Entertainment For Lively Minds
Music on TV - your vision
Posted by B Smith on 21 November 2011 - 7:32am.
Some have said that it's never been done properly, some have said it can't ever be done...
6.5 Special, Ready Steady Go, OGWT, Top of the Pops (and in my own neck of the woods, Countdown, Sounds Unlimited and Rage among others) have all had cracks at presenting rock and pop on the teev, with varying degrees of success.
Your brief: you have an hour of early evening TV time to fill with music. Popular or not, the format is up to you. Studio audience? Live performance? Miming? Film clips only? Interviews? How would you organise your dream music TV show?
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I have always dreamt of
I have always dreamt of doing a music show that goes out at 7.00p.m. on a Thursday or Friday night. Presented from a studio there would be a small audience & the odd acoustic performance in house.
The main performances (& this is the bit i'm proud of!) would be from touring bands & filmed at the venues they are playing - whether as part of their soundcheck or from a previous nights gig. This way it would be pretty up to date & if picked correctly the audience could be introduced to loads of new music!
I'm 28 & I think the last show to discover new, live music at a prime TV time that would hit a large audience was TFI Friday!
Always wondered why...
..Later is never repeated at such a sensible time.
I think the clue's
in the title.
Seriously though, what's not to like, there's usually something there for everyone. I was going to suggest an earlier, properly live version with all the little fluffs and mistakes included.
some have said it can't ever be done...
Ultimately, I agree. Music is primarily for the ears, and secondarily for the body - movement etc. TV is primarily for the eyes and not at all for the body - think couch potato.
This may not be a wonderful way to express my point but I think it illustrates why music on TV can only ever be second best.
I want TOTP back
Before it's really too late.
My vision
Get 5 bands / artistes in. Each gets to play two songs - takes time of music playing to about 40-45 mins. Leaves 4 mins to interview each one briefly about what influenced the song they just played, or what they're currently into in a Word of Mouth style - Books, Music, Films. Simple and to the point.
There'd only be a few people in the "audience", essentially techies and hangers on to whoop in the background. No ringmaster like Jools, but simply someone to conduct the interviews. Maybe Mark Ellen and Hepworth could do it.
But the key difference to current music on TV is that I'd be the music supervisor. Making sure it didn't fit into any particular pattern or genre. Later... seems to have developed the style of artists it books. Mainstream and the acceptable face of the alternative worlds. I'd make sure there was genuinely a bit of everything on there.
Essentially my pitch is a mix of From the Basement, the Word Magazine and MTV's 120 minutes. Any producers from BBC or Channel 4 that happen to be passing, emails to the usual address. Cheers.