BILLY
RAYMOND
1971
“THE GENERATION GAP”
In August 1971 Billy returned to Glasgow to compere BBC Scotland’s version of “The Generation Gap”. Billy was booked to do 12 half-hour shows of this quiz. It was one of the first shows to be made in colour from the Queen Margaret Drive studios of BBC Scotland and transmitted at 10.15 p.m. During October and November.
Format of the show was the older generation answered questions on the younger generation’s topics of interest (pop shows etc.) and the youngsters had to answer questions relating to their parents’ generation on subjects such as entertainment, fashions, and the interests of yesterday and today. As Billy said it during the show: “Some nostalgia, some modernity.” He is quoted as saying “I would like to spend six months in Australia and six months in Britain. I am hoping that “The Generation Gap” will be the first of many such shows to allow me to have the best of both worlds.”
However, the critics panned the show and it was pulled after only 6 of the 12 shows made had been screened. Resident singer was the talented Danny Street from Stirling. Special guest players included comedian Lex McLean and his wife Grace. Lex was still recovering from a serious stroke. Other players were comedian Johnny Beattie, with his wife Kitty, son and daughter Paul and Maureen (also an actress) and various Rangers and Celtic footballers of the time.
The newspaper critics were swingeing:
Evening Express, 13 November: “BBC Scotland’s new quiz programme, “The Generation Gap”, has one dubious distinction ... It stands head and shoulders above the rest as the biggest non-event of the year. Compered by Billy Raymond, this latest offering is about as exciting as a ruptured haggis - and has about the same effect on me. The questions are pointless (in many cases infantile) and the format unbearably corny. In fact, if anything was ever designed to widen the gulf between young and old, it’s “The Generation Gap”.
Another critic was equally vicious:
“If you’ve had the stamina and patience to stay with The Generation Gap, ten out often for your courage. One speedily got past the stage of hoping this show will improve and prayed that it would get no worse. The prayers have gone unanswered. How does Billy Raymond keep getting away with it? It’s the great no-zip, all-embarrassment show and the only relief from the drudgery last night was the song from the Gap’s resident vocalist, Danny Street.
Format of the show was the older generation answered questions on the younger generation’s topics of interest (pop shows etc.) and the youngsters had to answer questions relating to their parents’ generation on subjects such as entertainment, fashions, and the interests of yesterday and today. As Billy said it during the show: “Some nostalgia, some modernity.” He is quoted as saying “I would like to spend six months in Australia and six months in Britain. I am hoping that “The Generation Gap” will be the first of many such shows to allow me to have the best of both worlds.”
However, the critics panned the show and it was pulled after only 6 of the 12 shows made had been screened. Resident singer was the talented Danny Street from Stirling. Special guest players included comedian Lex McLean and his wife Grace. Lex was still recovering from a serious stroke. Other players were comedian Johnny Beattie, with his wife Kitty, son and daughter Paul and Maureen (also an actress) and various Rangers and Celtic footballers of the time.
The newspaper critics were swingeing:
Evening Express, 13 November: “BBC Scotland’s new quiz programme, “The Generation Gap”, has one dubious distinction ... It stands head and shoulders above the rest as the biggest non-event of the year. Compered by Billy Raymond, this latest offering is about as exciting as a ruptured haggis - and has about the same effect on me. The questions are pointless (in many cases infantile) and the format unbearably corny. In fact, if anything was ever designed to widen the gulf between young and old, it’s “The Generation Gap”.
Another critic was equally vicious:
“If you’ve had the stamina and patience to stay with The Generation Gap, ten out often for your courage. One speedily got past the stage of hoping this show will improve and prayed that it would get no worse. The prayers have gone unanswered. How does Billy Raymond keep getting away with it? It’s the great no-zip, all-embarrassment show and the only relief from the drudgery last night was the song from the Gap’s resident vocalist, Danny Street.
