The Merv Griffin Show

ABBA perfomed "SOS" and "I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do" and were introduced by presenter Merv Griffin and Neil Sedaka Merv announced them as "an international super group from Sweden".

This was a daily programme which first aired on 1 October 1962 and ended on 6 September 1978.

These types of talk/variety TV shows went on location in various cities.  ABBA happened to be guests on one such show in Las Vegas.

NB. Merv Griffin died, aged 82, on 12 August 2007

ABBA on TV regular Rianne Schaffers contacted the USA archives for The Mike Douglas show and The Merv Griffin Show (c/o Donna M. Fields)  about the footage of ABBA's appearances. The response was a little confusing, "Please understand that the shows you are interested in, we own the rights.  But the shows featuring ABBA no longer exists. They may have been destroyed years ago or exposed to the elements and disintegrated. But they do not exist. There is no where to get them."

However, she also said, "Our computer shows there is an American Journal program featuring ABBA. However, I don't know what the footage is comprised of because these tapes are in storage. Do you want us to order it? Otherwise, we do not have any other listings of their appearances."

So on one hand they say that footage doesn't exist and on the other hand they HAVE something but it's in storage and they don't know what it is! 

Another ABBA on TV regular, Yuri, also contacted Donna M. Fields - from the company that holds the rights to Mike Douglas Show - and provided her with TV listings for the show for the specific dates when ABBA were scheduled to appear. She informed me that the list of show guests available on the web-site is NOT FULL because it comes ONLY from the program tapes that were reviewed and re-mastered. And those supposedly with Abba on them were not reviewed  yet. Ms. Fields wrote: "It would cost you $150.00 to get this tape cleaned and reviewed to determine if Abba was on that show". So the reason for Abba not being listed as guests on the show Website is apparently because NOT all tapes of show were reviewed and re-mastered.

If anyone has $150 they can dangle in front of these people, we may get a more comprehensive answer!