OGWT started modestly on September 21, 1971, introduced by Ian Whitcomb and featuring folk-rock band America and singer-songwriter Lesley Duncan as its live guests. The show had many presenters over the years but it was the period hosted by Bob Harris that is the most fondly remembered segment of the show’s history. “Whispering” Bob Harris (so nicknamed because of his low key, almost hushed delivery) was a thoughtful DJ with a wide-eyed enthusiasm for many different sorts of music and artists. His genuine fascination with the subject clicked with the viewing audience, itself mostly formed of knowledgeable rock fans. Harris joined the show in 1972 and introduced the cream of contemporary rock artists including David Bowie, Roxy Music, Todd Rundgren, Steppenwolf, Sparks, Edgar Winter, Crazy Horse, Average White Band, Jim Croce, Ritchie Havens, Captain Beefheart, Elton John, Supertramp, Janis Ian, Golden Earring, The Pretty Things, Dr. Feelgood, Van Morrison, Be Bop De Luxe, Lynryd Skynyrd, Queen, Fleetwood Mac, Ry Cooder, Joni Mitchell, and Emmylou Harris. Artists were filmed in a bare studio, usually presenting two or three songs. Other acts appeared on film, and new album tracks were played regularly and accompanied by old films, usually silent movies or wild cartoons. There was also space for concert news, music updates, and short interviews. The whole mixture was heralded by the catchy bluegrass/rock theme tune “Stone Fox Chase” by Nashville sessionmen band Area Code 615.

When the punk and new-wave movements emerged around 1976 the show was slow to react at first (although uber-punks The New York Dolls had appeared in 1973), but by 1978 the show regularly featured artists that represented the new movements including The Motors, Talking Heads, The Ramones, Patti Smith, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Magazine, The Police, The Only Ones, Bethnal, The Jam, Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Buzzcocks, Devo, Blondie, Ultra-vox, XTC, Squeeze, Iggy Pop, Lena Lovich, Tubeway Army, and The Damned. This gave the show a new lease of life and enabled it to outlive the many other music programs that were emerging at the time. The punk generation had been catered to by Granada’s So It Goes (1976–77) and ATV’s Revolver (1978), and later trends were covered by Channel 4’s The Tube (1982– 87), a lively, irreverent, modern-day version of the classic 1960s pop show Ready Steady Go. The BBC had unveiled rivals including live showcase Rock Goes To College (1978–81), which was produced by OGWT producer Michael Appleton and ran when OGWT was off the air; and Something Else (1978–82). In 1983 the series dropped the “Old Grey” from its name, becoming just Whistle Test for its final years (1983–87), which included a series of live gigs recorded at various venues around the U.K., called Whistle Test–On The Road (1983–84).

By 1987 the program was struggling. Although it had changed to reflect the times, its reputation was still largely that of a progressive rock show. It may have dropped the “old” from its title, but it was considered “old hat” in some circles and consequently was put finally to rest. The great majority of the OGWT performances have survived, and some footage thought lost has since been returned to the archive by engineers and other program personnel who had kept private copies. The 30th anniversary in 2001 showed an upsurge of interest in the show, with celebratory programming recalling the highlights of the series transmitted on both BBC TV and radio, and the distribution of a fine OGWT DVD, featuring many memorable moments and outstanding performances from the show.