Tom Jones' 1950s, The Decade That Made Me

Unlike the 60s, says Tom Jones as he recalls his teenage years in Pontypridd, South Wales, people who lived through the 50s can usually remember them. Many of those interviewed in this enjoyably nostalgic documentary – including the Shadows’ rhythm guitarist Bruce Welch, broadcaster Joan Bakewell and journalist Michele Hanson – agree the early postwar years were grey, boring and flat. But what they experienced during this decade, whether it was American films, music, TV shows such as The Six Five Special, teddy-boy fashion or just being a teenager, excited and shaped them all. “I was 15 when rock ’n’ roll kicked in – perfect!” says Jones. It’s a glorious reminder of the cultural changes of the 50s. About this programme Former The Voice UK coach Tom Jones fronts the first of four retrospective documentaries in which celebrated musicians look back at the decades that defined them. For Tom, that decade is the 1950s, the era following the austerity of the Second World War that saw a boom in popular culture, which swept aside the old order and ushered in a new era of entertainment. The veteran singer provides a first-hand guide to his formative years in a small mining community in South Wales, revealing how he - much like many people of his generation - turned to TV, movies, radio and music to find a voice for himself. Revisiting Treforest and Pontypridd, where he spent his childhood and teenage years, Tom recalls his joy when rationing finally ended, his encounter with American GIs stationed near his home, and the arrival of rock `n' roll and the `Teddy Boys'. Includes contributions by writers Joan Bakewell, Katherine Whitehorn and Michele Hanson, and historians Alwyn Turner, Dr Martin Johnes, Tony Russell and Francis Beckett.