jeffevans.co.uk
JEFF EVANS
Journalist, author, pop culture historian, beer expert
Jeff Evans is a freelance journalist and author with decades of experience in writing – and talking – about pop culture and beer.
You can find out more about his work below.
GET IN TOUCH!
If you'd like to chat to Jeff about a project, a book, a feature, some judging or a talk, don't hesitate to get in touch.
ABOUT JEFF
A freelance writer for nearly forty years, Jeff Evans began his career in radio, presenting music programmes and reporting on sporting events. Since then, he has written more than thirty books, including the acclaimed The Penguin TV Companion (four editions), Evans’ TV Trivia (HarperCollins) and Midsomer Murders: the Making of an English Crime Classic (BT Batsford).
He has contributed to the Radio Times and other entertainment magazines, as well as national newspapers such as the Daily Telegraph, Guardian and Sunday Mirror, and has made countless appearances on radio and television. He writes broadcasting-related entries for the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography and is a member of the question-writing team for Mastermind, for which he has written more than a hundred sets of specialist subject questions.
Jeff has also written or edited books covering other leisure fields, from travel to beer. He was named UK Beer Writer of the Year in 2001 and edited CAMRA’s best-selling national Good Beer Guide for eight years.
ROCK & POP ON BRITISH TV: THE DEFINITIVE HISTORY
FOREWORD BY JOOLS HOLLAND
In February 1957, rock’n’roll thundered onto British television screens when the BBC intro- duced a new programme for teenagers titled Six-Five Special.
As the 70th anniversary of that influential programme approaches, Rock & Pop on British TV tells the whole story of music on television from those primitive black and white days to the vibrant digital colour of today.
Hundreds of programmes feature in the book, which covers developments decade by decade, drawing on detailed original research and personal interviews with many of the most important figures in television music history – from fifties pioneer Jack Good to Jools Holland.
All the major series and events are covered in detail, recalling the excitement of each era as generations of teenagers turned to the small screen to catch glimpses of their musical heroes in programmes such as Six-Five Special, Oh Boy!, Thank Your Lucky Stars, Ready, Steady, Go!, Top of the Pops, The Old Grey Whistle Test, The Tube, Live Aid, Later... with Jools Holland, The X Factor, The Brit Awards, Glastonbury and more.
Remember the Beatles on Sunday Night at the London Palladium? Jimi Hendrix on the Lulu show? David Bowie performing ‘Starman’ on Top of the Pops? The Sex Pistols on Today? Frankie Goes to Hollywood on The Tube? The Stone Roses on The Late Show? Adele on The Brit Awards? This book does, plus hundreds of other memorable moments.
In more than 400 pages of lively text, the book reveals what connects The Old Grey Whistle Test to Meryl Streep; the male musician who auditioned to be presenter of The Tube dressed as a bride; and an awards show that critic Clive James described as having ‘the lasting importance of someone breaking wind in the middle of a hurricane’.
This greatly expanded, fully updated second edition, released ten years after the first edition, includes new research, fresh interviews and a wealth of recently uncovered information about programmes old and new.
‘Brilliantly researched and very readable.’
Jools Holland
‘What a treasure … a work of scholarship with such abundant research. Brilliant stuff.’
Tony Palmer, director All My Loving and All You Need Is Love
‘It’s not often you read an analysis and recognise so much content as being historically accurate, not fictional. I really feel it gives the reader a true insight into what was going on
in rock and pop on British TV.’
Michael Appleton, creator/producer The Old Grey Whistle Test
‘I'm recommending it to anyone who cares about music!’
Chris Cowey, producer/director Top of the Pops
Published 24 September 2026 by Lightning Tree Publishing (ISBN 978-1-0667722-0-9)
464 pages; paperback
£14.99
Copies are available via all the usual retail and online outlets. Alternatively, order signed copies now – post-free for UK addresses! Just send Jeff a note with details of your order and any signing requests.
Also available as an ebook via Amazon and Kobo.
TV TALKS
Jeff presents a number of fascinating, informative and fun talks about the history of television, some of which are illustrated below. For further information and to book a talk for your club, group or society, please contact Jeff at getintouch@jeffevans.co.uk.
Pop on the Box
Book Jeff for a nostalgic trip into the past as he presents his illustrated history of 70 years of pop and rock music on television, beginning in the 1950s with shows such as Six-Five Special and Oh Boy! and continuing through the decades with programmes including Juke Box Jury, Thank Your Lucky Stars, Ready, Steady, Go!, Top of the Pops, The Old Grey Whistle Test, The Tube and Later with Jools Holland, as well as a number of programmes that you may just have forgotten.
This talk – which is based on Jeff's book Rock & Pop on British TV – can vary in length and can be shaped to suit the age range of the audience.
The Questionable History of TV Quiz Show
One of television's most successful creations is the quiz show – the programme where everyone can show how clever they are and possibly earn a small fortune in the process. But where did it all begin? Which shows have been the most successful? And who, along the way, have been the winners, losers and – perhaps most intriguingly – the cheaters?
Jeff's fully illustrated, entertaining talk covers the whole colourful history of the TV quiz show from its earliest days in the 1930s to today, showing how the format developed, celebrating the good, the bad and the ugly, and unearthing some very dodgy dealing along the way.
Expect lots of warm memories, plenty of surprises and lots of 'I didn't know that' moments in this 50–60-minute talk.
They Think It's All Over! A History of Sport on TV
It’s been nearly 90 years since a major sporting event was first shown on British television and, boy, has TV’s coverage of sport changed since those early days.
Jeff tells you all about the history of sport on TV in this lively, fully-illustrated talk, offering lots of ‘I never knew that’ moments and bringing back many warm memories.
Football, rugby, cricket, tennis, rowing, horse racing, boxing, wrestling, athletics and snooker all feature prominently, as do some rather less obvious sports, and some truly wacky moments, that have graced the television screen over the years. And there’s also a chance to learn more about the many presenters, commentators and sports analysts who have contributed so much to the viewing experience.
Jeff’s 50–60-minute talk will carry you back in time, helping you to relive some of the most exciting sporting moments over the decades and taking you behind the scenes of the most fondly-remembered sports programmes.
The Golden Age of Children's Television
Join Jeff on a journey through your childhood as he tells the wonderful story of of children’s television in the UK.
Jeff’s lively talk covers the period from the start of television to the 1970s, truly a golden age for those of us who grew up glued to the small screen when we returned home from school.
Some people will remember the earliest TV stars such as Muffin the Mule and Andy Pandy; others will recall with great fondness series such as Crackerjack, Ivor the Engine, Thunderbirds, The Magic Roundabout and the rather spooky The Singing Ringing Tree. This talk features them all, and much more besides.
This fully illustrated, 50–60-minute talk will bring back a wealth of happy memories and, as ever, Jeff ensures that there are plenty of surprises along the way.
GET IN TOUCH!
