Options
Top of the Pops: Christmas Day 2010: Full Show review...
Paul M C
Posts: 1,069 Forum Member
✭✭✭
Hi all
Well, as usual, just thought I would write up a review of what to expect on Top of the Pops Christmas Day 2010! I attended the main recording session yesterday evening.
The show was recorded over 2 sessions at BBC Television Centre, London, yesterday - Wednesday 08 December.
The first session was simply featuring Coldplay performing their new Christmas single, 'Christmas Lights'. This was recorded in TC4, after a delay for sound/technical reasons during the afternoon.
The main show that I attended was recorded yesterday evening between 8.10 -11pm.
As previously mentioned, it was recorded in TC4 at Television Centre. The set this year harked back a little to the way it looked on the Christmas edition for 2008 (if anyone is interested to see what it looks like, I have quite a few pictures on my Facebook pages).
There were, as usual, 3 main stages - the main sixties black and white neon square logo was lit against a backdrop of lit blue Christmas baubals - with a white stage platform. The other stages consisted of red drapes with lit stars around it, whilst the other had what looked like hubcaps with orange spotlights (a bit clock face looking!!) with lasers that fired out quite effective green and blue beams.
Fearne Cotton and Reggie Yates (as usual) presented.
The line up is this (althought not necessarily in this order!!)
Opening the show (featuring me in this opening link!!) is Cee Lo Green. The other acts are: Coldplay, Ellie Goulding, Tiny Tempah, JLS, Jason Derulo, Olly Murs, Scouting for GIrls and Eliza Doolittle.
Take That are represented, singing 'The Flood' by including a vt insert of their recent 'Children in Need' performance.
Other artists are represented via vt packages, similar to recent previous years, with only brief 5 second clips of various hits.
Several links (inlcuding of course all the X Factor finalists) for the Christmas No1 were recorded (as well as a generic "Here's the Christmas Number 1 for 2010" in case anything unexpected gets to the top spot!!)
I've got to be honest and say, in my personal opinion, it wasn't the strongest line up for a Christmas TOTP - it felt a lot of "big" names were missing - it would be nice, if possible, if acts like Lady Ga Ga, Cheryl Cole, Katy Perry, Owl City, Take That etc. could have performed instead of being featured in brief vt glimpses (apart from Take That, who, as I say, get their whole performance included from CiN).
However, it was still a great atmosphere - it never seems to change - the music may change/the set/look of the show may change over the years, but that TOTP atmosphere in studio is always the same.
Recording finished around 11pm, Scouting for Girls closing the recording (although obviously the Christmas Number 1 vt will be the last act featured on Christmas Day of course!)
There's no New Years Eve show this year. Despite the previous 2 years NYE editions doing reasonably well in the ratings, the BBC have decided to pull the plug on this edition this year. Complaints did arise in that the previous two years NYE shows were basically a revised repeat of Xmas day, just 'peppered' with new performances here and there - but - as I say, given the relative success (ratings wise) of the NYE shows, I was surprised at this decision.
There is talk that *if* the BBC ever materalise this new "music show" that they are supposed to be looking into for 2011, then this could well be the last Christmas TOTP. It is unlikely to survive *if* the BBC ever do bring back a regular music show during the year.... however, I have my doubts we'll see anything like TOTP back on a weekly basis again.....so only time will tell if there's to be a Christmas TOTP next year!
On a personal note, for me, it was a bit of a "landmark" show as it was my 50th edition that I've been to, over the past 22 years - so I was very pleased to reach that milestone!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Anyway, hope this has been of some interest!!!!
Thanks for reading!
Well, as usual, just thought I would write up a review of what to expect on Top of the Pops Christmas Day 2010! I attended the main recording session yesterday evening.
The show was recorded over 2 sessions at BBC Television Centre, London, yesterday - Wednesday 08 December.
The first session was simply featuring Coldplay performing their new Christmas single, 'Christmas Lights'. This was recorded in TC4, after a delay for sound/technical reasons during the afternoon.
The main show that I attended was recorded yesterday evening between 8.10 -11pm.
As previously mentioned, it was recorded in TC4 at Television Centre. The set this year harked back a little to the way it looked on the Christmas edition for 2008 (if anyone is interested to see what it looks like, I have quite a few pictures on my Facebook pages).
There were, as usual, 3 main stages - the main sixties black and white neon square logo was lit against a backdrop of lit blue Christmas baubals - with a white stage platform. The other stages consisted of red drapes with lit stars around it, whilst the other had what looked like hubcaps with orange spotlights (a bit clock face looking!!) with lasers that fired out quite effective green and blue beams.
Fearne Cotton and Reggie Yates (as usual) presented.
The line up is this (althought not necessarily in this order!!)
Opening the show (featuring me in this opening link!!) is Cee Lo Green. The other acts are: Coldplay, Ellie Goulding, Tiny Tempah, JLS, Jason Derulo, Olly Murs, Scouting for GIrls and Eliza Doolittle.
Take That are represented, singing 'The Flood' by including a vt insert of their recent 'Children in Need' performance.
Other artists are represented via vt packages, similar to recent previous years, with only brief 5 second clips of various hits.
Several links (inlcuding of course all the X Factor finalists) for the Christmas No1 were recorded (as well as a generic "Here's the Christmas Number 1 for 2010" in case anything unexpected gets to the top spot!!)
I've got to be honest and say, in my personal opinion, it wasn't the strongest line up for a Christmas TOTP - it felt a lot of "big" names were missing - it would be nice, if possible, if acts like Lady Ga Ga, Cheryl Cole, Katy Perry, Owl City, Take That etc. could have performed instead of being featured in brief vt glimpses (apart from Take That, who, as I say, get their whole performance included from CiN).
However, it was still a great atmosphere - it never seems to change - the music may change/the set/look of the show may change over the years, but that TOTP atmosphere in studio is always the same.
Recording finished around 11pm, Scouting for Girls closing the recording (although obviously the Christmas Number 1 vt will be the last act featured on Christmas Day of course!)
There's no New Years Eve show this year. Despite the previous 2 years NYE editions doing reasonably well in the ratings, the BBC have decided to pull the plug on this edition this year. Complaints did arise in that the previous two years NYE shows were basically a revised repeat of Xmas day, just 'peppered' with new performances here and there - but - as I say, given the relative success (ratings wise) of the NYE shows, I was surprised at this decision.
There is talk that *if* the BBC ever materalise this new "music show" that they are supposed to be looking into for 2011, then this could well be the last Christmas TOTP. It is unlikely to survive *if* the BBC ever do bring back a regular music show during the year.... however, I have my doubts we'll see anything like TOTP back on a weekly basis again.....so only time will tell if there's to be a Christmas TOTP next year!
On a personal note, for me, it was a bit of a "landmark" show as it was my 50th edition that I've been to, over the past 22 years - so I was very pleased to reach that milestone!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Anyway, hope this has been of some interest!!!!
Thanks for reading!
0
Comments
It's not my 50th Christmas Show - I mentioned it was my 50th edition of Top of the Pops - I am including all the weekly shows I went to between 1988-2006 as well in with this figure.
It's about my 10th Christmas edition in total.
Only 9 studio performances sounds a bit lame.. but it wouldn't be Christmas Day without TOTP so I look forward to it.
Yeah, you were right after all!!!
Well, as I say, for me, it didn't seem the strongest TOTP lineup I've got to say - nor will this edition go down as a 'classic' - previous Christmas editions in recent years, I feel, have been better - but there again, that's just my opinion - obviously it will depend upon your own personal music tastes as to how you rate this edition....
Sorry, film what?
if they did not film it how will you watch it on christmas day
I'd hardly say any of the acts on the show were 'obscure' - although Eliza Doolittle is a bit of an odd choice. I guess its down to who they can get though, the last few years have been missing a lot of the real big stars from the past year.
Sadly gone are those days..... remember, TOTP was a bit like a factory, whereby they record/insert some acts nearer to Christmas or when they became available - simply because it was an "ongoing" production.
Now, this year in particular, they've only scheduled in one recording block - so it does restrict who is going to appear.
TOTP also used to be a bit of a "shop window" when it was shown weekly - stars used to really want to perform (well, not all, but alot did!) simply because it would boost their record sales and thrust them more into the lime-light.
This gradually petered out over the final few years of TOTP's weekly life - and now of course - we only have the Christmas edition - which does nothing for record sales of course, as most of the singles featured are not "current" - i.e. - in the charts at the moment (well all bar the Christmas Number 1 of course) - there are some exceptions to this (Coldplay perform their new Christmas single on this years show for example) - but - you get my drift...sadly, now, it's not the show everyone wants or can be on any longer....
Yes, there is, Tuesday 21 December, 6.30pm, BBC2 - although it will no doubt just be exactly the same as last years...and the years before....and before....and before!!!!
Well said.
1) I missed an act out when going through the line up - "Plan B" are also live in the studio...... (not that, for me, it makes the line up any more exciting
2) This is the first edition of 'Top of the Pops' to be made and shown in HD !
well,well,well, i never . how do you get so lucky with these shows? i would do anything to get on the show,well from what your saying there ,my chances now are slimer than ever . whats this new music show there bringing out? & how will it compaire to to totp? can't se it being that much different? i have only ever done 3 shows in my time & all at elstree,with one show of me in full view.i have never been able to do enough tv.,i think largly to location & getting there.though i hope things can change with the BBC moving to manchester next year.i am trying to get my daughter more involved in tv as well. i was on facebook ,but didcided to pull away for personal reasons. good to speak to you.:)