Last TOTP...

The Stones do The Last Time and you can see how Mick still had tricks up his sleeve with his flicky little moves contrasting the statuelike rest of his mime... where have all the performers gone?... recorded in mono at Regent Sound Studios I believe. If you screwed up, you started again.

Then Spice Girls - perhaps the last truly original band launch with a smash song.

Still sounds like a hit today.

Michael with the Jackson 5 in 72 and you could not take your eyes off him. That's called star quality. It's not hard to spot.

Robbie... talking of star quality but Rob's is all charisma and no talent... Michael's was both.

David Bowie who had a fair amount of both... I could tell you so many stories about David... but meanwhile here he is doing Starman (fabulous - with Mick Ronson)...

Beyonce doing Crazy (her best with that simulated intercourse dance move)... a pretty decent mover and singer I reckon.

Sonny and Cher knocked me off the No1 slot on Radio London; happy 1965 memories...

Gnarls do their Crazy; stunning track...

fresh from the heath... Wham. Do you mean to tell me anyone seeing them in 1982 could not have known for certain what the future would hold?

Followed by Madonna pretending to be a virgin; almost as believable as Wham!

Travis only got 10 seconds in a montage but I remembered how much I liked them; what's happened to them?

At least the last ever No1 on TOTP is a genuine real hit (everywhere in the world I suspect) - Shakira (with help from that wily old hitmaker Wyclef).

So that was Top of the Pops. Without a single mention for me despite dozens of appearances as a singer and many more as a presenter.

What's a girl to do? How quickly they forget!

But still no mention of JK on TOTP, these types of repeats never remember the true talents and presenters.

Beyonce, stole it for me , much to my surprise.
It was lovely seeing Ronno again, with Bowie, and great to see so many memories of where I was and when I saw the various performances.
I hated the Robbie performance, but enjoyed seeing , albeit briefly, one of my best best mates with Girls Aloud and Eminem in succesion.
The best TOTP ever, I loved the sarcastic look on Jimmy`s face as he turned the power off.
I`m filling up guys.....

BBC1: Thu 3 Aug, 19:00 - 19:30 30 mins

Starting Out

Offshore fishing, the most dangerous job in Britain, has a problem when it comes to getting new recruits. But 17-year-old Ryan wants to take up the challenge. He sets out on his first trip on one of the most successful pair trawlers in Britain as they head into the rough Norwegian waters looking for cod and haddock. If he doesn't impress skipper Kevin West, he'll be looking for a new job when they come back to port. [S]

Subtitles Widescreen Stereo

it sounds like no Status Quo either,weren't they the most appearances.obviously I didn't see it as its not news over here.

The Quo had about a ten second glimpse Cilla.

I know; nobody under 50 gives a shit.

Well I'm 28 and I do.

It was the only place I could keep up to speed on the hits and music people were buying.

Imagine how bands like Busted and McFly would have been without the weekly visual boost the fans needed.

I can't understand why BBC let it die. It almost looked intentional.

It seems loads of people care about the Pops.
Again, sadly only a few leave posts and opinions... many more seem keen to hear the opinions of others.
Which I think sums up the problems of today; too much listening and reading, too little involvement.
When was the last time we saw thousands marching on Downing Street demanding the return of a TV show?

OK. Top of the Pops is now officially off the air. Just like Top gear a few years ago, once it had gone, it was only then that people were able to ensure it came back - and it did, with a new format and style. (Though I am NOT a Jeramy Clarkson fan!).

TOTP needs do define where it is. It should be a magazine show reflecting the current week. Not showing "exclusives" of a tune yet to be released. Leave that to the 24/7 Music TV stations. TOTP needs to attact the casual music fan - from teenager to Mojo/Q reader. It needs to look at what is the bestselling download to biggest album seller in the current week - NOT next week.

So, I predict - it will come back.

Oh, and I gather the Christmas Day show is already scheduled!!!

dixie wrote:
OK. Top of the Pops is now officially off the air. Just like Top gear a few years ago, once it had gone, it was only then that people were able to ensure it came back - and it did, with a new format and style. (Though I am NOT a Jeramy Clarkson fan!).

TOTP needs do define where it is. It should be a magazine show reflecting the current week. Not showing "exclusives" of a tune yet to be released. Leave that to the 24/7 Music TV stations. TOTP needs to attact the casual music fan - from teenager to Mojo/Q reader. It needs to look at what is the bestselling download to biggest album seller in the current week - NOT next week.

So, I predict - it will come back.

Oh, and I gather the Christmas Day show is already scheduled!!!
Apart from the nostalgia factor (Bowie doing "Golden Years", the thrill when punk began to appear - OK, it was only the Boomtown Rats doing "Looking After N

Jimmy Saville was the star - the first time and the last. What a suit!! What a cigar!! What a personality!!

Then you have Fearne Cotton - the default presenter, lacking both talent and charisma.

"The Real Story" shown later was quite interesting, (despite there being no mention of Roy Wood). It explained why TOTP was allowed to die. The latest people in charge hadn't a clue. "Target Audience"? A well presented show about good music will find it's own audience. And Andi Peters - the only person truly qualified to handle the show??? Why??

Nobody seemed to pick up on one glaringly obvious point. TOTP is linked to the singles chart. While TOTP was suffering it's biggest slump, the singles chart was stale and boring. Records came in and went down. No upward movement. No real anticipation or excitement. But now, the singles chart has found some life again. A song can enter at 38 and claw it's way up into the top 10. Not every number one is a new entry. Both artists and fans live in a new hope that their song can do better. Now is a good time to revitalise TOTP, not to end it. Just when things are getting better .....

Typical BBC! No forsight.

I am sure we will also see Bank Holiday specials as well, just like we used to get Disney previews on Easter weekend.
I would rather see them say it`s over, than keep bringing it back briefley. It`s either finished or it hasn`t.

Bring back the old presenters.

Quite simply the reason why the programme died was the poor presenters in recent years - as soon as people heard Jimmy Saville was presenting the show the viewing public wanted to watch last night.

Put it back on Thursday night in its real 7.30p.m. slot and rotate the classic presenters. Watch the ratings rise.....and find a sexy dance group to keep all those over 25 interested

The formula was simple - what happened was that the IDIOTS who now run the BBC decided to make the whole thing more complex.

Sorry to the above poster who wants a serious magaizine show - that would be a disaster.

KEEP IT SIMPLE and then the public will watch - and pack the show with personalities ( like JK ? !! ) rather than the boring people.

C4s June Sarpong is probably the only current pop presenter on any of the channels who would be worth hiring - all the rest are clones and boring.

TOTP should be bought back but only if its Thursday slot on BBC1 and a simple formula is applied !

Last night's programme probably had the biggest viewing figures for years for BBC2 on a Sunday night.

and Popjustice is (correctly) predicting TOTP will be back within 5 years.
I simply ask this; would Dr Who have been the revived triumph it has become if Russell T Davies hadn't been involved?
Why did the Pops die?
Because those running it were useless - as 99.9% of everyone working in TV is.
When that one person gets brought in; success.

The Top of the Pops finale attracted 4.8 million viewers last night, a record
for the show since it moved to BBC2.

The 42-year-old iconic music programme had been averaging around a million
viewers since it moved from BBC1.

Top of the Pops regularly attracted 15 million viewers in its heyday.

The show attracted an audience average of 3.9 million viewers (a 20.8% share)
and a peak share of 24%

from this site; the Top of the Pops ratings story used the exact same words in their coverage today.
What the Tip Sheet says today, the world media carries tomorrow.

Fleet wrote:
from this site; the Top of the Pops ratings story used the exact same words in their coverage today.
What the Tip Sheet says today, the world media carries tomorrow.

Eerr, I think both sites quoted from the same press release.

I think you're right Dixie but I must say; checking the IP numbers and the quantity of visits to the boards here as well as the times of visits, we know the press community logs on and reads these threads several times a day.

Sometimes press releases get ignored but a nice juicy Tipsheet thread gets the old adrenalin up'n'pumping!

Hang on a minute, slightly lost here. Was a press release posted on here, or has a message been quoted?
Either way, it is great that the press take the quotes on this very honest board seriously.
It is about the music and people know where to come for the lowdown.