BBC Pulls Plug On 'Top Of The Pops'

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boyjohn · #1 Post by **boyjohn** » Tue 20 Jun 2006, 9:24 pm

BBC Pulls Plug On 'Top Of The Pops'

The BBC's venerable weekly TV chart show "Top Of The Pops,"
one of the longest-running programs and most iconic musical
institutions in British television history, is to be axed after
42 years on air.

Read the full story here.

http://www.billboard.biz/bb/biz/newsroo ... 1002690923

! · #2 Post by ! » Tue 20 Jun 2006, 9:27 pm

viewtopic.php?t=13305

Darkmoon · #3 Post by **Darkmoon** » Tue 20 Jun 2006, 9:27 pm

Hmmm... this is not good!

boyjohn · #4 Post by **boyjohn** » Tue 20 Jun 2006, 9:31 pm

sorry for the double post, i never read the off topic section, i forgot to look there first

Naughty Zoot · #5 Post by **Naughty Zoot** » Wed 21 Jun 2006, 2:18 am

Wow. I've only ever sen a few minutes of a few shows - mostly PSB performances - but this sems rather sad.

I see that Dusty was on the 1st show so I think PSB should be on the last show singing Minimal & then returning to do What have I done to deserve this? with Dusty's vocals & those visuals the Boys used during the Nightlife tour.

retrofuturist · #6 Post by **retrofuturist** » Wed 21 Jun 2006, 2:30 am

I thought it was getting the can 12 months ago, and I was surprised to hear it was still going.

Dipso · #7 Post by **Dipso** » Wed 21 Jun 2006, 2:35 am

The BBC is obviously an unsentimental beast. I know TOTP's ratings weren't great, but I believe it is a bad decision.

First Smash Hits closes and now this. The men in grey suits really don't like pop, do they? Well, unless it's raking in heaps of lovely cash.

Burj · #8 Post by **Burj** » Wed 21 Jun 2006, 10:20 am

Naughty Zoot wrote: I see that Dusty was on the 1st show so I think PSB should be on the last show singing Minimal & then returning to do What have I done to deserve this? with Dusty's vocals & those visuals the Boys used during the Nightlife tour.

great idea, but you can't email the TOTP production office direct from the BBC website anymore so couldn't suggest they do this, to bring things full circle. any ideas?

Burj · #9 Post by **Burj** » Wed 21 Jun 2006, 10:22 am

Dipso wrote:First Smash Hits closes and now this. The men in grey suits really don't like pop, do they? Well, unless it's raking in heaps of lovely cash.

from another forum:

I think it proves that the charts are of no relevance to anyone except the record companies anymore, and the fact is, it is the record comanies who killed the charts in the first place.
In the late 90s the trend started more than ever for letting the radio play tracks weeks before they were to be released, so by the time the song was finally released everyone was clamouring to get it and it got straight to number one, you could almost predict the next number one and they came thick and fast, rarely at that time did a single stay at number one more than one or two weeks, because by they time it did actually come out, people then realised they were bored with it and besides the record company had the next number one already lined up.
Most singles that get to the top nowadays get there on the week of release, it is rare for a slow burner to enter the charts low and slowly climb up the charts, and this was what made the chart exciting, yes it was brilliant when Going Underground became the first song to enter the charts at number one since the Beatles (I think)but the thrill of seeing your favourite song inch up the chart was where it was at.
As the charts were more unpredictable in the past, so this made TOTP more watchable, don't get me wrong, it was never 'cool' to watch TOTP after you past eight years old, but as it was the only place each week that you would see a varied line up of pop acts each week it was unmissable. There were more 'worthy' music programs, but none of them were as unpretentious as Top of the pops, it did what it said on the cover, it gave you the top of the pops, week in, week out.
Now if a song by a major artist doesn't automatically get to number one, the record company is already seeing how they can get out of the ten year contract they have with the singer, irrespective of how well they have done in the past. Music is more disposable these days (for the pop aimed consumer) they don't care for longevity, they just want the latest in a long run of pretty boys and girls. 24 hours a day, and most of it has the emotional depth of a nursery rhyme.
Back in TOTPs heyday they had some tosh on there, but they had some great groups too. It could be Adam and the Ants followed by the Goombay Dance band, The Beatles followed by Ken Dodd, Blur followed by Mr Blobby, but that is what made it special then. The acts were chosen on one simple set of criteria, was it a hit, was it going up the charts, was it number one?

As is mentioned above, all talk in the school yard on Friday morning was 'did you see last night;

Culture club - Is that a boy or a girl?
Dexy's - why did they show a picture of Jocky Wilson?
New Order - Wow they sung live, it sounded awful.
Bowie - He put his arm around the guitarist.
Shakatak - The backing tapes were going but they forgot to sing.
FGTH - They didn't play Relax!
Jackson - Did you see that amazing video?
Lionel Ritchie - OH MY GOD HOW SICK!!!

Like Smash hits, taping the chart show on Sunday and John Peel, another chapter is closing.

PS I see Slade and (ahem) Gary Glitter also went in at No.1 in between the Beatles and the Jam

Burj · #10 Post by **Burj** » Tue 18 Jul 2006, 12:13 pm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/5190418.stm

If they're gonna do it retro then get the PSB and Dusty on there too. Dusty actually opened the first-ever TOTP.

Savile to co-present final TOTP

Sir Jimmy Savile will co-host the final edition of Top Of The Pops on 30 July.

The veteran DJ, 79, said he immediately agreed to take part in the show, telling producers: "I did the first one, and I'll do the last".

According to Broadcast magazine, Sir Jimmy will be joined by other former Top Of The Pops presenters such as Pat Sharp, Tony Blackburn and Mike Read.

The BBC announced last month it was cancelling the long-running music show because of falling audiences.

In its 1970s heyday Top Of The Pops was regularly seen by 15 million viewers, but recent programmes on BBC Two have struggled to find an audience of more than one million.

Sir Jimmy presented the first ever edition of the show from a converted church in Manchester on New Year's Day 1964.

The programme included music from The Rolling Stones, The Beatles and Dusty Springfield.

The former Radio 1 DJ says the BBC phoned him last week and asked him to take part in the final edition of the programme.

"They're not even entirely sure what the format will be yet," he told the BBC News website. "It's all up in the air."

The line-up for the programme has yet to be finalised, although it is expected to be an extended, hour-long edition.

The BBC was unavailable for comment.