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US Pop & Rock Music TV Shows
Upbeat (1964-71)
aka "The Big 5 Show" (1964-66) (original Cleveland title)
Episode Guide compiled by The Classic TV Archive
with contributions by: Tom Alger, Ben Chaput, Gary Belich
references:
TV Guide / Library of Congress (telnet://locis.loc.gov)
Internet Movie Database (https://us.imdb.com) / UCLA Film and Television Archive
Cleveland Plain Dealer newspaper, The Chicago Tribune
The New York Times,  New York Metropolitan edition TV Guide

The Big 5 Show / Upbeat (season 1) (Syndicated) (1964-65) (56 episodes ) (estimated/to be verified)
The Big 5 Show / Upbeat (season 2) (Syndicated) (1965-66) (52 episodes ) (estimated/to be verified)
Upbeat (season 3) (Syndicated) (1966-67) (52 episodes )
Upbeat (season 4) (Syndicated) (1967-68) (52 episodes )
Upbeat (season 5) (Syndicated) (1968-69) (52 episodes ) (estimated/to be verified)
Upbeat (season 6) (Syndicated) (1969-70)  (prod # 6936-7035) (52 episodes ) (estimated/to be verified)
Upbeat (season 7) (Syndicated) (1970-71) (22 episodes ) (estimated/to be verified) 
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UPBEAT
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Produced by WEWS-TV, channel 5 in Cleveland

US Rock & Pop Music Series 1964-71 338 episodes (approx.) x 60 minutes

Background:

"Upbeat" was a syndicated rock & pop music series produced by WEWS-TV, channel 5 in Cleveland.
It was originally titled "The Big 5 Show" when it premiered as a local series.
"Big 5" was a reference to WEWS's channel number and the show's regular 5pm (Saturday) time slot.

Various Cleveland area radio DJ's hosted the initial episodes. Don Webster became the permanent host around September 1964.
As "Upbeat," the series became nationally syndicated to other cities. One of the earliest channels airing "Upbeat"
was KMSP-9 in Minneapolis-St. Paul starting August 8, 1965.

New York City's WNEW-TV, channel 5, premiered Upbeat on Jan. 22, 1966.
Los Angeles began airing the series on Apr. 17, 1966.
Chicago broadcasts started on December 3, 1966.

Generally, these other cities aired the episodes a week after their Cleveland airdates.
(Through February 1966, WEWS-TV continued to use the "The Big 5 Show" title for its local, Cleveland, broadcasts.)

The show switched to color in June 1967. By this time, according to a Billboard magazine article, Upbeat was now seen
in "more than 40 cities."

"Upbeat" is probably best remembered for Otis Redding's final TV appearance which was taped December 9, 1967 in WEWS' studios.
A few hours following the performance, Redding, and several members of his back-up band, died in a plane crash.
WEWS-TV aired the performance on December 16, 1967.

An article in the July 4, 1970 issue of Billboard magazine gives the impression that "Upbeat" was doing well in syndication.
Five new stations recently added the series, bringing it into "over 85 markets." But the series only lasted seven more
months.

New York City stopped airing the series in June 1970. Both Chicago and Los Angeles dropped the program in September 1970.
The final, Cleveland broadcast was on January 30, 1971.

Around 338 total "Big 5 Show"/"Upbeat" episodes were produced between 1964-71. Of these, only three complete "Upbeat" shows,
and over 3 hours of clips from other episodes, are known to survive.

########## The Big 5 Show / Upbeat ###########
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