TOTP RIP

There's an opening in the Christmas Day TV schedules. No, The Queen hasn't decided to have the day off, but the Beeb has announced that Top of the Pops will end next month. For decades it was the music programme. No singer or group was too big (or too small) to ignore its call when they topped the charts. I have many fond memories of the show (which you'll be relieved to know I won't bore you with now. Ok. One. Seeing Kate Bush (pictured above) for the first time singing Wuthering Heights....) and it beat off many competitors (anyone remember The Roxy? My only recollections are Carol Decker (T'Pau) and The Eurythmics. Or The Tube? Now that was a show, though the memory of a raddled, pasty Ozzy Osbourne lumbered up and down the stage still gives me shivers - not good ones, either...). But it's popularity and infuence waned with the rise of MTV and the rolling 24/7 video show. Numerous tinkerings with the format (they never should of let Andi Peters out of the Broomcupboard) to try give something to everyone didn't help, and the moving of the show from Friday to Sunday signalled the beginning of the end. So, Jools Holland's Later is confirmed as about the only decent music show on TV. The only bright spot, escpecially for nostalgia freaks like me, is that TOTP2 will survive.... So if you have any particular memory of TOTP, let me know, I love a good reminisce......