New Faces

For other uses, see New Faces (disambiguation).

New Faces
Starring	Derek Hobson (original version) Marti Caine (revived version)
Country of origin	United Kingdom
No. of series	6 (original version) 3 (revived version)
No. of episodes	158 (original version) ?? (revived version)
Production
Producers	ATV (original version) Central (revived version)
Production locations	ATV Centre, Birmingham (original version) Birmingham Hippodrome (revived version)
Running time	60mins (inc. adverts)
Original release
Network	ITV
Release	29 September 1973 (1973-09-29) - 2 April 1978 (1978-04-02) (original version) – 19 September 1986 (1986-09-19) - 3 December 1988 (1988-12-03) (revived version)
Related
Opportunity Knocks

New Faces was a British television talent show popular in the 1970s and 1980s, presented originally by Derek Hobson. It was produced by ATV Network Limited for the ITV Network. The first run of the show was from 29 September 1973 to 2 April 1978 and was recorded at the ATV Centre, Birmingham. The show was noted for its theme tune, "You're a Star!", performed by singer Carl Wayne, formerly of The Move, and it was eventually released, becoming a minor hit.

Winners occasionally went on to greater success in television entertainment. Many top entertainers began their careers with a performance on this programme. The acts were evaluated by a panel of experts, including Clifford Davis, Ingrid Pitt, Mickie Most, Alan A. Freeman, Clive James, Muriel Young, Ted Ray, Ed Stewart, Jack Parnell, Arthur Askey, Noel Edmonds and Tony Hatch. Davis, Most and Hatch were especially notorious for being "hard" on contestants. Four judges would make up the panel each week. Tony Hatch made the headlines after one edition for giving a contestant whose act solely consisted of a repetitive and elementary 12 bar blues riff a score of zero. Hatch was deemed 'mean' for this.

Contestants received marks out of ten from the four judges in three categories such as "presentation", "content" and "star quality" - The "star quality" category was later replaced by "entertainment value". The highest score any act could attain was thus 120 points. Patti Boulaye was the only act who ever attained the maximum mark, doing so in the programme's final season. It was seen as a 'tougher' version of the long-running talent show Opportunity Knocks, also shown on ITV.

Whereas, Opportunity Knocks relied on public votes, New Faces had a panel that judged the acts - the act who had the highest total went through to the next round.

One winner, Marti Caine, returned to present the show when it was revived for two years between 1986 and 1988 by Central Television. Her catchphrase was bellowed at the voting studio audience: "Press your buttons... NOW!". The show also featured a panel of experts including the journalist Nina Myskow, who often made critical comments. In this incarnation, the home audience decided who won by sending in postcards (phone voting was soon introduced by BBC rival Bob Says Opportunity Knocks), though, the audience did vote for its favourite act using a gigantic lightboard known as Spaghetti Junction lighting up to a varying degree as they pushed their buttons.

1986 Final

Key	Winner	Runner-Up	Third Place

Order	Finished	Artist (s)	Act (s)
1	1st Overall in Panellists' Vote	Duggie Small	Comedian
2	7 Points	Walker & Cadman	Comedians
3	5 Points	Billy Pearce	Comedian
4	0 Points	Wayne Denton	Club Singer
5	22 Points	Julie A. Scott	Soprano
6	Public Phone-in Winner/56 Points	Gary Lovini	17-year-old Violinist
7	43 Points	James Stone	Soul Singer
8	? Points	Pauline Hannah	Impressionist
9	? Points	Freddy Philips	Singer/Comedian
10	? Points	Scott Randele	?
11	? Points	Maggie Dee	?
12	? Points	High Jinks	?

Note: The James Stone who appeared in this final is the same one who appeared in the Britain's Got Talent semi-finals of 2008.

1987 Final

Key	Winner	Runner-Up	Third Place

Order	Finished	Artist (s)	Act (s)
1	94 points	Jimmy Tamley	Ventriloquist
2	92 points	Joe Pasquale	Comedian
3	70 points	Brothers Demented	?
4	32 Points	Mike Sterling	Musical Theatre-style Singer
5	26 Points	Richard Courtice	Tenor
6	10 Points	Billy Jones	Rock 'n' Roll Singer/Guitarist
7	? Points	Lea Cassell	Impressionist
8	? Points	Derek Barron	Pianist/Organist
9	? Points	Paul Duffy	Saxophonist
10	? Points	Denny Waters	Comedian
11	? Points	Barbara Allan	?
12	? Points	Stiles and Drewe	Singing Duo

Famous winners & contestants

• Marti Caine
• Lenny Henry - Multiple wins in 1974.
• Michael Barrymore
• Joe Pasquale - 2nd in 1987. Joe won his heat but he came second in the final.
• Roy Walker
• The Chuckle Brothers - 1974.
• Malandra Burrows - 1974, youngest winner at 9 years old.
• Carline and Walling
• Victoria Wood
• Terry St. Clair - 1974. [2]
• Vinny Cadman
• Roger De Courcey and Nookie Bear - Winners of the 1976 Grand Final.
• Nicol and Marsh's Easy Street - Runners-up in 1976.
• Mick Miller
• Les Dennis
• Showaddywaddy
• Jim Davidson
• Gary Wilmot and Judy McPhee
• Billy Pearce
• Fivepenny Piece
• Aiden J. Harvey
• Patti Boulaye - Appeared in the last 1970s edition of the show and was the only contestant ever to receive the maximum 120 points.
• Stevie Riks - Highest scoring contestant ever on the show.
• Max Bacon
• Sweet Sensation From Manchester and fronted by 15 year old Marcel King went on to become the first black British born soul band to hit the number spot in UK charts in September 1974 with hit record 'Sad Sweet Dreamer'
• Jeff Hooper - Jeff won the 1974 series, with the highest recorded score, while only 14 years old. Jeff has become known as the best big band, swing and jazz singer of his generation and currently appears on the BBC "Strictly Come Dancing Tour" as well as touring the world with his band.
• Andy Cameron
• Sheer Elegance - Pop trio who went on to have two hit singles in 1976.
• Ken Worthington- "TV's Mr. Clarinet Man", who came last on the TV talent show New Faces in 1973,
• Lance Ellington- 1977 winner sang with the late Bet Hannah as singing duo Koffee'n'Kreme.

Other winners & contestants

• The Glentones - 20 piece High School youth big band playing music from the Glenn Miller era.
• Charlie James - Female singer - Winner, December 1973.
• Mike McCabe - Comedian.
• Martin Berger
• Al Brown - Comedian & Father Of Television Personality Claire Sweeney
• Pete Hartley - Won Audience Vote In 1987
• Pete Price
• Dave Curtis - Vocalist.
• Son of a Gun
• M3 - 3 sisters, Maureen Stevens, Mary Stevens, Marilyn Stevens.
• Walker and Cadman
• Professor Steve Green - Pianist and Doctor. [3]
• Dragon's Playground - Band.
• David Gold - Vocalist.
• Jimmy Tamley - Beat Joe Pasquale.
• Crick's Canine Wonders
• Darren Stuart
• Frank Leyton
• Frank Yonco and Kit Connor
• The Mad Hatters
• Rabbit - Cabaret Band.
• Sandra Christie - Voice of Edith Piaf.
• The Libra Brothers. There piece band from Barnsley. Included Gordon Scholey, Charlie Foster and Frank Cawthrow
• Rod and Mark Lyons - Father and Son ventriloquist duo who had a minor hit single in Germany with the Neil Sedaka song "Oh Carol!".

Transmissions

Series	Start date	Final date	Episodes	Winner(s)
1	29 September 1973	29 December 1973	??	Charlie James
2	6 April 1974	6 July 1974	??	Malandra Burrows
3	21 September 1974	27 July 1975	??	Al Dean
4	20 December 1975	31 July 1976	??	Roger De Courcey and Nookie Bear
5	11 September 1976	2 April 1977	??	Koffee 'n' Kreme
6	10 September 1977	2 April 1978	??
7	19 September 1986	13 December 1986	??	Duggie Small
8	4 September 1987	28 November 1987	??	Jimmy Tamley
9	10 September 1988	3 December 1988	??

External links

• New Faces at UKGameshows.com.
• Steve Cassidy - Steve Cassidy 3 times winner at www.stevecassidy.co.uk.