I suppose there is a vague chance they will show the DLT one if it is only a voiceover. I'm sure one of the reasons for not showing the programmes is that members of the audience might be questioned by people who know them whether anything happened. Even though none of the charges against DLT related to TOTP, some people are bound to ask questions. However, that doesn't apply if he wasn't in the same studio as the audience. Presumably those programmes only had repeat performances, film from other shows etc.

the extended version of last week's TOTP was much better - Tourists, BA Robertson, etc should have been broadcast, and Ramblers, Legs & Co, Showaddywaddy dropped. Very odd choices sometimes...

After last week’s awful show (hen the best bits were left out of the edited version), this week’s should be an improvement so here goes.

 

It’s a little different this week thanks to a strike. Obviously the people who coloured in the photos for the chart run down were also on strike. Anyway, it’s Michael Jackson over the chart.

 

Some rubbish to start with from the Gibson Brothers. Now we can see where all the colour has gone.

 

An improvement now with Police. The clear early leaders in this week’s “Can’t be bothered to mime convincingly” stakes.

 

The Tourists do Dusty. A brilliant cover version from Dave and Annie.

 

On to Status Quo with the song that isn’t a remix of their other song.

 

Another great song from Blondie next. This week is definitely an improvement on last week’s dross.

 

It’s obviously “rock bands do ballads week” as Thin Lizzy follow the Quo’s example.

 

Well, we had to have some more rubbish and here are Rose Royce to provide it. They seem to be wearing the Gibson Brothers’ cast-offs.

 

The Skids with their video in the trenches. How topical. Oh, we didn’t get much of that,

 

Quite why they faded The Skids so we could be subjected to Barbra Streisand and Donna Summer again will remain a mystery.

 

Now for some real class as the Another Brick In The Wall Part II video gets its first TOTP airing.

 

Dr Hook still at number one. Oh dear.

 

A brief clip of The Isley Brothers over the closing credits brings a decidedly odd episode to a close.

I recall loving this episode the week it was broadcast and wishing they were on strike every week, the music videos being a decided improvement on many TOTP studio performances! I'll be honest, I liked every single one of them, and the Rose Royce was such a brilliant track it formed the basis for the just-as-good Theme From S'Express 9 years later. Uno, dos, uno dos tres quatro...

 

The annoying thing is the BBC could still use this format, have a fast-paced current music show, and it would cost next to nothing.

 

Twots!

 

frinstance, tonights current edition would be:

 

Nicole Scherzinger over a chart rundown

 

Clean Bandit

 

Rixton

 

Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds

 

David Guetta

 

Olly Murs

 

Wretch 32

 

One Direction (Night Changes)

 

Band Aid 30

 

That's a pretty big line-up...

They could do that but, for me, the show was at its freshest when most acts played live in the studio. No miming, not many videos, a concentration on live performances.

Much better show this week, and the videos provided good viewing even if they did cut them short.

 

I always think that BBC could bring back TOTP's on BBC3, cause thats where all their younger viewers are and the audience figures TOTP was getting on BBC1 in 2006, that were rubbish for BBC1 would probasbly be one of their highest viewing shows on BBC3, though as its the BBC it would need to provide viewers (licensse fee payers) with something different than all the other music channels, so maybe they could have live performances and promote new acts along with some big hits and the chart. As BBC3 is being axed nect year and moving on line, probably make its an even better idea as thats where most ppl consume music these days anyhow.

Edited November 28, 201410 yr by fiesta

In the edition, coming up next week we won't be seeing The Barron Knights because it

includes an impression of Rolf Harris! Typical! Not even on the late version

according to someone on Popscene!

 

13-12-79: Presenter: Mike Read

 

(26) FIDDLER’S DRAM – Day Trip To Bangor (Didn’t We Have A Lovely Time)

(20) PAUL McCARTNEY – Wonderful Christmastime (video)

4) THE TOURISTS – I Only Want To Be With You

(21) ABBA – I Have A Dream (video)

(31) THE BEAT – Tears Of A Clown

(18) STATUS QUO – Living On An Island (danced to by Legs & Co)

(60) THE INMATES – The Walk

(13) BLONDIE – Union City Blue (video)

(63) THE BARRON KNIGHTS – Food For Thought

(30) THE PRETENDERS – Brass In Pocket

(1) PINK FLOYD – Another Brick In The Wall (Part 2) (video)

I won't shed too many tears if they do leave out the Barron Knights.

I'm going to complain about the principle - current comics can still do impressions on TV of Saville and anyone else (and do), so it's double-standards yet again from the BBC. Both are satire, albeit one is abysmal satire...

 

that said, the Barron Knights are the most consistently awful act on TOTP and I could support banning them on that basis.... :o

Never mind, plenty of Fiddler's Dram for everyone...

I suppose there is a vague chance they will show the DLT one if it is only a voiceover. I'm sure one of the reasons for not showing the programmes is that members of the audience might be questioned by people who know them whether anything happened. Even though none of the charges against DLT related to TOTP, some people are bound to ask questions. However, that doesn't apply if he wasn't in the same studio as the audience. Presumably those programmes only had repeat performances, film from other shows etc.

 

IMO there's no chance of them showing it as it's still him doing the voiceover!!

Is this the end of Legs and Co on TOTPs?

Here we go with the penultimate show of the year.

 

Awful start with the Gibson Brothers over the chart. First proper appearance and yes it’s Darts again! Seven years later the proper version of Reet Petite was number one.

 

That cover version was a work ofd genius compared to Dollar’s terrible Beatles cover which is now polluting the airwaves. Somehow this made the top ten.

 

And it’s yet another cover from UK Subs. The Santana version of this Zombies song was far better.

 

Finally an original song. The bad news is that it’s the Three Degrees. This is proving to be another difficult week.

 

Legs & Co interpreting Michael Jackson as no other dance troupe can.

 

Sugarhill Gang with an early appearance of rap on TOTP. Wow, those costumes are something else.

 

So we move on to two women who didn’t get an introduction. No idea who they are yet. Apparently they are called Storm and it’s yet another cover version.

 

Moving seamlessly on in true TOTP style, it’s Motorhead.

 

The Damned have been confined to the late repeat.

 

Time for a bit of class from Marianne Faithful. A reminder of how good her voice was back in the day. Shame it is so poor now.

 

Dr Hook have been toppled and it’s The Police at number one for one week only. Check out the Public Service Broadcasting Thread in the Indie forum for a far more entertaining video featuring men in spacesuits.

 

Pink Floyd (next week’s number one) over the closing titles so the programme ended well. Shame about a lot of what went before it.

The Dollar cover always appealed to me, bit of a happy clappy chanter, the other covers, errr not so much.

 

I like to remind anyone thinking I'm far too old to like rap that I first bought Sugarhill Gang 35 years ago. Granted there's no cliched misogyny and swearing, and references to bitches and sucking and getting rich, and you can hear the lyrics clearly, set to an attractive stolen Nile Rogers rhythm....but hey can't blame the Sugarhill Gang or Sylvia Robinson for what came after.... B-)

I'd actually forgotten the Darts version of Reet Petite. Not as good as the original.

Terrible bland version of Reet Petite there. My five year old daughter shouted "Yay rock n roll!" as she was hearing UK Subs just as she was trotted off to bed. Unfortunately she didn't get to hear Motorhead but she does like Ace of Spades.

 

Only discovered the Marianne Faithful track when I picked up her greatest hits years later. Great track there.

 

Which Damned track was on the show?

I'd actually forgotten the Darts version of Reet Petite. Not as good as the original.

 

Maybe, like me, you had banished it from your memory. I used to love Darts but they were never the same once Den Hegarty left :(

 

Terrible bland version of Reet Petite there. My five year old daughter shouted "Yay rock n roll!" as she was hearing UK Subs just as she was trotted off to bed. Unfortunately she didn't get to hear Motorhead but she does like Ace of Spades.

 

Only discovered the Marianne Faithful track when I picked up her greatest hits years later. Great track there.

 

Which Damned track was on the show?

 

I loved the The Ballad Of Lucy Jordan at the time so it was great to hear it again.

 

The Damned track (missing from the early evening edit) was I Just Can't Be Happy Today. Perhaps I will remember it when I watch the full version.

Yeah Marianne's track was great and should have been a big hit.

Not as good this week. This episode should maybe be re-titled Top Of The Flops! Of appearnces only Three Degrees, Police Pink Floyd and Michael Jackson were big hits.

 

Nothing will ever top the Jackie Wilson original of reet petite (not Little Richard as Bates said) however Cee lo Green did not a bad version on Jools Holland a few years back!

Edited December 5, 201410 yr by fiesta

Bates also introduced the Jackson song as "Up The Wall". Not a great debut for him.