Top of the Pops: Review of 2022

December 4, 20222 yr

Digiguide has this description:

Clara Amfo and Jack Saunders look back over the past 12 months, presenting performances by Harry Styles, Stormzy, Sam Fender, Raye and Sam Smith and playing the Christmas number one. Also joining Clara and Jack is 2022 British breakthrough star Cat Burns, performs her hit Go, while Sam Ryder chats about life after his hugely successful appearance at the Eurovision Song Contest in May.

So there is at least one new performance from Cat Burns, but only that one listed.

Surely they could of got Sam Ryder to do a performance while he is there

December 4, 20222 yr

I don’t really understand how ‘TOTPs has went downhill’ there’s been two episodes a year since 2006 now and it’s recorded in the first two weeks of December each year. Do people expect Ariana Grande and Adele to turn up?

That’s exactly what going downhill means. It used to be on every week and used to attract some big artists.

December 4, 20222 yr

I think if they were mad enough to try bringing back TOTP though, there'd be no point in aiming it at a younger audience, because they aren't going to sit down and watch it in large enough numbers.

So going for the nostalgia angle and aiming it at your average Radio 2 listener would be the route to go down I think.

But of course it's not going to happen anyway...

They still have TOTP 2 which still regularly airs that pleases the radio 2 crowd. Most of those acts aren’t charting and even if they did focus on those, they would still have to acknowledge the #1 and big hits to be ‘top of the pops’.

Shame the Christmas episode of the old format is gone but it was clearly losing relevance with the acts they were getting and the time slot it was getting.

Plenty of big music news headlines this year, so looking forward to seeing how this turns out.

December 4, 20222 yr

They still have TOTP 2 which still regularly airs that pleases the radio 2 crowd. Most of those acts aren’t charting and even if they did focus on those, they would still have to acknowledge the #1 and big hits to be ‘top of the pops’.

Shame the Christmas episode of the old format is gone but it was clearly losing relevance with the acts they were getting and the time slot it was getting.

Plenty of big music news headlines this year, so looking forward to seeing how this turns out.

There hasn't been a new episode of TOTP2 since 2017.

What I mean about going for a Radio 2 audience in a hypothetical reboot - a recent show might look like this

It'd be a blend of top 40 hits (but easy on the grime/hip-hop), and artists who are on Radio 2 playlist as well, and the odd new performance of an old song - something that was #1 30 years ago this week, or someone who's got a new best of out

Meghan Trainor

Dermot Kennedy

Kaiser Chiefs

Callum Beattie

Joel Corry & Tom Grennan

Paolo Nutini

Pink

Sam Ryder

Dean Lewis

Taylor Swift at #1

December 4, 20222 yr

There hasn't been a new episode of TOTP2 since 2017.

What I mean about going for a Radio 2 audience in a hypothetical reboot - a recent show might look like this

It'd be a blend of top 40 hits (but easy on the grime/hip-hop), and artists who are on Radio 2 playlist as well, and the odd new performance of an old song - something that was #1 30 years ago this week, or someone who's got a new best of out

Meghan Trainor
Dermot Kennedy
Kaiser Chiefs
Callum Beattie
Joel Corry & Tom Grennan
Paolo Nutini
Pink
Sam Ryder
Dean Lewis
Taylor Swift at #1

That has also been sad, we still occasionally get repeats, but would be nice to have a new compilation, especially as TOTP2 can't have been that expensive to make as mostly archive material and a voice over.

December 4, 20222 yr

That has also been sad, we still occasionally get repeats, but would be nice to have a new compilation, especially as TOTP2 can't have been that expensive to make as mostly archive material and a voice over.

Seeing as how well TOTP does for BBC Two and Four, I don't know why they haven't brought back TOTP2 - it would fit quite nicely in their Saturday night music night line-ups. And would be cheap as chips to make.

December 4, 20222 yr

Author

The specials’ cancellations are now hitting the press: https://www.nme.com/news/music/top-of-the-p...the-bbc-3360180

“[bBC]bosses felt the cost involved in creating a one-off show like this were too high to justify. Creating the studio and bringing together a string of artists to perform for just this programme required a disproportionate amount of resources.

December 4, 20222 yr

The article is a bit misleading, as it's not really 'axed' at this point since there is an episode, but very much cut back from usual. The mention of the cost of a studio suggests something like the live lounge format for this year that has been suggested.

As a fan of the specials, hoping that the reports of the specials axing will trigger more emails to the bbc to get them to reconsider for future years, or at least reschedule this years cut-down episode back to Christmas day.

December 4, 20222 yr

Author

The article is a bit misleading, as it's not really 'axed' at this point since there is an episode, but very much cut back from usual. The mention of the cost of a studio suggests something like the live lounge format for this year that has been suggested.
As a fan of the specials, hoping that the reports of the specials axing will trigger more emails to the bbc to get them to reconsider for future years, or at least reschedule this years cut-down episode back to Christmas day.

To be fair, the Christmas 'special' has been 'axed' really though - the replacement sounds like a completely different show just with the TOTP branding.

December 4, 20222 yr

That's a guaranteed segment on Kate Bush but I can't remember what other big stories there were in pop music this year's unless I'm missing something obvious.

A weekly chart show on TV might have some viability if we had lots of old hits (or artists) entering the top 40. The TV audience is getting quite old now I don't think there'd be much interest in the charts as they are now.

The other thing I think could be viable could be doing the Radio 1 chart show in video form with as many performances and interviews as they can get each week and streaming it on YouTube or TikTok.

I think they actually did something like that once back when Reggie Yates was the host, the had the Top 10 videos online

December 4, 20222 yr

I think they actually did something like that once back when Reggie Yates was the host, the had the Top 10 videos online

Yeah that's true and I do remember that. I think I only watched it briefly once but it was just a camera in the Radio 1 studio + music videos where the songs were playing. Which was a bit half-assed really but a nice attempt at something.

But I was thinking something more like Graham Norton show I guess, but with as many live performances and guests from the chart as they can get each week.

December 22, 20222 yr

Author

The show's description has been slightly updated now:

Clara Amfo and Jack Saunders present a hit-packed show featuring the hottest stars and biggest songs of 2022, as well as the key stories in the pop music calendar. There's a chance to relive performances from Harry Styles, Stormzy, Sam Fender, Raye and Sam Smith, as well as this year’s official Christmas number one.

Also joining Clara and Jack is 2022 British breakthrough star Cat Burs, who performs her top three hit Go, which has become one of the best-selling songs of the year and has catapulted her to the dizzy heights of pop stardom as she prepares for an even bigger 2023.

Also stopping by for a chat is Sam Ryder, whose hugely successful Eurovision result in May 2022 landed the UK second place in the contest and launched his career with his top three single Space Man and a debut album.