the Queen?" Although this incident is often related by Meldrum in interviews, it was not broadcast until later, as an out-take. Despite some episodes of ineptitude, Meldrum became a major star in his own right and was a champion of local talent and regularly used the show to pressure radio stations to play more Australian music. McFarlane noted that alongside his bumbling, "Molly was a music fanatic, totally committed to, and passionate about, his work. Ultimately it was his drive that helped make Countdown so popular". As a result of his efforts, the show was able to make overnight hits of songs and performers it featured, and through the late 1970s and early 1980s it was a key factor in determining the direction of Australian popular music. By the mid-1980s its influence was waning, in part due to numerous other music video shows on commercial TV. The final episode of Countdown aired on 19 July 1987, followed by the 1986 Countdown Awards. Meldrum appeared at the end of the show wearing his cowboy hat. He saluted the music industry and fans, then bared his shaved head in imitation of Midnight Oil's Peter Garrett and expressed regret that they had never appeared on the show. Dave Warner, musician and writer, described Meldrum's impact "[he] was loved, loathed, reviled, respected, but above all, watched... You simply couldn't ignore [him] nor could the Australian music industry." In November 1998 Brian Mannix (ex-Uncanny X-Men) wrote and directed a stage play, Countdown: The Musical Comedy, with Meldrum portrayed by Michael Veitch. McFarlane observed "[it] was a loving and funny tribute to the Countdown era. It may have been shameless nostalgia, but with Veitch perfectly cast as Molly it was a hell of a lot of fun". It toured Australia through 1998 to 1999 and, in 2009, was revamped as Can't Believe It's not Countdown – It's a Musical Comedy. Meldrum also appeared on the tribute show, Countdown: Do Yourself a Favour, celebrating its 40th anniversary, which was broadcast by ABC in November 2014. After Countdown In 1986 Meldrum and Amanda Pelman, Mushroom Records executive, had formed the Body Beat label and, two years later, Melodian Records, both under the Mushroom umbrella. Body Beat issued electronic and disco music locally for international artists including Joyce Sims, Hanson & Davis, Joy Peters, and Mozzart (aka Paul Lander). Melodian signed Indecent Obsession (1988–93), which issued their debut single,