The Old Grey Whistle Test was a long-running
BBC popular music show of the
1970s and
1980s, which concentrated on "serious" rock music rather than chart hits. This was emphasised by the lack of
showbiz glitter; bands would often perform their songs in front of plain wooden boards (actually the backs of set walls from other programmes). The show's presenter for much of its run was "Whispering" Bob Harris, whose
hippy-style beard and laid-back presentation made him a favourite target for
parody, most notably by
Eric Idle on
Rutland Weekend Television[?].
The title came from a story about a grey-haired old janitor at a theatre; if the janitor was heard whistling a tune he had heard performed on stage, it was deemed memorable enough to be a hit