"Top of the Pops" (1964) TV series 1964-2012

Directors:

Chris Cowey
Arch Dyson
(more)

Seasons:

unknown

Release Date:

12 January 2002 (USA)

Genre:

Music

Plot:

A rundown of the latest chart hits, featuring in-studio performances from popular music artists.

Plot Keywords:

Pop Music | Chart Show | Music Video | Lip Synching | Live Performance

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Pan's People	...	Themselves / ... (213 episodes, 1966-1976)
The Ladybirds	...	Vocal Backing (104 episodes, 1968-1978)
Lulu Cartwright	...	Herself - Member of Legs & Co / ... (90 episodes, 1976-1978)

Series Directed by
Stanley Appel		(38 episodes, 1976-1978)
Phil Bishop		(22 episodes, 1976-1978)
David G. Hillier		(16 episodes, 1977-1978)
Phil Heyes		(2 episodes, 2009)
Tim Van Someren		(2 episodes, 2012)
Chris Cowey		(unknown episodes)
Arch Dyson		(unknown episodes)
Tony Gregory		(unknown episodes)
Jason Harper		(unknown episodes)
Keith Hobelman		(unknown episodes)
Stuart McDonald		(unknown episodes)

Series Produced by
Edward Simpson	....	assistant producer (71 episodes, 2003-2005)
Robin Nash	....	producer (65 episodes, 1973-1980)
Jess Eldridge	....	entertainment producer (54 episodes, 2004-2005)
Brian Whitehouse	....	producer (20 episodes, 1976-1988)
Jeff Simpson	....	producer (11 episodes, 2003)
Phil Bishop	....	associate producer / producer (8 episodes, 1976)
Johnnie Stewart	....	producer (6 episodes, 1964-1976)
Stanley Appel	....	assistant producer / producer (4 episodes, 1976-1994)
Mark Cooper	....	executive producer (4 episodes, 2005-2012)
Sally Wood	....	producer (2 episodes, 2004-2009)
Arianna Maniscalco	....	assistant producer (2 episodes, 2009)
Stephanie Mcwhinnie	....	producer (2 episodes, 2012)
Michael Hurll	....	producer (unknown episodes, 1980-1987)
Paul Ciani	....	producer (unknown episodes, 1988-1991)
Ric Blaxill	....	producer (unknown episodes, 1994-1997)
Chris Cowey	....	executive producer (unknown episodes, 1997-2003)
Andi Peters	....	executive producer (unknown episodes, 2003-2005)
Raymond Hernandez Jr.	....	executive producer (unknown episodes)

Series Film Editing by
Martin Baker		(50 episodes, 2003-2005)
Perry Bellisario		(2 episodes, 2009-2012)
Joseph Tims		(2 episodes, 2009)
Nick Carroll		(unknown episodes)
Gary Hewson		(unknown episodes)

Series Production Design by
Graeme Story		(21 episodes, 1977)
Robert Berk		(11 episodes, 1976-1977)
Bryan Ellis		(10 episodes, 1976)
Graeme Thomson		(10 episodes, 1977-1978)
Pamela Lambooy		(8 episodes, 1976)
Eric Walmsley		(8 episodes, 1977)
Tony Burrough		(7 episodes, 1978)
Jim Hatchard		(6 episodes, 1976)
Graham Thomson		(4 episodes, 1977)
Austin Ruddy		(4 episodes, 1978)
Andrew Howe-Davies		(3 episodes, 1978)
Simon Kimmel		(unknown episodes)

Series Art Direction by
Sarah Milton		(unknown episodes)

Series Costume Design by
Philip Bryce		(22 episodes, 1977-1978)
L. Rowland-Warne		(15 episodes, 1976-1978)
Dorinda Rea		(14 episodes, 1976)
Verity Lewis		(13 episodes, 1976-1977)
Lynda Woodfield		(12 episodes, 1977-1978)
Nicholas Rocker		(9 episodes, 1976-1977)
Dee Robson		(3 episodes, 1977)
Robin Stubbs		(3 episodes, 1977)

Series Production Management
Vicky Singer	....	production manager (1 episode, 2009)
Joanne Housden	....	production manager (1 episode, 2012)

Series Art Department
Joanna Ball	....	graphic design (1 episode, 1977)
Tony Fisher	....	graphic designer (unknown episodes, 2004)
Gregory Millar	....	graphic designer (unknown episodes, 2004)
Bob Warans	....	production buyer (unknown episodes, 2004)
Andy Armstrong	....	props (unknown episodes)

Series Sound Department
Martin Deane	....	sound (84 episodes, 1987-2001)
Alan Machin	....	sound (44 episodes, 1976-1977)
Keith Gunn	....	sound (30 episodes, 1976)
Tony Philpot	....	sound (18 episodes, 1977-1978)
Richard Chamberlain	....	sound (4 episodes, 1968-1977)
Dave Lee	....	sound supervisor (unknown episodes, 2004)
Gary Clarke	....	sound (unknown episodes)
Tony Revell	....	sound (unknown episodes)
Laurie Taylor	....	sound (unknown episodes)

Series Special Effects by
Chris Reynolds	....	special effects supervisor (1 episode, 1985)
Keith Edwards	....	special effects supervisor (unknown episodes)

Series Visual Effects by
Adam Dampier	....	insert graphics (1 episode, 2012)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Bill Millar	....	lighting designer / lighting (184 episodes, 1967-1977)
Martin Kempton	....	lighting director (26 episodes, 1990-2002)
Richard Stevenson	....	jimmy jib operator (15 episodes, 2006)
Robbie Robinson	....	lighting (9 episodes, 1976)
Fred Wright	....	lighting (9 episodes, 1977-1978)
James Purdie	....	lighting (8 episodes, 1976-1978)
John Dixon	....	lighting (7 episodes, 1976-1977)
John Farr	....	lighting (6 episodes, 1977)
Ken MacGregor	....	lighting (5 episodes, 1976)
John Bird	....	lighting (5 episodes, 1977)
Peter Booth	....	lighting (5 episodes, 1977)
Terry Wild	....	lighting (5 episodes, 1977)
George Summers	....	lighting (4 episodes, 1973-1976)
John Summers	....	lighting (4 episodes, 1976)
Henry Barber	....	lighting (4 episodes, 1977-1978)
Brian Clemett	....	lighting (4 episodes, 1977)
Harry Bradley	....	lighting (4 episodes, 1978)
John Carter	....	lighting (4 episodes, 1978)
Warwick Fielding	....	lighting (3 episodes, 1976)
Lance Wood	....	lighting (3 episodes, 1977)
David Hare	....	lighting (3 episodes, 1978)
Adrian Homeshaw	....	camera supervisor (unknown episodes, 2004)
Darryl Noad	....	lighting director (unknown episodes, 2004)
Dave Box	....	camera operator (unknown episodes)
Nigel Saunders	....	camera operator (unknown episodes)

Series Editorial Department
Allan Ford	....	on-line editor (1 episode, 1975)
Rod Wardell	....	vision mixer (1 episode, 2009)
Priscilla Hoadley	....	vision mixer (unknown episodes, 1990)
Simon Sanders	....	vision mixer (unknown episodes, 2004)

Series Music Department
Johnny Pearson	....	musical director / orchestra director (99 episodes, 1968-1978)
Derek Warne	....	musical associate / musical director (99 episodes, 1973-1978)

Series Other crew
Flick Colby	....	choreography (100 episodes, 1973-1978)
Clare Lucas	....	production coordinator (100 episodes, 1999-2001)
Seth Adam Cohen	....	studio coordinator (100 episodes, 2000-2002)
Helen Turpin	....	runner (38 episodes, 1999-2000)
Steve Whitehead	....	studio resource manager (36 episodes, 2005-2006)
Chaz Johnson	....	floor assistant (11 episodes, 2006-2008)
Daniel Klarfeld	....	floor assistant (8 episodes, 1997-1998)
Bill Cole	....	resources manager (4 episodes, 2005)
Donald Clive	....	production assistant (2 episodes, 1976)
Natricia Bernard	....	choreographer (2 episodes, 2008-2009)
Ed Sharpe	....	floor manager (unknown episodes, 2004)
Karen Betteridge	....	production security (unknown episodes)
Jon Lambe	....	stage manager (unknown episodes)
Tom Macklin	....	production runner (unknown episodes)
Paul Thackray	....	studio resources manager (unknown episodes)

Production Companies

• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Distributors

• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) (1964-2006) (UK) (TV)
• BNN TV (Netherlands) (TV)
• Myx (2008) (Philippines) (TV)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

30 min | UK:60 min (1 episode) | 35 min (5 episodes)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (1970-2006) | Black and White (1964-1970)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono | Stereo

Certification:

Australia:G | Argentina:Atp

Filming Locations:

Kew Bridge Steam Museum, Green Dragon Lane, Brentford, Middlesex, England, UK

Company:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Trivia:

Presenter Janice Long (1982-1988) was the first full time female presenter, nearly 20 years after the show first began.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Breakfast: Episode dated 22 June 2011" (2011)

Soundtrack:

Yellow Pearl

The Good Old Days

I may be only 25, but I already feel like I'm way too old for TOTP. That is a real pity because up until the early 90s it felt like this was a national institution would be stay with me forever.

I guess most people think that, but the way in which TOTP has lost its importance is startling and sad. Of course, the current state of the music charts is mainly to blame, and the fact that there are dozens of music TV channels now.

I don't know what it was like in the 60s and 70s but you can't argue with audience figures of 15-16 million, while it now gets 2 million if it's lucky.

The shows I remember in the 80s were fun, colourful and lively; where the performers and the audience were out for fun. However, it now seems cynical, trashy and monotonous. I mean who can forget when The Brat performed "Chalk Dust" with a mock tennis court and umpire judge, and then of course there was the classic "Jocky Wilson" moment with Dexy's Midnight Runners.

Perhaps because I am a 80s child and remember when the charts were interesting, i.e. songs climbed up the charts to a position which (usually) justified the song. Now anything can go straight in at number one if they have appeared in a TV programme, or it's been played in a nightclub in Ayia Napa, or features some anodyne blonde blue-eyed rubbish boy band.

Anyway, I should stop moaning and remember the good old days.