Even bigger than the hoo-ha over Jonathan Ross and Russell Brand is the other top news story of the week - the BBC has cancelled the Christmas Day edition of Top of the Pops! What, I ask, fresh madness is this?
The Christmas Top of the Pops is as much a part of Christmas as presents round the tree, turkey and stuffing, mince pies, James Bond and granddad falling asleep in front of the Queen’s Speech. As far as I am concerned, the BBC has ruined Christmas!
Well, not really, although in the current climate, I’m sure those headlines aren’t too far away. But this does seem a silly piece of Christmas chicanery. What, one asks, is Auntie going to replace the show with? So the last Christmas edition rated at just over 3 million viewers, which really isn’t that bad considering at that time of the day, the total TV audience is not huge as people are sitting down to eat (or have the annual family argument). The show usually served as a nice little break in our house to get a breather from family, and it’s always a hoot to see stars dressed up in Santa hats having a bit of a laugh.
“This year it was felt that pop music would be better represented over Christmas by a special, eight-part series of TOTP2.”
a BBC spokesperson has said. Erm, how exactly? I want to see Duffy singing Mercy on a snow-filled set next to couple of reindeers, not listen to Steve Wright wibble on in that irritating way he has.
But wait! What’s this? Could help be at hand to save a Christmas institution dear to the hearts of many? Has a lifeline been offered to the Scrooge-like Auntie Beeb? According to the press, The X Factor supremo Simon Cowell has called the BBC with a proposition to save the show.
“I’ve made them an offer and let’s see if they accept.”
He has said. Of course, this is more likely a bid for more newspaper space than Cowell developing an altruistic streak, but it’s a nice gesture anyway.
I’m not really that down on the Beeb, and they’re probably trying to just shake up the Christmas Day schedule a touch. I just wish they hadn’t picked on Top of the Pops to do it with. Bah humbug!
I agree they made a mistake. They said that last year they did say TOTP would come back at Christmas but would have to "earn its place". I'm not sure exactly what they mean by that. There's been a wide array of music this year, lots of hits, good variety across genre, and it's a part of the schedules I like being there. It's part of the Christmas Day experience. I don't want reflective voice over. TOTP2 complimented the original TOTP, that was the point.
*sigh*
What a mistaka de maka.
Personally i hate TOTPS2 and its a shame the BBC are not showing TOTPS this year.
There is no outlet for music at the moment and im sure if they brought the show back at peak viewing times ie 7 or 7.30pm on Fridays in a traditional format with a Top40 run down it would draw in the viewers.
The reason it failed was due to the BBC messing with the format and moving the show around.
That's just wrong! TOTP is part of christmas day telly! A good bit of entertainment between christas dinner and the queens speech!