Michael Jackson - Thriller

[dinglinga]

ok ... there is a bet going on at the moment for when Thriller first appeared on Australian TV

I know it was in 1983 but what....

TV program
Channel
Day
Time

[The Sleeping Giant]

Channel 7
Saturday
5:00 pm

[gadj1976]

Dunno but I remember it was beamed in via Satellite from the US within hours of being shown there. 5pm might be about right, I remember it was a weird/strange time but don't know why.....

[dinglinga]

would have that been Trax on ch 7

[The Sleeping Giant]

Could have been

[zipzap]

I've always had a memory of it being premiered after 7.30, maybe even 8.30. Did Molly introduce it? I may be confusing it with Bad which had a similar hullaballoo but of course was complete carp

[southee]

Remember watching it.

I reckon it was 830pm as there was a warning at the beginning for kids not to watch it with the horror themes in it. (Of course most kids my age did!)

Im 99% sure it was Molly introducing it.

I can remember going to school as a 9 year old with everyone asking "Did you see it?" with some kids parents not allowing them to watch it.

It was absolutely massive at the time !!!!!

I had a cut off sleeve blue jumper with the words "Thriller"on the front of it like it was etched in red blood....what a bad a$$ I was!!!

[therisingblues]

I've always had a memory of it being premiered after 7.30, maybe even 8.30. Did Molly introduce it? I may be confusing it with Bad which had a similar hullaballoo but of course was complete carp

Pretty sure Molly didn't introduce it.
Amazing build up though. Billy Jean and Beat It had already torn up the charts. My sister had the album so I'd already heard every song numerous times. Her being a huge fan added to the hype of the release.
I reckon it was a Sunday.
Late on the year, probably around footy finals time.
Channel 7
Music Express.
5:30

[dedja]

Im 99% sure it was Molly introducing it.

99.99% sure you're correct ...

[zipzap]

I've always had a memory of it being premiered after 7.30, maybe even 8.30. Did Molly introduce it? I may be confusing it with Bad which had a similar hullaballoo but of course was complete carp

Pretty sure Molly didn't introduce it.
Amazing build up though. Billy Jean and Beat It had already torn up the charts. My sister had the album so I'd already heard every song numerous times. Her being a huge fan added to the hype of the release.
I reckon it was a Sunday.
Late on the year, probably around footy finals time.
Channel 7
Music Express.
5:30

The only thing that makes me doubt your recollection was that like Southee says, it was considered quite controversial at the time and I struggle to believe they would have played the full unedited version at 5.30pm. Maybe a cut down version? These were the times of AO Mod TV Vers. after all!

[therisingblues]

I've always had a memory of it being premiered after 7.30, maybe even 8.30. Did Molly introduce it? I may be confusing it with Bad which had a similar hullaballoo but of course was complete carp

Pretty sure Molly didn't introduce it.
Amazing build up though. Billy Jean and Beat It had already torn up the charts. My sister had the album so I'd already heard every song numerous times. Her being a huge fan added to the hype of the release.
I reckon it was a Sunday.
Late on the year, probably around footy finals time.
Channel 7
Music Express.
5:30

The only thing that makes me doubt your recollection was that like Southee says, it was considered quite controversial at the time and I struggle to believe they would have played the full unedited version at 5.30pm. Maybe a cut down version? These were the times of AO Mod TV Vers. after all!

Yes, what you're saying makes sense. I sort of remember it being dark outside, which would also point to it being in a later time slot. But I have a gut feeling it was on music express, which was on around 4:00 or 5:00.
Possibly it was a special edition of Music Express, telecast mainly to show Thriller at a suitable timeslot?
I'll revise the month though, I reckon it was warmish to hot outside but still before Christmas and school was still on. I'm going for early December.

[zipzap]

That works for me. Greg Clark instead of Molly then?

[Hondo]

After a while it was banned on Australian TV I think? When did that happen and for how long?

I recall on the top 10 countdown they only showed a still from the video.

Or was it only banned in during day time viewing hours?

[dedja]

According to this, Thriller's Australian premiere was on Countdown on 11 Dec 1983 by Molly.

http://www.abc.net.au/rage/archive/s2642218.htm

[therisingblues]

According to this, Thriller's Australian premiere was on Countdown on 11 Dec 1983 by Molly.

http://www.abc.net.au/rage/archive/s2642218.htm

Dammit! Should've known it'd've gone to Countdown. Molly had a fair bit of pull in the music industry. For some reason I remember the premier having a channel 7ey feel about it.
I gotta score points for getting the month right though?

[southee]

According to this, Thriller's Australian premiere was on Countdown on 11 Dec 1983 by Molly.

http://www.abc.net.au/rage/archive/s2642218.htm

Dammit! Should've known it'd've gone to Countdown. Molly had a fair bit of pull in the music industry. For some reason I remember the premier having a channel 7ey feel about it.
I gotta score points for getting the month right though?

Yes , Molly was the only interviewer Michael would talk to back then.

Molly had something fairly special about "pulling" the big names in the music industry to be interviewed by him when others in Australia and the world failed.

I think the guy did so much for Australian music and showed us the big artists from overseas for the first time. Even loved how he gave new artists a "go" on Countdown to give them a break.

He's terrific.

Sad we dont have anyone like him anymore.....and please dont say Richard Wilkins !!

[therisingblues]

According to this, Thriller's Australian premiere was on Countdown on 11 Dec 1983 by Molly.

http://www.abc.net.au/rage/archive/s2642218.htm

Dammit! Should've known it'd've gone to Countdown. Molly had a fair bit of pull in the music industry. For some reason I remember the premier having a channel 7ey feel about it.
I gotta score points for getting the month right though?

Yes , Molly was the only interviewer Michael would talk to back then.

Molly had something fairly special about "pulling" the big names in the music industry

there is no other word for it.
There's a video on YouTube, where Molly is introducing Mi-sex, the band, and some female singer seated next to him is heckling the crap out of him because, so she says, "his-sex" was just about every variation there was of it.
Molly just giggled away like a school kid as she made pun apon pun. All directed at his various "preferences".
Agree with you though, he's a likable character, and countdown is now such a huge statement about where the Australian youth/music scene was at during the seventies and early eighties.

[zipzap]

Would be great to just have a show passionate about music on the air again.
Countdown, Music Express, Trax, Nightmoves, anything with Annette Shun Wah...I miss shows like those

[dedja]

... and Rock Arena

[zipzap]

... and Rock Arena

Ooh yeah, absolutely. I remember the first time I saw the Go Betweens on Rock Arena. I thought they were from another planet...possibly my first taste of a world outside of pub rock