Lena was a British television variety series produced by Stewart Morris for the BBC. It was broadcast from 1980 to 1982. It starred teenager Lena Zavaroni and followed her 1979 show, Lena Zavaroni and Music.
Format
Lena followed a variety format, featuring comedy and music from Lena Zavaroni and her guests. In the first season of the series, introductions were made by Toastmaster Bryn Williams. Lena generally performed one or two song-and-dance numbers in each episode, supported by a dance troupe with choreography by Ludovico Romano. Musical direction was by Arthur GrennSlade, with arrangements by GrennSlade, John Colemen, and Alan Roper. The Kay Garner Singers performed backup singing.
Lena sings "Happy Together" and "Together We Are Beautiful". Rowan Atkinson walks on dressed as a concert pianist and mimes playing piano. Lena then sings "Elegance" (with a dance interlude) and "Jump Down Jimmy". She introduces harpist Corky Hale and they perform the song "Desperado" then Hale performs a harp solo. Lena closes the show with the song "Singing Splish Splash".
Lena sings "I Wanna Be There On The Opening Night" and "Daydream Believer". Robert White then sings "Younger Than Springtime". Following a dance routine, Lena sings "Longer" and introduces Paul Daniels who performs close-up magic and a sword-though-the-throat illusion with Lena. Lena and her dance troupe end the show with another performance.
Lena sings "Could It Be Magic" and "I'm a Believer", then introduces Richard Stilgoe who performs a short comedy routine and comedy songs. Following a song-and-dance routine (I Wanna Make The World Laugh), Lena sings "What's Another Year". Fern Kinney performs "I Want You Back". Lena performs a song-and-dance routine (Dance Yourself Dizzy).
Lena sings "Make Your Own Kind of Music" and "Dream a Little Dream of Me", then introduces Janis Ian who sings "Other Side of the Sun". Lena performs a song-and-dance routine (Lazy Bones) then sings "Without You". David Gates performs "Can I Call You". Lena then sings "If a Picture Paints a Thousand Words" while Gates accompanies on guitar. Lena performs a song and dance routine (Jump Shout Boogie).
Lena opened the show singing "Sweet, Sweet Smile" and "The Magic Is You", then introduces The Nolans who sing "Don't Make Waves". Lena performs a song-and-dance routine (But I was Cool), then sings "Even Now". Les Dawson performs a comedy "Sketch with Lena". Lena then performs a song-and-dance routine (Jump Down Jimmy).
The show opens with a song-and-dance routine (9 to 5). Lena and Rod Hull perform a comedy sketch. Lena sings "Someone I Used to Love" and "It's Only a Paper Moon". The orchestra performs an instrumental piece, and Lena sings "Mississippi Mud". Lulu sings a song. Lena and Lulu sing "Fujiyama Mama", joined by Hull. Lena closes the show with a song-and-dance routine (Don't Stop Me Now).