Radio Times

Strictly may have forsaken Blackpool for Wembley this year, but for half a century this seaside town was the beating heart of Britain’s entertainment industry: comedians and musicians flocked there for the season, and millions of punters followed.

Ken Dodd and Cannon and Ball are among the veterans who reminisce, while terrific archive clips feature Morecambe and Wise, Tommy Cooper, a fresh-faced Bruce Forsyth and a chic young Cilla Black.

We also hear from the poor bloke who had to drive Frank Sinatra’s car through crowds of groupies, and a policeman who was in the thick of the action when Beatlemania gripped Blackpool a decade later.

About this programme

Documentary looking at the Lancashire seaside resort through the eyes of acts who have performed there. Blackpool was once at the heart of the British entertainment industry and launched the careers of Morecambe and Wise, as well as attracting world-famous artists including Frank Sinatra. With contributions by Ken Dodd, Roy `Chubby' Brown, Syd Little and Cannon and Ball.