Countdown Revolution - the infamous on-air protest (1990)

Since 1974, popular Australian pop music program Countdown (and the later known as Countdown Revolution) had most of their musical guests mime on the show.

On June 22nd, 1990 Countdown Revolution hosts Tanya Lacy and Mark Little led a protest against the show's format and against the policy of not allowing acts to perform live but instead mime to backup tracks.

However, the protest backfired on the cast and crew of Countdown Revolution when the ABC notoriously axed the program due to what had taken place. Thus, putting a final end to Countdown once and for all.

During the show, the hosts were cut off the air by the ABC and replaced by music videos.

--------------------------------------------
Countdown Revolution 1990 Australia Early Nineties 1990's 1990s 90's 90s

Extended Tags: Tania Lacy, Mark Little, Ian 'Molly' Meldrum

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Countdown
• Revolution
• 1990
• Australia
• Early
• Nineties

[fiendishfilms]

i have memories of tism playing on countdown revolution, doing the history of western civilization.

one of the members would run up to the screen and mime the first bit and then run back and take an instrument and the other band member would run up and "sing" his bit while everyone switched instruments behind him.

the fiend

the protest was about a week/month later...

[AustralianYouthMedia]

I remember TISM doing that song on the show!

[dvscorp]

Um, what were they protesting? They didn't seem to get their point across very well.

[AustralianYouthMedia]

being cut off wouldn't help them explain the situation. they just didn't want their guests to mime to recorded tracks... but instead, play live.

[80sOldSkool]

What happened to the video clip to Madonna's Vogue at 3:49 ?? That's not Madonna, it's someone mimicking her?? WHY?!!!

[80sOldSkool]

@dvscorp Particularly apparent with the plackards they hold up with "TV is a Lie" and "Lip Service". In reference to miming.

[80sOldSkool]

@dvscorp No they didn't did they? What it they were protesting was the fact that bands/singers had to mime to their songs sung live in the studio, as was the case with Countdown prior to.

[tNJippoes]

Great find.........I was living at the Horden Pavilion at this time every Sat night so saw next to no television. I had no idea this happened. Thx for the post!

[mappyhappychappy]

I watched this at the time and never really got the gist of what was going on. I must have changed channels when it all got too chaotic and (seemingly) pointless, because I don't remember how it ended. Watching the video didn't really help but because of the sackings, afterwards, I discovered what it was all about.

Anyways, this show was on its last legs. Its eventual demise didn't come all that much as a surprise, just a bit longer than I was expecting. I'd stopped watching by then anyway.

[francis1971]

@frogmeena Nice to hear from you.

I have to admit to watching this, and I thought when I saw this that this was unnecessary. However, looking back at all the facts, I think you had a very good point to make.

It's obvious you're still "persona non grata" at the ABC, because I would've loved you to have been on Spicks and Specks when it was on.

[its4it]

I remember this. I thought the show was good when Andy, Dan and Lisa were hosting but then these two took over and IMHO it jumped the shark because Mark especially was so over the top and seemed unable to stop shouting and Tina was never even funny. This was the absolute nadir for me and I was glad when I found out they were fired.

[naedsukram]

Everybody with half a brain knew it was all mimed, I don't see the big deal, they still mime today on a lot of shows.

[chriswalski]

Anyone know if Countdown Revolution was filmed at the ABC Elsternwick Gordon St Studios?

[bluejeckett]

I think the thing to remember also is that the show didn't end on the 22nd June, it was only those hosts who were removed, Revolutions continued on until the end of the year, that's another 6 months after the protest

Countdown was never a serious music program tho in any case it was just lightweight pop for teenage girls and really by 1990 kids wanted more than that and the formula that had been acceptable in the 70s had long become outdated and that in any case by then kids wanted grunge