The Complete Show

Details

Lena and Bonnie was recorded on the 17 & 18 January 1978 at the Kent House Studios and was broadcast by London Weekend Television (LWT) on the 26 of March 1978.

It was a one-off special starring Lena Zavaroni and Bonnie Langford.

A number of publicity photographs were taken around the time of the show’s recording, possibly during one or both of the studio dates, although the exact dates are unconfirmed.

Clapperboard For Part 1

When part 1 of the show was recorded the clapperboard information display the year 1977, When it was in fact 1978 on the studio recording of the show you can hear someone off screen confirm the year as 1978.

Part 1 - Recorded On 17 January 1978

Part 1 of the show opens with Lena & Bonnie performing the song Compatibility. Lena then perform a song and dance medley of disco music. Bonnie then performs a medley of show tunes, Lena and Bonnie then reprise the song Compatibility and it then goes to an advert break.

Clapperboard For Part 2

Part 2 - Recorded On 17 January 1978

Part 2 of the show opens with Lena & Bonnie performing a reprise of the song Compatibility. Lena & Bonnie then perform a medley of Shirley Temple and Judy Garland Songs and Shout by Lulu. Lena then performs Speedy Gonzales, after which Bonnie performs the song I Can Do That. The song Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy is then performed by Lena & Bonnie as the Compatibility Sisters. It then goes to another advert break.

Compatibility Sisters

The sequence where Lena and Bonnie appear in three different places on the same set was likely achieved by filming multiple takes using a single locked-off camera, with the performers changing position between each take. These were then combined to give the appearance of multiple versions of them on screen at once. This technique was common in 1970s television, and would have allowed for clean compositing without relying on chroma key, which was still fairly limited at the time. While we don’t have production records to confirm the exact method, this seems the most likely explanation based on what can be seen in the footage.

Clapperboard For Part 3

Part 3 - Recorded On 18 January 1978

Part 3 of the show opens with Lena & Bonnie performing a reprise of the song Compatibility. Bonnie then performs the songs New York, New York & Tomorrow, Lena then performs the songs The Air That I Breathe & Should've Listened To Mama. Lena & Bonnie then reprise the song Compatibility which leads into the final song of the show Razzle Dazzle.

Credits

  • Starring Lena Zavaroni
  • Starring Bonnie Langford
  • Genre Musical
  • Opening theme Compatibility
  • Closing Theme Compatibility (instrumental)
  • Composer Alyn Ainsworth
  • Written by Ken Hoare
  • Directed by John Kaye Cooper
  • Producer John Kaye Cooper
  • Executive Producer David Bell
  • Country of Origin Great Britain
  • Location Kent House Studio
  • Picture Format 4:3
  • Executive Producer David Bell
  • Original airing 26 March 1978
  • Production company London Weekend Television (LWT)

Interview With Bonnie Langford

Wombling Free - Archive Interview: During the interview Bonnie also talks about Lena and Bonnie.

About Kent House Studio (The London Studios)

Kent House, also known as The London Studios or LWT Tower, was a 24-storey television complex on London’s South Bank. Built in the early 1970s for London Weekend Television (LWT), it became one of the most advanced colour TV studios in Europe at the time. The complex housed a range of iconic programmes, including The Lena and Bonnie Show, and later served as ITV’s main London base.

Although ITV initially planned to return after redevelopment, the studios were permanently closed in 2018. The site was sold and is now undergoing demolition and redevelopment.

A London Inheritance