I don't understand why they can't just get the big international acts in and record performances from them whenever they're in the country throughout the year, and then store up the performances for the Xmas special. Surely it wouldn't be too much effort just to throw together a basic studio set and just get a Never Mind the Buzzcocks audience in for a few minutes to watch? I'm sure the likes of Robin Thicke and Katy Perry would've been happy to record a performance for them if they tried to accommodate them, even though it's too much to ask for them to fly over in December specially for it. It just seems like a lack of basic forward-thinking on the BBC's part.

 

Money and being reluctant to switch from the formula innit.

I saw Xmas TOTP 1978 on TV the other day. There was only a couple of songs, that I didn't enjoy.

I saw Xmas TOTP 2013 on i-player today, found myself skipping through quite a few of the songs.

Edited December 26, 201311 yr by house.martin

Money and being reluctant to switch from the formula innit.

 

I don't know, I can't really see why it would cost too much money to, like I said, throw a basic set together and get in the audience from another show.

 

I think there might be something in the theories that they're deliberately making no effort to try and give them an excuse to axe it.

I think if your not really a radio listener and just watch a lot of TV, then you would be saying about a lot of those big hits featured on TOTP: "who are they and what are they singing".

That's how badly chart music does on national TV these days.

I don't know, I can't really see why it would cost too much money to, like I said, throw a basic set together and get in the audience from another show.

 

I think there might be something in the theories that they're deliberately making no effort to try and give them an excuse to axe it.

With some acts they could just record an extra song while recording a show like Later...

I don't know, I can't really see why it would cost too much money to, like I said, throw a basic set together and get in the audience from another show.

 

I think there might be something in the theories that they're deliberately making no effort to try and give them an excuse to axe it.

 

Yeah but Top Of The Pops is just not a big enough priority for the BBC. Doctor Who gets more money thrown at it because it gets more viewers and is more talked about. Remember that the BBC would have axed Christmas Top Of The Pops years ago if it wasn't for all the music fans complaining about the decision.

I saw Xmas TOTP 1978 on TV the other day. There was only a couple of songs, that I didn't enjoy.

I saw Xmas TOTP 2013 on i-player today, found myself skipping through quite a few of the songs.

I'm trying to guess the couple of songs from 1978 you didn't enjoy - Brian & Michael and The Smurfs by any chance?!

 

I quite enjoyed the TOTP from this year but we could have done without Boyzone - why on earth were they on, the single flopped? - and James Blunt. At least the latter reached number 4 but he was still out of place for what should be a round up of the year.

 

Christmas Day TOTP should be about number 1s and the biggest sellers. Some of the biggest hits of the year were just played in passing, which was wrong.

 

But on the whole it wasn't too bad.

I quite enjoyed the TOTP from this year but we could have done without Boyzone - why on earth were they on, the single flopped? - and James Blunt. At least the latter reached number 4 but he was still out of place for what should be a round up of the year.

 

Christmas Day TOTP should be about number 1s and the biggest sellers. Some of the biggest hits of the year were just played in passing, which was wrong.

 

They flopped because there's no weekly TOTP to show them. iTunes buyers are too interested in the latest USA hits to buy Boyzone or Blunt.

 

It's all a question of who the BBC can get for the money. Plus who's too busy when the show is recorded or doesn't want to do it.

If TOTP was weekly it would have a backlog of material to show on the X-mas shows. More artists would probably be interested in doing the show, to promote their records. Both Blunt and Boyzone will have found memories of doing the show so will want to come on. But why should acts who never appeared before want to do the show? Just to sing something that has been a hit! Just for the money I suspect.

 

 

 

I'm trying to guess the couple of songs from 1978 you didn't enjoy - Brian & Michael and The Smurfs by any chance?!

It was the songs from Grease. Maybe it was because I went to the Cinema and found Grease wasn't my cup of tea.

 

As for the 2 songs quoted, along with Boney M's Rivers of Babylon (also on the show), had me and My Other Half giggling, remembering The Barron Knights Dec '78 top 3 hit, A Taste of Agro.

Don't follow the charts much these days (except around Xmas), but I imagine hit comic and novelty songs are as rare as hens teeth these days, which I think would be a shame.

 

The John Newman song on Xmas TOTP 2013, was good btw B-)

Edited December 27, 201311 yr by house.martin

It was the songs from Grease. Maybe it was because I went to the Cinema and found Grease wasn't my cup of tea.

 

As for the 2 songs quoted, along with Boney M's Rivers of Babylon (also on the show), had me and My Other Half giggling, remembering The Barron Knights Dec '78 top 3 hit, A Taste of Agro.

Don't follow the charts much these days (except around Xmas), but I imagine hit comic and novelty songs are as rare as hens teeth these days, which I think would be a shame.

 

The John Newman song on Xmas TOTP 2013, was good btw B-)

I was listening to the Barron Knights song earlier this morning! :lol:

 

My mum took my two sisters to see Grease, she was going to take me too but I refused to go so she gave me a pound and I bought 'Rat Trap' by the Boomtown Rats instead! This was back during the school half term holidays in October 1978. I've watched Grease on TV and do quite like it but I still think I got the better bargain by buying 'Rat Trap'! And when 'Rat Trap' reached number 1 and the record was on TOTP Bob Geldof tore up a picture of John Travolta, which was a brilliant moment :D

 

Enjoyed the show for what it was a look back at some of the big hits of the year. My favourite track of the tear is John Newman's Love Me Again but I have to say wasn't a fan of his live performance. His vocals seemed to be drowned out. As for Top Of The Pops ever returning it would have to be different from anything else out there. I feel the show would only work if every act was live in the studio or a new performance unseen anywhere else as videos you can see on virtually any of the music channels available.Only time a video should be used perhaps for an ongoing No1 or an exclusive video not seen on any other channel upto that point. Looking forward to Tuesday's show.

What I don't get is why it's always presented as a choice between Top of the Pops being on every week all year round, or not being on at all. Why can't they start off just by having it on for like 10 weeks of the year, during the 4th-quarter rush when there's so much competition that most artists would jump at the chance of getting a performance slot on a big show? Even if they couldn't make it as chart-based as it was in its glory days, there's definitely enough demand for a specialist music show of some kind.

Even if they couldn't make it as chart-based as it was in its glory days, there's definitely enough demand for a specialist music show of some kind.

 

You mean like how "Later... with Jools Holland" already is? :P

I was listening to the Barron Knights song earlier this morning! :lol:

 

My mum took my two sisters to see Grease, she was going to take me too but I refused to go so she gave me a pound and I bought 'Rat Trap' by the Boomtown Rats instead! This was back during the school half term holidays in October 1978. I've watched Grease on TV and do quite like it but I still think I got the better bargain by buying 'Rat Trap'! And when 'Rat Trap' reached number 1 and the record was on TOTP Bob Geldof tore up a picture of John Travolta, which was a brilliant moment :D

Yes, I remember seeing Bob Geldof on TOTP, tearing up a picture of John Travolta, partly because it was shown more recently on BBC4.

I've enjoyed watching BBC4's showing on a weekly(ish) basis, TOTP 1978 this past year. I'm hoping they'll show a weekly(ish) TOTP 1979 in 2014. OK, so it wouldn't be current music...

 

I think I'd better mention TOTP 2013, before someone complains that this is not the thread for TOTP 1978, or 1979 for that matter, ;) so here goes: "TOTP 2013" mentioned :lol:

p.s. I hope on the TOTPNY, they play "Happy"

You mean like how "Later... with Jools Holland" already is? :P

 

I think there's quite a difference between the types of music covered in TOTP and Jools Holland though. :lol:

I think there's quite a difference between the types of music covered in TOTP and Jools Holland though. :lol:

 

 

Theres a bit of a crossover though and it would help some of the indie acts get a bit of a boost as they rarely get much play on mainstream radio apart from radio 1, absolute, 6 Music or XFM.

 

Hope they do a review style TOTPs on bbc 4 in the new year where they do a review of the 1979 TOTPs like they did last yr for 1978 always like watching it!

Yes, I remember seeing Bob Geldof on TOTP, tearing up a picture of John Travolta, partly because it was shown more recently on BBC4.

I've enjoyed watching BBC4's showing on a weekly(ish) basis, TOTP 1978 this past year. I'm hoping they'll show a weekly(ish) TOTP 1979 in 2014. OK, so it wouldn't be current music...

 

I think I'd better mention TOTP 2013, before someone complains that this is not the thread for TOTP 1978, or 1979 for that matter, ;) so here goes: "TOTP 2013" mentioned :lol:

p.s. I hope on the TOTPNY, they play "Happy"

Good news house.martin - Top Of The Pops 1979 starts on Thursday 9 January 2014 at 7.30pm with the episode originally broadcast on 4 January 1979. It is preceded by 1979 - Big Hits next Friday (03/01/14) at 10pm.

 

The Specials, Ian Dury, Blondie, Squeeze, Gary Numan, Elvis Costello... need I say more, they'll all be there next Friday!

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00704hg/broadcasts/2014/01

Edited December 27, 201311 yr by Robbie

Good news house.martin - Top Of The Pops 1979 starts on Thursday 9 January 2014 at 7.30pm with the episode originally broadcast on 4 January 1979. It is preceded by 1979 - Big Hits next Friday (03/01/14) at 10pm.

 

The Specials, Ian Dury, Blondie, Squeeze, Gary Numan, Elvis Costello... need I say more, they'll all be there next Friday!

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00704hg/broadcasts/2014/01

That's great news. I'd have been surprised if they hadn't tbh.

Thanks for the info Robbie

What I don't get is why it's always presented as a choice between Top of the Pops being on every week all year round, or not being on at all. Why can't they start off just by having it on for like 10 weeks of the year, during the 4th-quarter rush when there's so much competition that most artists would jump at the chance of getting a performance slot on a big show? Even if they couldn't make it as chart-based as it was in its glory days, there's definitely enough demand for a specialist music show of some kind.

 

I agree - it would work as a quarterly show, like The Dome in Germany. Or even monthly.