The Good Old Days is a BBC television light entertainment programme produced by Barney Colehan which ran from 1953 to 1983. It was inspired by the success of the "Ridgeway's Late Joys" at the Players' Theatre Club in London and was performed at the Leeds City Varieties, rereating an authentic atmosphere of the Victorian–Edwardian music hall with songs and sketches of the era performed by present-day performers in the style of the original artistes.

The audience dressed in period costume and joined in the singing, especially "Down at the Old Bull and Bush" which closed the show. The show was compered by Leonard Sachs, who introduced the acts from a desk situated at the side of the stage. In the course of its run it featured about 2,000 performers. Each show was up to an hour long. All acts were in the style of late Victorian/Edwardian stage acts.

The show was first broadcast on 20 July 1953 and the first two shows were compered by Don Gemmell.

For useful links to background information and to an archive of shows, see Links.

Offiial still from The Boy Friend

Boy Friend souvenir from 1958 (click for full-sized image)