Nobody does programming quite like the BBC. Even though Top of the Pops had lost its way, being squeezed by and ultimately compromised by trying to replicate the spirit of MTV and the like. However, it still retained something of the BBC about it and, despite the T4 style presenters shouting at the camera in its later years, it still had a special place for the public.
The BBC’s festival coverage has also been top notch and the Jools Holland team are doing a fine job. As MTV moves away from playing songs to just showing The Hills there could be an opening and Andy Parfitt, Radio 1′s controller has given some signs this could be filled
“We are working on it….The work is on to try and find a format but we are not trying to relaunch or reinvent Top of the Pops. That is kind of a red herring. Should we be looking for a programme? Of course we should and we are.”
“Would it be a good thing to try and persevere and work with producers to identify a new format? Yes. That’s what television does all the time. Jan Younghusband is actually leading that process and I am closely involved with that.”
No return for TOTP though, as its legendary status is just a bit too heavy as it became “four letters that bring out immediately all levels of prejudice”.
So no Friday night flagship pop shows….but soon the dominance of quality music radio could be replicated on TV.
