About this season
A long-running ITV arts and culture series that aired from 1961 to 1968, Tempo was a landmark British television programme dedicated to the performing and visual arts. With a flexible magazine format and an open editorial remit, the series explored cinema, music, dance, photography, literature, theatre, and contemporary cultural life. Combining intellectual ambition with accessible presentation, Tempo established a model for serious arts broadcasting on commercial television and laid the groundwork for later landmark programmes such as Aquarius and The South Bank Show.
Episodes (13)
1. A Guided Tour of Zero Mostel
Aired 23 January 1966 • 30 min
An interview with actor/comedian Zero Mostel on the set of 'A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum'.
2. Entertainers: Theatre
Aired 31 January 1966 • 30 min
3. You've Got a Nerve
Aired 13 February 1966 • 30 min
The evolution of London's community of street musicians.
4. Entertainers: Comedians
Aired 21 February 1966 • 30 min
5. Entertainers: Jazz
Aired 6 March 1966 • 30 min
A profile of jazz musician Duke Ellington.
6. Tativille
Aired 8 May 1966 • 30 min
An interview with French comedian and director Jacques Tati on the set of his latest film 'Playtime'.
7. Blood, Sweat & Champagne
Aired 22 May 1966 • 30 min
8. Jazz in Wonderland
Aired 30 May 1966 • 30 min
At EMI Studios in London, Tempo films the pianist Stan Tracey as he works on a new jazz suite interpretation of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland.
9. The Offenders
Aired 5 June 1966 • 30 min
A look at satirical magazines 'Krokodil' (USSR), 'Le Canard Enchaine' (France) and 'Private Eye' (UK).
10. The Image Wizards
Aired 19 June 1966 • 30 min
Awards presented by the Design and Art Directors Association.
11. Bauhaus
Aired 3 July 1966 • 30 min
12. The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
Aired 23 October 1966 • 30 min
13. Sound
Aired 30 October 1966 • 30 min
"Is music just a sound? Is a truck passing by music? Are sounds just sounds or are they Beethoven? Is there such a thing as silence?" John Cage, composer.