TOTP 13 November 2005

On pre-recorded performances, the hosts never mention what position the single is in the chart or whether the single is in the Top 40 or not, which is a bit of a giveaway if you still care about the singles chart.

I remember earlier this year (before the move to BBC2 on Sunday), some friends of mine went to TOTP during one of the weeks that an Elvis single was supposed to be at number one and the BBC booked an Elvis impersonator to perform on the show (that's another story). My friends told me that an intro link was recorded for Elvis as Number One.

However, when the chart was revealed, Ciara had got to Number One instead with her "Goodies".

Rather than get Reggie and Fearne to re-record a link, or even record another link that could have been inserted at the time, TOTP made a hash editing job and instead that irritating Lynsey Brockney voiceover woman announced who was number one.

Therefore, it's most likely that pre-recorded TOTPs are recorded in one take - totally different to the Chris Cowey regime where nearly every performance was filmed separately, often with retakes, then cut and pasted together - and any fluffs are either left in or edited out.

Every second TOTP is a pre-recorded, they film two episodes in the one recording session.

Therefore, it's most likely that pre-recorded TOTPs are recorded in one take - totally different to the Chris Cowey regime where nearly every performance was filmed separately, often with retakes, then cut and pasted together - and any fluffs are either left in or edited out.

And it benefits from that approach by feeling a much more fluid programme. When Cowey was in charge it just felt like a clips show rather than some sort of event.