The second series of New Faces began on 6 April 1974 and was once again recorded at Birmingham’s ATV studios on Broad Street just a few days before the broadcast date.

The new format for the second series means that the winner of each Saturday’s show is guaranteed six weeks work on one of the leading club circuits with the overall series winner being guaranteed a twenty week engagement.

In a change to the voting system viewers were no longer able to phone in their votes and the studio judges scoring was also altered.

In addition a number of acts would be chosen by impresario Alan Blackburn for a summer season in Ramsgate.

On the judging panel for the first of twelve heats were Clifford Davis, Arthur Askey, Noele Gordon and Tony Hatch. The opening episode gave a chance to artists from the previous series who had received top placing through viewers’ votes.

The acts making up the line-up of show one of this new series were;

• Art Nouveau (four-piece group) from Manchester – show 1.3
• Les Dennis (impressionist) from Liverpool – show 1.10
• Pete Conway (comedian) from Stoke-on-Trent – show 1.13
• Sight ‘n’ Sound (four-piece group) from Birmingham – show 1.1
• Just Oliver (singer) from Blackburn – show 1.5
• Mel Dean (comedy/musical act) from Manchester – show 1.9
• The Farrells (vocal trio) from London – viewers winners on an unknown show in series one (possibly show 1.4)
• Kenny Robson (ukulele player & tap dancer) from Essex – show 1.2

The winning act, returning from their appearance in episode three of the first series, were four-piece group Art Nouveau from Manchester.

The show runner-up was Liverpool impressionist Les Dennis and behind him in third place was comedian Pete Conway.

Kenny Robson was a young performer from Essex, trained in the music hall tradition, as a versatile tap-dancer, guitarist, singer, juggler, George Formby impersonator and ukulele player.