21 June 2006
LAST WEEK'S NUMBER ONE
Just to add to Chris' comments below regards the ending of Top of the Pops. In a way, it's a bit like how obituaries are compiled ages in advance waiting for the person to die - this is a story that has been half-expected for about 15 years now.
Everyone goes on about it being moved from Thursday, and it's true that it spent years in the worst possible slot - but any other day would have done. Now it's finally in a better slot, where it can announce the chart, but on the wrong channel. On BBC2 it just seems out of place, an anachronism dumped there due to a lack of better ideas - it needed to be as part of the general run of entertainment programmes where absolutely anyone could stumble upon it. That was always part of its appeal.
For what it's worth, the programme is probably as good now as it's been in recent years - or at least, no worse. There are no features anymore - bar the archive clippage - and just lots of music, which is all that's needed. In a way, you could compare the role of Pops with that of Match of the Day - you can watch lots of live football, but it's good to have everything put together so you get a full review of what's going on. So despite all the "24 hour music channels" and "downloads" that the Beeb are citing, I still like the idea of somewhere that rounds up the current state of pop.
On a personal note, I haven't missed an episode of Pops since September 1997 (when I put the tape on only for it to be moved to BBC2 at the last minute to make way for Diana's coffin being moved), and I wonder if there'll ever be another programme I'll watch with such regularity for such a long time.
Everyone goes on about it being moved from Thursday, and it's true that it spent years in the worst possible slot - but any other day would have done. Now it's finally in a better slot, where it can announce the chart, but on the wrong channel. On BBC2 it just seems out of place, an anachronism dumped there due to a lack of better ideas - it needed to be as part of the general run of entertainment programmes where absolutely anyone could stumble upon it. That was always part of its appeal.
For what it's worth, the programme is probably as good now as it's been in recent years - or at least, no worse. There are no features anymore - bar the archive clippage - and just lots of music, which is all that's needed. In a way, you could compare the role of Pops with that of Match of the Day - you can watch lots of live football, but it's good to have everything put together so you get a full review of what's going on. So despite all the "24 hour music channels" and "downloads" that the Beeb are citing, I still like the idea of somewhere that rounds up the current state of pop.
On a personal note, I haven't missed an episode of Pops since September 1997 (when I put the tape on only for it to be moved to BBC2 at the last minute to make way for Diana's coffin being moved), and I wonder if there'll ever be another programme I'll watch with such regularity for such a long time.
