I thought it was Level 42 on early when I was fast forwarding it the other day. I wonder if that is where Mark King got his image from!

Well another average episode. The highlight was Boy George/Culture obviously - but the rest I'll give a 4/10.

I think for me the introduction of Gary Davies as a TOTP presenter will mark the end of the early 80s and start of the mid 80s. At some points in the mid 80s about half of all shows were being presented by either him or Mike Smith.

Yes, and Janice Long joined the party. I liked her at the time.

I think Davies and Smith presented 7 or 8 shows in a row together at the end of 1987 - not to mention that year's Christmas show.

Cheers Highlander I didn't realise it was the same edition. o well never mind

Out of curiosity I just wonder who was the biggest name on Radio one by the Autumn of 82. I think we were past the point by then that the DJs were demi gods (only just mind). Steve Wright had yet to really make his name. Edmonds had all but left the network and Blackburn and DLT were yesterdays men

Mike Read maybe considering he had a couple of TV shows by then ?

Didn't Jimmy Savile just presume he was the biggest name on radio & TV for the second half of the 20th Century?

If you assume that a station's biggest name is the guy who does the breakfast show, then yes, he would have been.

Had 'Saturday Superstore' begun by the point we've now reached in the repeats?

Edit: No, it began the Saturday of the week after - October 2nd.

One thing that seems to change sometime over the next 12 months or so is the age of the TOTP audience. For the last couple of years the average age has been around 18 (with quite a lot of 16 and 17 year olds) but by the end of 1983 it seems to be more like 20 or 21. I wonder whether someone at the BBC contacted Michael Hurll to tell him that he needed to slightly increase the age of the audience?

Was the Dollar song that was edited out tonight their first in the post-Trevor Horn era?

I'm trying to think back but my memory's letting me down. I would say Peter Powell and Mike Read were pretty big back in '82 and Steve Wright was making a name for himself. Who can forget Steve Wright's Ivor Novello winning Top 40 song 'I'm Alright' which reached the dizzy heights of No.40 in December 1982! Tragically, it never appeared on Top of the Pops...not even on a Yewtree'd show!

Young Steve and the Afternoon Boys: 'I'm Alright'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUJkOcbMlfo

I just cant think of a bigger name around that time- which was also about the time Davies and Long joined the station

Jimmy was a legend in his own mind!

Some good songs in this week's edition.
It's strange that for all its catchiness, I have absolutely zero recollection of 'Saddle Up' and it was a sizeable hit.
Fat Larry's 'Zoom' is a classic, on the other hand, and I really loved it at the time.
Depeche Mode have certainly moved on from the very simplistic tunes and lyrics of stuff like 'I Just Can't Enough'. 'Leave in Silence' is far more sophisticated. One of my favourites of theirs though comes next year with 'Everything Counts'. Very nice to see 'Pass the Dutchie' again after all these years. Talented youngsters.
It's a pity that all the reaction and hype in the media to Culture Club back in the day was nothing at all to do with the quality of the song, but, as many forum members have alluded to upthread 'Is it a man, a woman or something else?' The hype gave much needed publicity and the group was certainly everywhere in the papers in those early weeks after the TOTP appearance.
Can't really appreciate the merit of the Evelyn King song. Sounds very average. It totally passed me by at the time and it doesn't ring any bells hearing it again now.

Not in the least bit surprised it wasn't on TOTP I always thought his best character was the not too well known Dave Doubledecks the local radio DJ..... thought that character was brilliant

It was 'Give Me Some Kinda Magic'. I'm not sure if Trevor was involved. In fact I can't actually remember how the song goes. It only reached No.34. I'll have to Youtube it.

Have links appeared for the Yewtreed 30th Sep and 7th Oct shows?

BIB, not me! That chorus is still stuck in my head 30 odd years on.

I know, it's a bit like 'Saddle Up', a terrible song but you just can't get it out of your head when you've heard it.

He wasn't involved. That's probably why the song is so awful.

I don't think so Jason but I'm sure they'll appear. Some of the individual appearances from those shows are on Youtube.

Most of the 4th Nov show has appeared here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTtQWa4B2K4

Yep, I just Youtube'd 'Give Me Some Kinda Magic'. Not the best song by Dollar but I recognised it. A bit of a let down after the excellent 'Videotheque'.

Re: Depeche Mode and 'Leave in Silence'. I think it's a brilliant song and I was also so glad when they left the 'Just Can't Get Enough' style behind them. The darker Depeche Mode is so good, the wonderful 'Blasphemous Rumours' and 'Shake the Disease' were fantastic singles as were 'Barrel of a Gun' and 'Wrong'.