau in The Pink Panther film series, he is also notable for playing three different characters in Dr...
,
The WhoThe Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
,
Burt BacharachBurt F. Bacharach is an American pianist, composer and music producer. He is known for his popular hit songs and compositions from the mid-1950s through the 1980s, with lyrics written by Hal David. Many of their hits were produced specifically for, and performed by, Dionne Warwick...
,
Anne BancroftAnne Bancroft was an American actress associated with the Method acting school, which she had studied under Lee Strasberg....
,
Glen CampbellGlen Travis Campbell is an American country music singer, guitarist, television host and occasional actor. He is best known for a series of hits in the 1960s and 1970s, as well as for hosting a variety show called The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour on CBS television.During his 50 years in show...
,
Janis JoplinJanis Lyn Joplin was an American singer, songwriter, painter, dancer and music arranger. She rose to prominence in the late 1960s as the lead singer of Big Brother and the Holding Company and later as a solo artist with her backing groups, The Kozmic Blues Band and The Full Tilt Boogie Band...
,
Joe CockerJohn Robert "Joe" Cocker, OBE is an English rock and blues musician, composer and actor, who came to popularity in the 1960s, and is most known for his gritty voice, his idiosyncratic arm movements while performing, and his cover versions of popular songs, particularly those of The Beatles...
,
Big Jim SullivanBig Jim Sullivan is an English musician, whose career started in 1959. He is best known as a session guitarist. In the 1960s and 1970s, Sullivan was one of the most "in-demand" studio musicians in the UK, and performed in more than one thousand charting singles over his career...
,
Little RichardRichard Wayne Penniman , known by the stage name Little Richard, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, recording artist, and actor, considered key in the transition from rhythm and blues to rock and roll in the 1950s. He was also the first artist to put the funk in the rock and roll beat and...
,
Stevie WonderStevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
,
Bob HopeBob Hope, KBE, KCSG, KSS was a British-born American comedian and actor who appeared in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in radio, television and movies. He was also noted for his work with the US Armed Forces and his numerous USO shows entertaining American military personnel...
and
Aretha FranklinAretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Although known for her soul recordings and referred to as The Queen of Soul, Franklin is also adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her atop its list of The Greatest Singers of All...
. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young were featured in early promotional copies, but these were withdrawn when rights issues prevented their performance being released; Little Richard was substituted for the final copies.
Another triple-DVD compilation of performances from the show, subtitled Legendary Performers, was released by Time Life on 12 February 2008. It features performances from
Sammy Davis, Jr.Samuel George "Sammy" Davis Jr. was an American entertainer and was also known for his impersonations of actors and other celebrities....
,
Tony BennettTony Bennett is an American singer of popular music, standards, show tunes, and jazz....
,
Bobby DarinBobby Darin , born Walden Robert Cassotto, was an American singer, actor and musician.Darin performed in a range of music genres, including pop, rock, jazz, folk and country...
,
David SteinbergDavid Steinberg is a Canadian comedian, actor, writer, director, and author. At the height of his popularity, during the late 1960s and early 1970s, he was one of the best-known stand-up comics in the United States...
,
Liza MinnelliLiza May Minnelli is an American actress and singer. She is the daughter of singer and actress Judy Garland and film director Vincente Minnelli....
,
Rich LittleRichard Caruthers "Rich" Little is a Canadian-American impressionist and voice actor. He has long been known throughout the world as a top impersonator of famous people, resulting in his nickname, "The Man of a Thousand Voices"....
,
Jerry Lee LewisJerry Lee Lewis is an American rock and roll and country music singer-songwriter and pianist. An early pioneer of rock and roll music, Lewis's career faltered after he married his young cousin, and he afterwards made a career extension to country and western music. He is known by the nickname 'The...
,
Chet AtkinsChester Burton Atkins , known as Chet Atkins, was an American guitarist and record producer who, along with Owen Bradley, created the smoother country music style known as the Nashville sound, which expanded country's appeal to adult pop music fans as well.Atkins's picking style, inspired by Merle...
,
Johnny CashJohn R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
and June Carter.
The show also featured comedy sketches by the Ace Trucking Company improvisational group, featuring
Fred WillardFred Willard is an American actor, comedian, and voice over actor, best known for his improvisational comedy skills. He is known for his roles in the Christopher Guest mockumentary films This is Spinal Tap, Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, and For Your Consideration as well as...
and
Patti DeutschPatricia "Patti" Deutsch is a voice artist and comedic actress. In the 1970s she was a frequent panelist on Match Game.-Match Game:...
, among others.
Guest appearances
The show featured guest appearances by many top actors, comedians and singers of the time, including
Mary HopkinMary Hopkin , credited on some recordings as Mary Visconti, is a Welsh folk singer best known for her 1968 UK number one single "Those Were The Days". She was one of the first musicians to sign to The Beatles' Apple label....
,
Peter SellersRichard Henry Sellers, CBE , known as Peter Sellers, was a British comedian and actor. Perhaps best known as Chief Inspector Clouseau in The Pink Panther film series, he is also notable for playing three different characters in Dr...
,
Liza MinnelliLiza May Minnelli is an American actress and singer. She is the daughter of singer and actress Judy Garland and film director Vincente Minnelli....
,
Janis JoplinJanis Lyn Joplin was an American singer, songwriter, painter, dancer and music arranger. She rose to prominence in the late 1960s as the lead singer of Big Brother and the Holding Company and later as a solo artist with her backing groups, The Kozmic Blues Band and The Full Tilt Boogie Band...
,
Dusty SpringfieldMary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O'BrienSources use both Isabel and Isobel as the spelling of her second name. OBE , known professionally as Dusty Springfield and dubbed The White Queen of Soul, was a British pop singer whose career extended from the late 1950s to the 1990s...
and
Bob HopeBob Hope, KBE, KCSG, KSS was a British-born American comedian and actor who appeared in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in radio, television and movies. He was also noted for his work with the US Armed Forces and his numerous USO shows entertaining American military personnel...
.
1st Season
- #1 - Peter Sellers, Joey Heatherton, Richard Pryor, Mary Hopkin, The Moody Blues - aired: 2/7/1969
- #2 - Nancy Wilson, Mireille Mathieu, Davy Jones, Herman’s Hermits, Rich Little - aired: 2/14/1969
- #3 - Lynn Redgrave, Sergio Mendes and Brasil ’66, Lulu, Tim Conway, The Bee Gees - aired: 2/21/1969
- #4 - Dick Cavett, Terry-Thomas, The 5th Dimension, Sandie Shaw, Julie Driscoll w/Brian Augur and the Trinity - aired: 2/28/1969
- #5 - Shirley Jones, Dick Cavett, Dusty Springfield, Engelbert Humperdinck, The Foundations - aired: 3/7/1969
- #6 - Paul Anka, Mary Hopkin, Georgia Brown, The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, George Carlin - aired: 3/14/1969
- #7 - Mama Cass Elliot, The Dave Clark Five, Massiel, George Carlin - aired: 3/21/1969
- #8 - Chet Atkins, Barbara Eden, Rich Little, Jerry Lee Lewis, Salena Jones - aired: 3/28/1969
- #9 - Judy Carne, Jo Anne Worley, Millicent Martin, Anita Harris - aired: 4/4/1969
- #10 - Donovan, Lainie Kazan, Bobby Goldsboro, Jo Anne Worley, Godfrey Cambridge - aired: 4/11/1969
- #11 - Manitas de Plata, Mireille Mathieu, Pat Paulsen, Fran Jeffries, The Who - aired: 4/18/1969
- #12 - Pat Paulsen, Stevie Wonder, Shani Wallis, The Hollies - aired: 4/25/1969
- #13 - Sonny & Cher, Herman’s Hermits, Esther Ofarim, Cleo Laine, Henry Gibson - aired: 5/2/1969
- #14 - George Burns, John Davidson, Sally Ann Howes - aired: 5/22/1969
- #15 - The 5th Dimension, Dick Cavett, Juliet Prowse, Mireille Mathieu - aired: 5/29/1969
2nd Season
- #16 - Sammy Davis Jr., Jo Anne Worley - aired: 9/25/1969
- #17 - Diahann Carroll, Bobby Darin, Blood, Sweat & Tears, David Steinberg - aired: 10/2/1969
- #18 - Tony Bennett, Vikki Carr, The Ace Trucking Company - aired: 10/9/1969
- #19 - Anthony Newley, Peggy Lipton, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, John Byner - aired: 10/16/1969
- #20 - Jose Feliciano, Shelley Berman, Mary Hopkin - aired: 10/23/1969
- #21 - Barbara Eden, Wilson Pickett, Hendra & Ullett - aired: 10/30/1969
- #22 - Connie Stevens, Matt Monro, The Moody Blues, Shecky Greene - aired: 11/6/1969
- #23 - Dick Cavett, Charles Aznavour, Mama Cass Elliot, The Hollies - aired: 11/13/1969
- #24 - Johnny Cash, June Carter, Minnie Pearl, Jeannie C. Riley - aired: 11/20/1969
- #25 - Claudine Longet, Little Richard, The Ace Trucking Company - aired: 11/27/1969
- #26 - Glen Campbell, Janis Joplin, The Committee - aired: 12/4/1969
- #27 - Joel Grey, Sandi Shaw, The Ace Trucking Company - aired: 12/11/1969
- #28 - Liza Minnelli, Frankie Vaughan, Pat Cooper - aired: 12/18/1969
- #29 - Judy Collins, David Frye, Millicent Martin, The Welsh Treorchy Male Choir - aired: 12/25/1969
- #30 - Victor Borge, Harry Secombe, Paula Kelly - aired: 1/1/1970
- #31 - George Gobel, Shani Wallis, Raphael, The Rascals - aired: 1/15/1970
- #32 - Dusty Springfield, Don Ho, Lonnie Donegan, The Ace Trucking Company - aired: 1/22/1970
- #33 - Paul Anka, Joni Mitchell, George Kirby - aired: 1/29/1970
- #34 - Oliver, Nancy Wilson, Phil Harris - aired: 2/5/1970
- #35 - Robert Goulet, Kenny Rogers and the First Edition, Lulu, The Ace Trucking Company - aired: 2/12/1970
- #36 - Leslie Uggams, Joe Cocker & The Grease Band, Guy Marks - aired: 2/19/1970
- #37 - Smokey Robison & The Miracles, Barbara Mcnair, Dick Shawn - aired: 2/26/1970
- #38 - Bob Hope, Billy Eckstine, Bobbie Gentry - aired: 3/5/1970
- #39 - Raquel Welch, Lou Rawls, Roy Clark, The Ace Trucking Company - aired: 3/19/1970
- #40 - Ray Charles, Jane Powell, Robert Klein - aired: 3/26/1970
- #41 - Sammy Davis Jr., Bands of The Welsh Guards - aired: 4/2/1970
3rd Season
- #42 - Anne Bancroft, Burt Bacharach, The Ace Trucking Company - aired: 9/25/1970
- #43 - Zero Mostel, Diahann Carroll, The Ace Trucking Company - aired: 10/2/1970
- #44 - Bob Hope, Aretha Franklin, The Ace Trucking Company - aired: 10/9/1970
- #45 - Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme, Jose Ferrer, The Ace Trucking Company - aired: 10/16/1970
- #46 - Liza Minnelli, Edward G. Robinson, The Ace Trucking Company - aired: 10/23/1970
- #47 - Glen Campbell, Nancy Sinatra, Jerry Reed, Jim Sullivan, The Ace Trucking Company - aired: 10/30/1970
- #48 - Perry Como, Debbie Reynolds, The Unusual We, Patti Deutsch, The Ace Trucking Company - aired: 11/6/1970
- #49 - The Supremes, Scoey Mitchell, Ray Stevens, The Ace Trucking Company - aired: 11/13/1970
- #50 - Jack Jones, Joey Heatherton, Jerry Reed, Jim Sullivan - aired: 11/20/1970
- #51 - Florence Henderson, Harry Secombe, The Ace Trucking Company, Jim Sullivan - aired: 11/27/1970
- #52 - Nancy Wilson, Buddy Greco, The Ace Trucking Company, Jim Sullivan - aired: 12/4/1970
- #53 - George Kirby, Caterina Valente, The Royal Highland Fusiliers, The Ace Trucking Company, Jim Sullivan - aired: 12/11/1970
- #54 - Ella Fitzgerald, Rudolf Nureyev, Merle Park, The Welsh Treorchy Male Choir, The Ace Trucking Company, Jim Sullivan - aired: 12/25/1970
- #55 - Shirley Bassey, John Denver, The Ace Trucking Company, Jim Sullivan - aired: 1/1/1971
- #56 - Phyllis Diller, Lulu, Frankie Vaughan, The Ace Trucking Company, Jim Sullivan - aired: 1/8/1971
- #57 - Petula Clark, The Ace Trucking Company, Jim Sullivan - aired: 1/15/1971
External links