Top of the Pops cancelled after 42 years

[vegas]

Brilliant in the 60s 70s and 80s crap in the 90s 00s
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/5099894.stm

[faceless]

Since they moved it onto BBC2 a while back you'd hardly know it was even still on. Back in the olden days there was no other way to see music on tv but with all the music channels that are available now it's no surprise to see this dying off... though they could probably have made an effort if they'd wanted.

[lilycup]

What a shame, I still really used to love it.

[Skylace]

I enjoyed the show when I was over there. It's a shame. But I agree with what Face said.

[Kezza]

Wow, the end of an era. Do you reckon that a retrospective episode spanning the 42 years will be televised? Or is it over for good now?

[faceless]

I think I heard that the last episode would be shown on July the 30th. But they already have that TOTP2 on UKG2 which is the "best bits" of other shows from earlier years, so I'm sure that will continue.

[Ally]

I'm not that surprised at the BBC's decision to drop Top of The Pops, it's rubbish. I think writing has been on the wall ever since it got moved to BBC2 like you said Faceless.

[faceless]

SIR JIMMY TURNED DOWN TOTP FOR LOCHABER
PAUL WILSON
08:50 - 27 July 2006

Sir Jimmy Savile told BBC producers he would not present the last ever Top of the Pops live because he refused to miss the Lochaber Highland Games. Speaking exclusively to the Press and Journal yesterday, the cult hero said producers were forced to backtrack on plans to broadcast live on Sunday and prerecorded the show yesterday. Sir Jimmy, 79, who has a house in Glencoe and is honorary chieftain of the games, told the BBC he would not be available at the weekend because it clashed with the Lochaber Highland Games.

The BBC backed down and the show was recorded yesterday afternoon before the veteran DJ caught an overnight train to Fort William last night. Programme makers were desperate to secure him to host the show as he presented the first ever edition of Top of the Pops on New Year's Day, 1964, which included music from The Rolling Stones, The Beatles and Dusty Springfield. The BBC announced last month it was axing the show because of falling viewing figures.

Sir Jimmy said: "The last Top of the Pops was going to be live on Sunday. The BBC phoned me and asked if I could do it but I said 'Sorry, I will be at the Lochaber Highland Games'. They said 'What are those, are they paying you? This is the last Top of the Pops'. I said 'My word is my bond and I will be at the Highland Games'. They asked if I would be paid for the games and I told them not a shilling. 'That's it, sorry', I said."

Sir Jimmy said producers called him back the day after he turned them down, offering to pre-record the show to fit in with his commitments in the Highlands.

"The games come first," he said. "I had given my word and if I have given my word to the games then there is no contest. This is my 33rd year at the games. I come up on the sleeper and once I am at the Fort that's me for a week, if I miss any parties down in London that's hard luck. If I give my word to somebody and the gig is for nothing, it would not matter if they offered me ?100,000, I would not backtrack."

A kilted Sir Jimmy will lead a march through Fort William on Saturday with a pipe band at his back before officially opening the games at noon. Jamie Ball, one of the Lochaber Games organisers, paid tribute to the famous chieftain's commitment.

He said: "He is a very colourful character and always cheers everyone up. It's flattering he was prepared to give up presenting the last Top of the Pops for us. The games is an important event and this just shows he feels that way too. He is local, he has a house locally, and he is committed to keeping the games going. Like all the games in Scotland, due to lack of numbers and funding and people to help out on the day, we are struggling, but in the past couple of years we have seen the Lochaber Highland Games get stronger rather than weaker."

Sir Jimmy is such a popular figure at the games that last year fans stole a black T-shirt draped over a life-size cut-out of him. Sir Jimmy sent the cut-out to Fort William to meet the Queen at the town's 300th anniversary celebrations in 1991. He was an invited guest but could not attend so sent the cut-out instead, which has become a regular feature at the Lochaber Games.

Fort William tourist office supervisor Rod Johnston said: "We considered having a couple of Lochaber Highland Games heavies in to keep watch on Sir Jimmy's T-shirt. Then we reckoned that, surely, the light-fingered wouldn't strike in the same place twice."

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good on him!