Sept. 16, 1964 - Tonight marks the premiere of “Shindig,” a musical variety series on ABC-TV. The show is hosted by Jimmy O’Neill, a disc jockey in Los Angeles, who also created the show along with his wife, Sharon Sheely; Jack Good, a British producer; and production executive Art Stolnitz.
The original pilot was rejected by ABC, and David Sontag, executive producer at the network, redeveloped and redesigned the show. A new pilot with a new cast of artists was shot, starring Sam Cooke. This second pilot will air tonight at 8:30 p.m. Also appearing on tonight’s program are The Everly Brothers, The Righteous Brothers, and Jackie and Gayle.
“Shindig” was conceived as a short-notice replacement for “Hootenanny,” a series that had specialized in folk music. The folk revival has somewhat fizzled recently in the face of Beatlemania, which damaged the ratings for “Hootenanny” and prompted that show’s cancellation. “Shindig” will focus on a broader variety of popular music than its predecessor.
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