Top of the Pops
| Top of the Pops | |
|---|---|
Logo used for the 2015/16 Christmas and New Year specials
|
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| Created by | Johnnie Stewart |
| Presented by |
Fearne Cotton Reggie Yates (see full list) |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| No. of episodes | 2260 (508 missing) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) |
Johnnie Stewart (1964–73) Robin Nash (1973–80) Michael Hurll (1980–88) Paul Ciani (1988–91) Stanley Appel (1991–94) Ric Blaxill (1994–97) Chris Cowey (1997–2003) Andi Peters (2003–05) Mark Cooper (2005–) |
| Producer(s) | Neville Wortman Stanley Dorfman Colin Charman Mel Cornish Brian Whitehouse Phil Bishop Mark Wells Jeff Simpson Barrie Kelly Dominic Smith Sally Wood Stephanie McWhinnie |
| Running time | 25–60 minutes |
| Release | |
| Original network |
BBC1 (1964-2005, 2006-present) BBC TV (1964) BBC Two (2005–06) |
| Picture format | 4:3 (1964-2000) 16:9 (2001-present) |
| Original release |
Weekly run: 1 January 1964 – 30 July 2006 Christmas specials: 25 December 2006 – present |
| Chronology | |
| Related shows |
Top of the Pops 2 Top Gear of the Pops Top of the Pops Reloaded TOTP@Play |
| External links | |
| Website | |
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly between 1 January 1964 and 30 July 2006. It was traditionally shown every Thursday evening on BBC1, except for a short period on Fridays in mid-1973 before being again moved to Fridays in 1996, and then to Sundays on BBC Two in 2005. Each weekly programme consisted of performances from some of that week's best-selling popular music artists, with a rundown of that week's singles chart. Additionally, there was a special edition of the programme on Christmas Day (and usually, until 1984, a second such edition a few days after Christmas), featuring some of the best-selling singles of the year.
With its high viewing figures the show became a significant part of British popular culture. Although the weekly show was cancelled in 2006, the Christmas special has continued. It also survives as Top of the Pops 2, which began in 1994 and features vintage performances from the Top of the Pops archives.
In the 1990s, the show's format was sold to several foreign broadcasters in the form of a franchise package, and at one point various versions of the show were shown in nearly 100 countries. Editions of the programme from the 1970s (and now 1980s) are being repeated on most Thursdays and Fridays on BBC Four, although episodes featuring certain former presenters are not repeated.
Top of the Pops was created by BBC producer Johnnie Stewart, inspired by the popular Teen and Twenty Disc Club which aired on Radio Luxembourg. It was first aired in 1964 and was originally based on the Top 20. By 1970 the Top 30 was being used and the show was extended from 30 to 45 minutes duration. The show was also now shown in colour following the BBC1 upgrade in November 1969. A switch to the Top 40 was made in 1984. (Radio One also changed to the Top 30 in the early 70s and to the Top 40 in 1978).
The show saw many changes through the decades, in style, design, fashion and taste. It periodically had some aspect of its title sequence, logo and theme tune, format, or set design altered in some way, keeping the show looking modern despite its age. The programme had several executive producers during its run (although not all were billed as such), in charge of the overall production of the show, although specific content on individual shows was sometimes decided by other producers. When Stewart left the show in 1973, after nearly 10 years in charge, he was replaced by Robin Nash. Both Stewart and Nash made brief returns to the show as producer after they left, in 1976 and 1981 respectively.
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