Anything You Can Do – Nostalgia Central

1 9 6 9 – 1 9 7 1 (UK)
42 x 25 minute episodes
1 9 7 4 (UK)
14 x 25 minute episodes

Debuting on the afternoon of 30 April 1969, this Granada Television production was an inter-regional knock-out talent contest and quiz for children aged nine to 16, produced by Muriel Young and initially hosted by Ed “Stewpot” Stewart.

Teams of kids competed to represent their ITV television regions – Anglia, ATV, Border, Channel Television, Grampian, Granada, Harlech (HTV), Scottish Television (STV), Southern, Thames Television, Tyne-Tees, Ulster, Westward, and Yorkshire Television.

The contest required the competitors to display their talents in several categories, such as singing, non-vocal entertainments (playing musical instruments, juggling, dancing etc), general knowledge, poetry, art, and dexterity (skills such as mending a punctured bicycle tyre, knitting or growing runner beans on blotting paper).

A panel of celebrity judges awarded points to the kids.

Celebrities who appeared on the judging panel over the years included Una Stubbs, Tommy Trinder, Gerry Marsden, Geoffrey Bayldon, Pete Brady, Tony Bastable, Dave Cash, Roy Orbison, Wally Whyton, Michael Parkinson, Billy J Kramer, Peter Noone, The Shadows, Anne Nightingale, Ayshea Brough, Penny Spencer, The Scaffold, Clive Dunn, Alan Freeman, Susan Maughan, Kid Jensen, Emperor Rosko and Mickie Most.

The first series was won by a team of seven children from the Border TV region, who beat a team from Scottish TV and won a trip to Paris for themselves and their parents.

Former teacher Chris Kelly took over as the host of the 1970 series – which was won by the team from Harlech, who beat the Yorkshire Television team in the final – and stayed on for the 1971 series.

Kelly returned for a final series of Anything You Can Do in 1974, with the Ulster team beating the Scottish TV team in the final.

Host
Ed Stewart (1969)
Chris Kelly (1970 – 1974)