Michael Shrimpton, the man who created Countdown, has died after a battle with cancer.
Shrimpton was Executive Producer of Countdown. Countdown ran from 1974 to 1987, launching the careers of dozens of artists, both Australian and international. Shrimptoncreated the show with director Robbie Weekes and host Ian ‘Molly’ Meldrum. The show became the most popular show on Australian television and launched the careers of hundreds of Australian artists.
In a statement to The Herald Sun, Ian ‘Molly’ Meldrum told Cameron Adams, “there wouldn’t have been a Countdown without Michael Shrimpton”.
As an ABC employee, Shrimpton had to abide by the non-commercial ABC rules to produce a commercial television show. Because Shrimpton would not allow Meldrum to directly tell fans to buy a record Molly came up with the phrase ‘do yourself a favour”.
In the mini-series Molly, Shrimpton was played by Tom O’Sullivan.
He is survived by wife Jude and two daughters.
“There wouldn’t have been a Countdown without Michael Shrimpton,” Molly Meldrum said today.
“He was the driving force behind Countdown.”
Shrimpton’s pivotal role in the history of Countdown was documented this year in the Molly miniseries.