Posted December 1, 20213 yr TOTP is back once again for its double festive outing Christmas Day Anne-Marie Clean Bandit feat. Wes Nelson Griff KSI Joel Corry feat. Mabel Mimi Webb Sigrid Tom Grennan New Year's Eve ArrDee Becky Hill Dermot Kennedy Lola Young Mabel Mahalia feat. AJ Tracey Sam Fender The line-up for the Top Of The Pops Christmas and New Year Specials has been revealed, with Anne-Marie, Sam Fender, Mabel and KSI among those set to perform. TV’s biggest pop party will return to BBC One screens this festive period with brand new performances recorded at Riverside Studios in Hammersmith, London. BBC Radio 1’s Clara Amfo will return as host alongside fellow Radio 1 DJ Jordan North, who will be making his Top of the Pops debut. As well as brand new performances, both shows will also feature highlights from the past twelve months. Viewers can enjoy archive performances from some of the biggest artists of the year, including Lil Nas X, Ed Sheeran, Billie Eilish, Arlo Parks, Coldplay and more. Top Of The Pops Christmas Special will be on BBC One on Saturday 25 December at 11.55am and Top Of The Pops New Year Special will be on BBC One Friday 31 December at 4.15pm.
December 1, 20213 yr This lineup feels even more predictable than it always is somehow. Basically a who's who of the least interesting British chart acts of the last year (plus Sigrid who is an honorary uninteresting British chart artist. And Lola Young I guess). Yay Sam Fender…?
December 1, 20213 yr Has Mabel really had that many hits in 2021 to be featured twice? Edited December 1, 20213 yr by ElectroBoy
December 1, 20213 yr It really is less "these are the biggest songs of the year" these days and more "here's who we could get to show up". I don't think anyone on either special is in the YTD top ten? Ideal lineup would include Ed, Adele, Maneskin, Lil Nas X, Dua Lipa, Maneskin, Olivia Rodrigo and Maneskin, but I suppose getting them to show up in a cold studio in Elstree to do a couple of takes of their hit single/s and leave is too much work.
December 1, 20213 yr I suppose the other one will be 'Let Them Know', which make sense Yeah I know Let Them Know... but hardly a smash - it only got a top 20 position due to Love Island :lol:
December 1, 20213 yr To be fair, it has got to be a lot more difficult to book acts for this than back in the day, for so many reasons - not least the slow-down in the chart and fewer acts really breaking through. Though Ed would usually do it, and I'm sure Maneskin would've jumped at the chance. At least some of the bigger acts will be represented in other footage though - and watching this with my family before Christmas lunch is such a lovely annual ritual that at this point I'm just pleased it's still going at all.
December 1, 20213 yr I don’t think the list is too bad - certainty better than previous years. Some of the acts are basic but it’s hardly a show that all the big names will be falling over themselves to appear on? 7 of the acts have achieved either #1 or Top 10 albums this year.
December 1, 20213 yr To be fair, it has got to be a lot more difficult to book acts for this than back in the day, for so many reasons - not least the slow-down in the chart and fewer acts really breaking through. Though Ed would usually do it, and I'm sure Maneskin would've jumped at the chance. At least some of the bigger acts will be represented in other footage though - and watching this with my family before Christmas lunch is such a lovely annual ritual that at this point I'm just pleased it's still going at all. Would they though? They're doing the US circuit at the moment, which must have a lot more exposure than TOTP does.
December 1, 20213 yr It’s so pointless now. I don’t think many would tune in for that lot. Is it really still such a big Christmas tradition?
December 1, 20213 yr TOTP is back once again for its double festive outing Christmas Day Anne-Marie Clean Bandit feat. Wes Nelson Griff KSI Joel Corry feat. Mabel Mimi Webb Sigrid Tom Grennan New Year's Eve ArrDee Becky Hill Dermot Kennedy Lola Young Mabel Mahalia feat. AJ Tracey Sam Fender Not exactly the best advert for the chart is it? I guess Adele's on an exclusive deal with ITV then. Ed's presumably too busy.
December 1, 20213 yr I doubt Adele does have exclusivity with ITV, Top of the Pops is just a bit beneath her level lol
December 1, 20213 yr I’m not sure why everyone thinks the top A-Listers would be interested in performing an old hit on a defunct TV series?
December 1, 20213 yr I don’t get the issue with the performers it’s always gonna be a mix of Becky, Mabel and Clean Bandit. It’s a British tv show even back in totps heyday they would have rarely got big US and British names unless they were on tour here or with big brit acts for the first 2 eras. I am surprised one of Coldplay or Ed didn’t perform as they have regularly been happy to appear on the Xmas editions even when massive acts! Remember they performed ‘Christmas Lights’ a decade ago!
December 1, 20213 yr I don’t get the issue with the performers it’s always gonna be a mix of Becky, Mabel and Clean Bandit. The second half of this sentence answers the first half :basil: It just feels like a very samey and very middle of the road lineup, I know they realistically can't do much better than this but that doesn't make it any less 'meh'.
December 7, 20213 yr Sometimes I find a combination of this and Jools can have an impact on the albums!
December 7, 20213 yr It really is less "these are the biggest songs of the year" these days and more "here's who we could get to show up". I don't think anyone on either special is in the YTD top ten? Ideal lineup would include Ed, Adele, Maneskin, Lil Nas X, Dua Lipa, Maneskin, Olivia Rodrigo and Maneskin, but I suppose getting them to show up in a cold studio in Elstree to do a couple of takes of their hit single/s and leave is too much work. It's not like they'd need to though. Pretty sure people would understand live on tape performances from foreign artists.
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