Cavalcade
| Cavalcade | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Music competition Variety performance |
| Created by | Johnny Sveum |
| Presented by | Johnny Sveum (1966-70) Raul Kvale (1970-72) |
| Language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 7 |
| No. of episodes | 74 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | OBC |
| Picture format | 350p ECTV (1966-70) 520i OCTV (1970-72) |
| Original run | May 2, 1966 – August 7, 1972 |
Cavalcade was an Olaf Minnesotan music television series and competition that premiered on May 2, 1966 and initially ran until August 7, 1972. It aired on local broadcaster OBC (Olaf Broadcasting Corporation) catering to the English speaking minority in the Republic of St. Olaf. The program aired 7 series and 74 episodes in its initial run. It was the project of radio disc jockey Johnny Sveum who hosted the show until his death in 1970. The show was hosted by Raul Kvale from July 6, 1970 until its cancellation on September 27, 1972. The program has since returned for special anniversary editions and Christmas specials.
Cavalcade was the first OBC television series to be produced in colour using the 350-line progressive ECTV (Experimental Colour Television) format. It was afterwards also one of the first shows to switch to the 520-line interlaced OCTV (Olaf Colour Television) format which would remain the standard in St. Olaf until the 800-line progressive EOTV (Enhanced Olaf Television) format took its place in 1994.
Format
Each episode was aired live on the first Monday of the month. Eight songs that had recently charted in OBC's local chart were selected by producers to take part in the episode. 100 local randomly chosen jurors were then asked for a single vote for their favourite song. In case of a tie the songs would be put up for a postcard voting and the result would be published in The Olaf Times the subsequent Monday. This scenario occurred in the very first episode, leading to a win for Herman's Hermits over Cher. It would not happen again for the remainder of the season. Occasionally a variety act would perform as a means of promotion.
Season overview
Season 1
The first season of Cavalcade premiered on May 6, 1966 and concluded on April 3, 1967. The season was hosted by Johnny Sveum and aired live from the OBC Studios in Haakonsby. The first edition was decided via postcard voting, remaining unnecessary for the rest of the season. "Poor Side of Town" by Johnny Rivers and "That's Life" by Frank Sinatra were the season's biggest winners both coming first with 20 points with a 4 point margin. The season would see the introduction of a successful series of compilation series.
| Ep# | Artist | Title | Points | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Herman's Hermits | "Leaning on the Lamp Post" | 19 | 0 |
| 2 | The Mamas and the Papas | "Monday, Monday" | 17 | 3 |
| 3 | The Cyrkle | "Red Rubber Ball" | 19 | 5 |
| 4 | The Mamas and the Papas | "I Saw Her Again" | 18 | 4 |
| 5 | Billy Stewart | "Summertime" | 17 | 1 |
| 6 | Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons | "I've Got You under My Skin" | 17 | 4 |
| 7 | Eric Burdon and the Animals | "See See Rider" | 16 | 2 |
| 8 | Johnny Rivers | "Poor Side of Town" | 20 | 4 |
| 9 | Frank Sinatra | "That's Life" | 20 | 4 |
| 10 | The Supremes | "Love Is Here and Now You're Gone" | 16 | 1 |
| 11 | The Mamas and the Papas | "Dedicated to the One I Love" | 18 | 2 |
| 12 | The Four Tops | "Bernadette" | 18 | 1 |
Season 2
The second season of Cavalcade premiered on May 1, 1967 and concluded on April 1, 1968. The season was hosted by Johnny Sveum and aired live from the OBC Studios in Haakonsby.
Season 3
The third season of Cavalcade premiered on May 6, 1968 and concluded on April 7, 1969. The season was hosted by Johnny Sveum and aired live from the OBC Studios in Haakonsby.
Season 4
The fourth season of Cavalcade premiered on May 5, 1969 and concluded on April 6, 1970. The season was hosted by Johnny Sveum and aired live from the OBC Studios in Haakonsby. It was the first season to be aired in the 520 interlaced colour format from episode 9 onwards.
Season 5
The fifth season of Cavalcade premiered on July 6, 1970 and concluded on April 5, 1971. The season was hosted by Raul Kvale and aired live from the OBC Studios in Haakonsby. The series was originally set to premiere on May 4, 1970 but was postponed due to the death of Johnny Sveum on April 30, 1970.
Season 6
The sixth season of Cavalcade premiered on May 3, 1971 and concluded on April 3, 1972. The season was hosted by Raul Kvale and aired live from the OBC Studios in Haakonsby.
Season 7
The seventh season of Cavalcade premiered on May 1, 1972 and was cancelled on September 27th, 1972. It had last aired on August 7, 1972. The season was hosted by Raul Kvale and aired live from the OBC Studios in Haakonsby.