because nobody has the courage or the knowledge to say to Coldplay - "Viva La Vida was great but the rest of the album is crap" or to Adele "Chasing Pavements YES; rambling Oh My World rubbish, NO". Or to Duffy "Mercy; fabulous. Crap photocopy new single - rains on our parade".

The New Year's Eve show will have lost ratings throughout and will give the controllers reason to believe music on TV doesn't work.

And you know what? They are right, when it's the wrong music.

But when it's the right music it works, even at 6pm Weeknights on BBC2 (5.7 million viewers and No1 on the channel for No Limits).

It failed on New Years Eve because it was a essentially a rehash of Xmas Day's TOTP plus a few extra songs. I couldn't believe how poor it was and the BBC for all the good dramas they have put on last year should be ashamed of themselves.

Much preferred Jools Holland 'Hootenanny', fabulous seeing Martha and the Vandellas, Dave Edmunds and a lot of the newer acts like Ting Tings.

I agree that TOTP should go out at an early evening on BBC2 or at least a Music Show, apart from Jools Holland and a guest slot on Jonathan Ross, their isn't any other shows apart from when the festivals are on in the summer.

Happy new year JK and to all the other contributors as well. It should be better than last year.

I think their biggest problem was the decision to bin the Christmas show in the first place. With Simon Cowell virtually shaming them into a U-turn they had to do a quick turn around on the show(s).

They were left with no pre-recorded live clips of the top overseas artists which would normally be built up over a few months.

As a result we get a Christmas edition bereft of Katy Perry, Pink, Rihanna, Kings of Leon and Beyonce as none of them were going to break schedules to fly to the UK for a one-off performance on a TV show. And they have to fill in with the cretinous Peter Kay.

The production of the Xmas Day show was excellent overall. The sound quality was superb - far better than many other shows.

If they were to bring it back they just need to follow the KISS adage. Keep It Simple Stupid.

Clear rules on what can be played each week. Live performances. Regular music-minded presenters. No guest presenters, comedians, Jeremy bloody Clarkson, no attempt at irony. Peak time. Forget about the ratings - you're a public service.

Just play the music.

Play the RIGHT music.

When No Limits was the No1 show on BBC2 at 6pm Tuesday nights, I was stopped in a BBC corridor by Michael Grade and Bill Cotton who asked why No Limits was getting such spectacular figures (nearly 6 million weekly).

I answered "because the music is great".

"But it sounds just like all the other music", they said.

"That's why you're in TV and I'm in music", I answered.

But my point is - combine entertaining visuals with great music... but of course it is easier said than done - otherwise why are past "experts" like Blaxill and Peters and Cowey and Gerrie doing so badly and not making millions picking hits.

Must admit, I was a 13 year old when No Limits came out and (without wishing to suck up to JK) I really enjoyed all the aspects of the show and was a big fan.
I always remember the stunts they used to get up to as well. Why did No Limits finish like Entertainment USA, my thought process is that maybe to go out while the ratings on a high, or was their another reason.

I'm right in thinking Lisa Maxwell presented the 1st Series, I know Jenny Powell and Tony Baker presented subsequently after that.

Would still like TOTP to return, as we do miss a prime-time music show? Jools Holland is the only show (I think Channel 4 now have a satellite channel devoted to Music) on the main channels which showcases music.

Another reason why it failed is because hardly anyone, outside of us few die hards, cares about the chart these days. Modern kids quite often don't even know who is at Number One. They get their music via Bebo and Myspace or Youtube. Few listen to the radio. Many share music files with online friends. It's an entirely different music culture today.

Mike Willis wrote:

I'm right in thinking Lisa Maxwell presented the 1st Series, I know Jenny Powell and Tony Baker presented subsequently after that.

Would still like TOTP to return, as we do miss a prime-time music show? Jools Holland is the only show (I think Channel 4 now have a satellite channel devoted to Music) on the main channels which showcases music.

You're the first person to mention what I recall - No Limits had different presenters for the first series! I'm also sure it was at the very end of that series that a Rolls Royce appeared and there was JK himself! Just wish my family had a video at that time since I would had taped them all and no doubt still enjoy them today.

As for today's charts, they've become too splintered not helped by music stores adopting their own charts and giving almost zero shelf space to singles.

We have been discussing here on this forum about new ways and methods to keep pop music retail and the charts alive. How about THIS idea?

Every region have their local heroes - bands who do well on the live scene and probably selling downloads. I think the answer may lie in becoming more localised. How about a football league type table scheme? A couple of leagues are created for each region and points are awarded for gigs and sales. The more popular bands end up in a premier league.

That "premier league" in all the areas is then combined to create a national premier league from which one can see and hear just who is really popular.

Of course this is just a basic idea and I'm not sure just how feasible or practical it could be, but given the current state of affairs I think there could be some validity in such a scheme. It would give new talent a chance to be seen and heard based upon their popularity but in a new way...

What I fear is this - all the acts who were lucky to be discovered and made into stars by the dying music corporations - Britney, U2, Brooce, Radiohead, Coldplay etc are guaranteed a lifetime of work and sales. Newer acts are not in such a position to get themselves established on such an National level so I fear a few years down the line, all the "established" names who already have their money and following will get all the work and sales but newer and original talent won't.

There is much much more to music than Britney and X Factor pap. Most people I talk to cannot stand them and wish there was something better, yet the music they listen to, consume and maybe buy isn't getting through... so Britney continues to get prime time TV slots miming badly and tossing off songs that are merely "Britney by numbers"...

As for Jools Holland... said it before and will say it again... it's just not enough. The only acts they'll feature are... yep... established ones, preferably signed to major companies. I find it bland, predictable and sycophantic. It's NOT the show I want to watch because I want to see something new - some NEW unknown talent, not bought onto the show thanks to a record company budget and marketing campaign. No wonder the dying majors just LOVE Jools, but I don't think that show accurately reflects just what really IS popular right now because of that bias.

I LOVE pop music. It's important to me, but I fear it's no longer "important" to more modern day teens. Naturally, I'm extremely concerned for the future of it. Fact is, we ARE in a major depression right now and heaven knows how long it's gonna last, but history has proved in depressed times, people want and need entertainment, but how is it gonna work? The entire structure needs shaking up from the bottom to the top.

Indeed - Lisa Maxwell (now starring in The Bill) and Jeremy Legge (whatever happened to him?) hosted the first series after auditions (yes, we held auditions long before X Factor, Pop Stars etc) and Jenny and Tony (both character witnesses at my trial) hosted the second and following ones.

It's ironic now that the album charts is deemed more important than a No 1 single. And you're right Elliott, the charts have become so predictable and in HMV etc.. only the X Factor song is getting any shelf space.

More often the deemed simple ideas are the best and the V festival (one I attend annually) have a competition where a local band gets an opportunity to perform on the Channel 4 stage on both days. This on some occasions, leads to bigger and better things, so yes I certainly think that your idea has a lot of mileage in it and one that would draw ratings if it is on at an appropriate time.

I enjoy the Jools Holland show, but it doesn't feature new or up and coming acts. More recently it has featured Duffy, Seasick Steve, Ting Tings and Adele before they became famous, but it could be argued that the BBC Sound of Music Best Acts/Brits, showcased them before.

We really do need a prime-time music show, otherwise the charts will be no more very soon.