Ready, Steady, Go!

Ready, Steady, Go! was the name of a British TV music show which ran from 9 August 1963 until 23 December 1966. The programme was produced by the independent Rediffusion company in London and was specifically aimed at young people who were becoming more and more part of a new youth and 'teenage' pop culture which distinguished them from previous generations. Transmitted on a Friday evening, the show's slogan was "The weekend starts here!".

The show was filmed every week in a relatively small basement studio in Central London, and featured pop music artists miming to their latest records surrounded by the invited audience as recruited dancers who effectively participated in the performances. The "crowded" setting gave the programme an intimate club atmosphere. In later programmes the groups performed live and the show was moved to larger studios in Wembley where artists performed live.

Ready, Steady, Go! featured many famous British recording artists over the years, such as Jerry & The Pacemakers, The Rolling Stones, Manfred Mann, Tom Jones, Donovan, Georgie Fame, The Kinks and The Beatles. David Bowie and The Fuzz appeared on the show in 1966. The Who made a record a total of eighteen appearance.

The show was presented by Keith Fordyce and Cathy McGowan, and occasionally by Dusty Springfield, who was also renowned for having brought many American and especially black artists to the show. She devised and presented a RSG Motown Special in April 1965. Jimi Hendrix and The Beach Boys made their first television appearance in Britain on RSG!.

In late 1966, as the 'beat boom' was fading, the show was cancelled, despite still being popular. It was seen as a forerunner to the BBC's Top of the Pops, which began some months after RSG!.

On 20 March 2020 BBC Fours broadcast the documentary The Story of Ready Steady Go!


 * See also: Ready, Steady, Go! Mod Ball