Countdown was the longest-running and most popular weekly Australian music television show broadcast by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation from 8 November 1974 until 19 July 1987 so it featured around 600 episodes in total. They were produced at the ABC studios in Melbourne and was broadcast nationwide on Australia's government-owned broadcaster, ABC, and commanded a huge and loyal audience. It screened a new episode each Sunday evening and then repeating it the following Saturday evening.

The majority of the performances on the show were lip-synched. The majority of the 1970s Countdown episodes are non-existent in ABC archives because they were wiped around 1981 when the then Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser slashed the ABC budget, which made the ABC bigwigs of the time decide to re-use the video tapes that Countdown was filmed on. These were special tapes and worth about $1000s each.

But luckily this segment with ABBA being interviewed by Ian 'Molly' Meldrum survived this incident, as it was filmed onto 16mm reversal film material, from where edited into the videotape of the aired production.

Click here for a TV listing from The Canberra Times - 12 March 1977, p.14

Agnetha - she looks really miserable at times during the interview.

Countdown (Benny, Björn & Frida), 1976;
Countdown, 1977;
Countdown (Björn), 1979;
Countdown Ends the Decade (Björn), 1979;
Countdown: Do Yourself a Favour (Björn), 2014;

Archive data fom National Archives of Australia’s public sites:

Reel No1.:
Item details for: B6154, MARCH07F/0509 IMAGE
Title: Countdown [ABBA Interview (Part 1) Rushes] CATEGORY: moving image FORMAT: motion picture film QUANTITY: 1 of 1 reels DURATION: 03 min 28 sec TYPE: colour 16mm original reversal, mute STATUS: preservation material
Contents date range: 12 Mar 1977 - 12 Mar 1977
Series number: B6154
Control symbol: MARCH07F/0509 IMAGE
Item barcode: 30371532
Location: Sydney
Access status: Not yet examined
Date of decision: 01 Jan 1970
Physical format: AUDIO-VISUAL RECORDS (allocated at series level)
Visibility and availability indicators: 31. Not to be issued for preservation reasons
Records authority class number: 12610
Date registered: 07 Jan 2011

Reel No2.:
Item details for: B6154, 1368830
Title Countdown [Episode 2] - [Part 2]
Version name [Segment] ABBA Interview
Contents date range 12 Mar 1977 - 12 Mar 1977
Series number B6154
Control symbol 1368830
Citation NAA: B6154, 1368830
Item barcode 13350396
Location Various locations
Access status Not yet examined
Date of decision 01 Jan 1970
Format Audiovisual records
Colour type Colour
Sound type Sound
Duration 2:21
Available in (Item Type/s) Film (Audio)
Other versions for this title Camera Material

Item details for: B6154, MARCH07F/0509 IMAGE
Title: Countdown [ABBA Interview (Part 2) Rushes] CATEGORY: moving image FORMAT: motion picture film QUANTITY: 1 of 1 reels DURATION: 02 min 21 sec TYPE: colour 16mm original reversal, mute STATUS: preservation material
Contents date range: 12 Mar 1977 - 12 Mar 1977
Series number: B6154
Control symbol: MARCH07F/0509 IMAGE
Item barcode: 30371533
Location: Sydney
Access status: Not yet examined
Date of decision: 01 Jan 1970
Physical format: AUDIO-VISUAL RECORDS (allocated at series level)
Visibility and availability indicators: 31. Not to be issued for preservation reasons
Records authority class number: 12610
Date registered: 07 Jan 2011

Thanks to Ian Cole and Philip Muytjens for information and Jozsef for extra pictures.
Extra thanks to Sam Shervz, David Broomhall and ABBA in Australia (no longer online).
YouTube link c/o Steve Layton