Something Else is a former television show, produced by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and scheduled on its BBC2 channel between 1978 and 1982, targeted specifically at a youth audience.
History and description Something Else began in 1978 on Saturday evenings. It is an early example in British television of so-called Youth TV (sometimes derided as Yoof TV), encompassing unknown and largely untrained young presenters with undisguised regional accents, minimal scripting, a magazine format, and free-form discussion of contemporary concerns to young people, interspersed with performances by up-and-coming new bands.
The programme's innovative presentation style influenced subsequent shows in the genre such as The Tube, Oxford Road Show, Network 7 and The Word. It was also satirised by Not the Nine O'Clock News (as Hey Wow), which began that same autumn, and also in The Young Ones (as Nozin' Aroun''').
During its run, it captured on film The Clash performing "Clash City Rockers" and "Tommy Gun" in 1978, in their only televised performance for the BBC; the last (and only nationally broadcast) television appearance by Joy Division, playing "Transmission" and "She's Lost Control" live in the studio in September 1979; The Jam (on the same episode) playing "Eton Rifles"; and U2 featured in May 1982 performing a three-song set consisting of "Rejoice", "I Will Follow" and "With a Shout (Jerusalem)", promoting their second L.P., 'October'.
Guests
1978-03-11 The Clash 1979-09-15 The Jam / Joy Division / John Cooper Clarke (in Manchester) 1979-10-06 The Specials / Linton Kwesi Johnson 1979-11-03 Siouxsie and the Banshees 1979-12-22 The Skids / The Revillos 1979-12-01 Rudi / The Undertones 1980-05-24 Secret Affair / Sad Café 1980-11-10 Dexy's Midnight Runners / Regulators 1980-11-17 Young Marble Giants / The Damned 1980-11-24 The Specials / General Accident 1980-12-08 Ian Dury & The Blockheads / Sect 1980-12-15 Siouxsie & The Banshees / God's Toys 1981-01-05 Adam & The Ants / Linx 1981-09-25 Angelic Upstarts / Tygers of Pan Tang 1981-10-02 The Questions / Dolly Mixture / The Jam / Aidan Cant / Anne Clark 1981-10-09 The Beat / Talisman 1981-10-16 The Raincoats / Fay Ray 1981-10-23 Dodo Vision / Kirsty MacColl 1981-11-06 Orange Juice / Depeche Mode 1982-05-07 Steel Pulse / Clint Eastwood & General Saint 1982-01-01 Compilation of performances. 1982-04-23 Fun Boy Three 1982-04-30 Dr Fantasy's Devils / Blue Poland 1982-05-14 Jam Today / Sophisticated Boom Boom 1982-05-21 U2 1982-10-01 Birds With Ears 1982-10-15 Abacush / Barnes & Barnes 1982-10-23 Joeys 1982-10-25 debates 1982-10-27 debates 1982-10-28 debates 1982-10-29 debates 1982-11-05 John Cooper Clarke / Linton Kwesi Johnson / Steel
References
External links
"The Revolution Will Be Televised Pt.1: The Best UK Music TV" (2021) "A look back at ‘Something Else’ the only place to be punk on the BBC" (2019, Far Out'' magazine