Snub TV

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Snub TV or simply Snub was a British alternative culture television programme of the late 1980s. It focused on providing a showcase for unheard-of bands, and also featured other artists including comedians. It was broadcast on BBC2 at 6.00pm on Monday evenings and repeated in a late night slot on Sunday nights. It was directed by former Rough Trade Records employee and video director Peter Fowler, and produced by Fowler and Brenda Kelly. It was sold to a few other territories such as Russia, Portugal, Denmark and Greece.

Snub TV took music seriously without being po-faced or overly earnest, capturing the zeitgeist of the indie and underground music scene in the UK during the rise of Madchester. Often it sought out talent that had not yet had an opportunity to perform for a mass audience and put it on screen. The bands were not lined up in front of a well-behaved "live" audience. Instead the camera might be allowed to film a track being recorded: as such much of the programme had a rather rough-edged documentary feel to it, rather than being a polished music show in the mould of Top of the Pops. If the band didn't have a promo video then the Snub crew would go out and make one for them, for nothing. In the case of the Cocteau Twins for example, the band had refused to appear in any video up until that point, but the Snub crew made one anyway and persuaded them to be in silhouette resulting in a film made for the track "Cico Buff". The Fall appeared in all three series with Snub making a video for them each time, including 'Dead Beat Descendant' and 'Bill Is Dead'.

The theme tunes for each series were made by On U Sounds Adrian Sherwood.

Interviews were conducted by members of other bands, in informal settings, say in a park or in a pub over a pint. The impression created was almost one of a TV fanzine created by musicians for other musicians and anyone else into music. The first series aired in America on the USA Cable network before being picked up in the UK by Janet Street Porter at the BBC where it ran for two more series.A best of both series were available on VHS. Recently there have been discussions about releasing a DVD of the best of all three series, but as yet there is no distributor.

Brenda Kelly went on to work in Broadcast TV in the UK and Fowler went on to direct many music videos, notably several for The Stereophonics before relocating to Sydney to direct TV commercials and start PVC Live, a production company Specializing in live concert filming.