The improvements of late with the Green Day and RHCP concerts outside TVC show what the BBC can pull off. Yet naturally I knew nothing about either of these until i happened to channel hop.
I don't think the BBC promote their shows very well. they only ever seem to focus on one or two things that they plug to death. And you only ever get maybe one or two shows from BBC3/4 promoted on 1/2
I don't think the BBC promote their shows very well. they only ever seem to focus on one or two things that they plug to death. And you only ever get maybe one or two shows from BBC3/4 promoted on 1/2
That is a deliberate policy by marketing. Few trails on high rotation, and with a high proportion of corporate rather than programme specific material.
I don't think the BBC promote their shows very well. they only ever seem to focus on one or two things that they plug to death. And you only ever get maybe one or two shows from BBC3/4 promoted on 1/2
That is a deliberate policy by marketing. Few trails on high rotation, and with a high proportion of corporate rather than programme specific material.
Basically, TOTP does nothing that MTV etc. don't do. Equally, Radio1 in the daytime is musically the same more or less as your average commercial station. Why? Why does the BBC feel the need to act like a commercial outfit, when there are no advertisers to please? Why not ditch the Radio1 playlists and just get the DJs to find new and old music that would be acceptable to play to the general public, and hasn't been cained to death on the commercial stations?
They should replace TOTP with a programme dedicated to non-chart music. That would go against everything MTV stand for, and bring some better music to TV. I'm not talking about something like Jools Holland's show, as he often just has people on who are doing well already, amonst the few obscure acts. I'd love to see some DnB acts tempted off the decks and out of the studio and playing some kind of live set. Roni Size proved that could be done 10 years ago now. Obviously, the same would go for other types of music that don't get much exposure on TV.
Basically, TOTP does nothing that MTV etc. don't do.
??? MTV supposedly play videos all day (not that they do a good job of even that anymore!) and TOTP was a mixture of everything music - not just videos. You had your live performances in there - news, interviews and presenters!
Sorry but I'd much rather a bite sized round-up of everything musical that's being happening throghout the week than having to wait for my favourite tracks to come up on stations infested with mobile phone adverts
They should replace TOTP with a programme dedicated to non-chart music. That would go against everything MTV stand for, and bring some better music to TV. I'm not talking about something like Jools Holland's show, as he often just has people on who are doing well already, amonst the few obscure acts. I'd love to see some DnB acts tempted off the decks and out of the studio and playing some kind of live set. Roni Size proved that could be done 10 years ago now. Obviously, the same would go for other types of music that don't get much exposure on TV.
That sounds pretty good to me. Give more exposure to new unheard acts, and bring in artists that offer music and genres previously unknown to much of the public. This sort of stuff does get play on Radio 1 at the moment, albeit in the middle of the night I should think!
Certain genres 'branch off' into more inventive and eclectic sub-genres if you will; for example labelling something as Electronic is still quite vague. As some styles are more palatable than others (taking newer listeners into account), there would have to be a balance with artists that provide the more accessible of the lesser known genres, with just a few of the more obscure styles thrown in.
Basically, TOTP does nothing that MTV etc. don't do. Equally, Radio1 in the daytime is musically the same more or less as your average commercial station. Why? Why does the BBC feel the need to act like a commercial outfit, when there are no advertisers to please? Why not ditch the Radio1 playlists and just get the DJs to find new and old music that would be acceptable to play to the general public, and hasn't been cained to death on the commercial stations?
With the risk of going into a debate about Radio 1 (which I am always guilty of, but what the heck), I wouldn't say that is a strong argument. Yes, Radio 1 is mainstream during the daytime, but it is high in speech content as well. Take a commercial station and as well as the ads, you generally have a bloke saying "Today's best mix of the 80s, 90s and today, this is Generic FM, more of your favourite music variety on the way... in moments". Radio 1 on the other hand is full of campaigns, new music and features that simply wouldn't survive on a commercial station. Half the playlist of Generic FM has already been plugged to death on Radio 1, who are now on to the next single or playing out a Live Lounge from that act.
So, yes, commercial music is there, but so are the bits you simply wouldn't see anywhere else. And what makes Radio 1 good is the fact the "other half" of its output IS dedicated to brand new, genre-specific specialist music. And it gets away with it, because the presence of playlist lets the people in who wouldn't normally bother to listen in the first place. This was part of the problem of Radio 1 a few years back - be too oddball during the daytime and you lose the audience.
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They should replace TOTP with a programme dedicated to non-chart music. That would go against everything MTV stand for, and bring some better music to TV. I'm not talking about something like Jools Holland's show, as he often just has people on who are doing well already, amonst the few obscure acts. I'd love to see some DnB acts tempted off the decks and out of the studio and playing some kind of live set. Roni Size proved that could be done 10 years ago now. Obviously, the same would go for other types of music that don't get much exposure on TV.
But that just isn't Top of the Pops, and that's why TOTP has been ditched. I dare say the BBC will try stuff like you say, but why bother shoehoring weird and wonderful experiments into a show called "Top of the Pops" for the sake of it? There's only so much you can do to a show format before it becomes something different, and I'd suggest that's what's happened here.
Incidentally, I'd imagine the BBC will be holding on to the TOTP brand? Even when you take the main show away, the BBC are still making a fortune out of mechandise, franchises and spinoffs across the world...
Incidentally, I'd imagine the BBC will be holding on to the TOTP brand? Even when you take the main show away, the BBC are still making a fortune out of mechandise, franchises and spinoffs across the world...
That's what they're doing, apparently the Top of The Pops magazine is staying, as are the TOTP2 specials, so I can't see it disappearing altogether just yet. I guess it's opposite of EMAP's decision to close Smash Hits, the magazine closes, but the Television channel and Radio Station, along with the brand stay.
The improvements of late with the Green Day and RHCP concerts outside TVC show what the BBC can pull off. Yet naturally I knew nothing about either of these until i happened to channel hop.
Yes, those outdoor concerts were great, even if they were illegal!
I would like to see the TOTP brand carried on, for specials like that - perhaps monthly. They'd need to publicise it thoughl. If the BBC are promising more investment in music programming, that kind of thing would be perfect, and will be missed if it's gone for good.
The end of the weekly show does not mark the total disappearance of the Top of the Pops brand from British television screens.
They said just the same thing when Tomorrow's World was axed at the start of 2003 - but apart from a live special shortly afterwards it hasn't been heard of since.
TOTP seems to have had the axe dangling over it since the late 1980s, so I'm surprised it's hung on for as long as it has.
