Oxford Road Show

Oxford Road Show was a pop music magazine show broadcast on BBC2 from the BBC's New Broadcasting House, Oxford Road, Manchester between 16 January 1981 and 29 March 1985. The show featured live music, pop music news and competitions and was also presented as addressing issues for young adults by young adults. The show was renamed as ORS 84 and ORS 85 in 1984 and 1985 respectively.

Many bands and artists popular at the time performed on the show including Duran Duran, Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Cure, Magnum, The Psychedelic Furs, Queen, Spandau Ballet, UFO, Big Country, The Alarm, Simple Minds, XTC, Madness, Japan, U2, Marillion, Soft Cell, The Farm, Tears for Fears, Bauhaus, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, The Undertones, UB40, China Crisis, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, The Beat, Wah!, Dead or Alive, Bronski Beat, Spear of Destiny, Sade, Ultravox and The Smiths. A full show was also dedicated a live concert by Depeche Mode performing at the Birmingham Odeon in February 1984, as part of ORS 84.

The show had several presenters including Peter Powell, Jackie Spreckley, Janice Long, Timmy Mallett, Richard Witts, Rob Rohrer and Victoria Studd. Paula Yates, later to present The Tube on Channel 4, co-hosted an early edition in 1981. ORS 85 featured guest presenters from the world of popular music.

The show was later parodied as "Nozin' Aroun'" in the first episode of The Young Ones.[1]