Marc – Episode 2 (August 30 / 31, 1977) – Granada Television, Manchester.
The second episode of Marc, broadcast on 30/31 August 1977, continued Marc Bolan’s six‑part ITV music series produced by Muriel Young and directed by Nicholas Ferguson. Granada TV had carved out a niche producing tea‑time pop shows such as Get It Together, The Arrows, and Bay City Rollers, and now gave Bolan the opportunity to create a programme in his own image. The concept originated with Johnny Hamp, who, along with Young, had known Bolan since the 1960s.
They saw him as the ideal figure to bridge the generational gap between parents and their children watching the show.
Setlist :
• Celebrate Summer – Marc Bolan with T. Rex
• Roots Rock – Desmond Dekker ( Heart Throb)
• If I Can Just Get Through Tonight – Alfalfa
• You Made Me Believe in Magic – Bay City Rollers (danced by Heart Throb) • New York City – Marc Bolan with T. Rex
• Ride a White Swan – Marc Bolan with T. Rex
• Just Try a Little Tenderness – Mud
• People in Love – 10cc (on video)
• Endless Sleep – Marc Bolan with T. Rex
Press coverage on 1 August 1977 announced Bolan’s new television venture.
Granada TV granted him creative freedom to feature both established and new‑wave acts, alongside the regular dance troupe Heart Throb.
Promotional stills from the broadcast show Bolan performing in glittering stage attire, with close‑ups of his silver boots featured in episode imagery.
Bolan described his vision for Marc as “a sort of cross between Rudolf Valentino and Joan Crawford,” promising viewers “a new Bolan.” He aimed to include “as many genuinely talented new‑wave bands as possible,” giving them valuable television exposure. Each episode featured three T. Rex performances, one established act, one new band, and a dance routine. Bolan’s willingness to showcase emerging punk and new‑wave artists such as The Jam, Boomtown Rats, and Generation X demonstrated his openness to the evolving music scene and his role as a bridge between glam and the next generation.
Surrounding Dates:
• Spring 1977 – UK tour supported by The Damned
• 4 June 1977 – Bolan’s first Record Mirror column published
• 24 August 1977 – Episode 1 broadcast on ITV
Chronicle Note:
By mid‑1977, Bolan’s Dandy in the Underworld album had not matched earlier commercial heights, yet signs of a new audience were emerging.
His embrace of punk’s energy and his commentary in Record Mirror positioned him as a bridge between glam and the new wave. Marc One captured this transition — Bolan’s enthusiasm for the young scene, his self‑awareness, and his determination to remain relevant. His statement, “I’m not a punk and I don’t profess to be one. I’m not 18 and living on a council estate, I’ve done that, that’s why I can understand it,” summed up his empathy for the movement while maintaining his own identity.
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