Top of the Pops 9th & 16th November 1989

Words: Chris Arnsby

09/11/1989

Nicky Campbell: “Well, Chancellors of the Exchequer may come and go but Top of the Pops is always here. Tonight is an extravaganza of rare exuberance. What a cast. Too many stars to mention just now. We're going to start with something that you're really going to enjoy. Welcome Electribe 101.”

[32] ELECTRIBE 101: tell me when the fever ended. Nicky Campbell really grates this week. He's hitting all the big words to show you his big brain and it reminds me why I never warmed to his 10pm show on Radio 1. I found him smug and self satisfied. If he was chocolate, he'd eat himself. As my nan would have said. Anyway, I'll never finish this write up unless I play my Steve Wright rules and limit myself to one criticism. Assume I'm groaning and rolling my eyes during all the links and use your imagination as to which of the bad words got used.

Nigel Lawson resigned two weeks ago (see 26/10/1989). To add a little context to Nicky Campbell's seemingly out of date reference  the affair dragged on and on. By this point it had settled down to mud slinging over whether Mrs Thatcher had or hadn't been told that Lawson would go if her special adviser Alan Walters stayed. Mrs T said she hadn't been told. Mr L said she had. Its the political version of Den and Angie arguing over custody for Roly. Meanwhile, on the night this episode was broadcast the Berlin wall was coming down.

Return to Oz (1985)

 

Just before the big screen Wicked opens, here’s something else from the land of Oz…

Released in 1985, Return to Oz is presented as a sequel to The Wizard of Oz and is adapted from two of the original novels; `Ozma of Oz` and `The Land of Oz`. While two of the characters in our world and in Oz are portrayed by the same actors there isn’t the same duality as in the 1939 film where everyone was mirrored. So it seems to suggest that Dorothy really does travel to this place whereas some interpretations suggest it’s all an imaginative dream. The film has a darker edge, especially early on, far from the sunny, almost goofy disposition manifested on the promotional posters and crucially there are no songs. Though there is a chattering chicken…

 

TV Review- Nautilus

 

Nearly twenty years ago the successful revival of Doctor Who led to a number of attempts to replicate that success with fantasy themed adventures that were suitable for a family audience, often resurrecting iconic characters (Robin Hood, Sinbad) or scenarios (Atlantis, Primeval). Nautilus would probably have fitted in then just fine as a weekly scheduled show on BBC or ITV. Thrown into the lion’s den of streaming it stands little chance of progressing especially after Disney who had signed up to distribute it dropped out after production was finished. For a while it looked like it might never be seen till Amazon Prime and the Australian company Stan snapped it up. In way though the damage to its reputation was probably already done. People were thinking – if Disney didn’t think it was good enough to show, how bad must it be? It’s a shame because Nautilus is actually really good.

 

Top of the Pops Triple Decker! 19, 26 Oct & 2 Nov 1989

 

19/10/89

Words: Chris Arnsby

Mark Goodier: “Good evening and welcome to the best of BBC radio and television together. It's Radio 1FM and BBC1 for Top of the Pops. We have the full top forty rundown tonight and Britain's brand new number one. We start with the third straight hit for D Mob with Cathy Dennis. This is C'mon And Get My Love."

 [36] D MOB introducing CATHY DENNIS: c'mon and get my love. Mark Goodier is excited, observe his little kangaroo jumps when he spins to look at the main stage. Of course an excited Mark Goodier is still Mark Goodier, it's like someone has put a party hat on a plate of boiled potatoes and rice.

TV Review- Ludwig

Imagine going to work and while a colleague appears to be exactly the same person as yesterday, it is actually their twin. Would you notice? This is the premise we are asked to believe in Ludwig, starring David Mitchell, familiar though several series such as Peep Show and Upstart Crow. Yet he has never quite been as David Mitchell as he is in Ludwig. He plays John Taylor a crossword setter (nom de plume Ludwig derived from Beethoven) who prefers words to people but finds himself thrown into a different walk of life when his twin brother James, a detective, goes missing. James’ wife Lucy persuades him to up sticks, come to Cambridge and go into the police headquarters posing as James’ to find clues as to her husband’s disappearance. Why she doesn’t just ask the police to find one of their own or even tell her son for several days is one of several odd developments dotted though.

Emerald City- Episodes 7-10

 

Episode 7 - They Came First

This is a series that likes to turn the tables frequently and take us off on a tangent so for this episode after being teased with domestic bliss as Dorothy, Lucas and Sylvie hunker down in a remote country house, we end up with the reveal that Lucas is Glinda’s defender (and lover). Its the second explanation we’ve had for his backstory so it’s no wonder he had amnesia! It’s a seriously good twist though in an episode that elsewhere has something of a shock value. The house where they are staying has a large scarecrow in the front another symbolic link to the original. The episode’s stand out moment is when the house they are in begins to turn upside down and you realise more or less anything can happen in this show!

Emerald City - Episodes 3- 6

 

Episode Three - Mistress New Mistress

The story of the Wizard has always been a tale of deception  and this episode sees Emerald City continue that tradition revealing he is not all he seems. He confesses to one of his counsels that he had no powers at all before he came here and that his name was Frank Morgan (a nod to the original author) while later he doesn’t deny that he can no longer awaken the stone giants supposed to be guarding the city in the event of the return of the Beast. Vincent D'Onofrio's performance is subtle and you can detect the sense of a man struggling under the surface to keep control over everything because he likes the power so much.

Emerald City - Episodes 1 & 2

 

The Oz books penned by L Frank Baum have proved to be inspiring fodder for a number of versions and adaptations across various media. As the best known ones are The Wizard of Oz film and the musical Wicked, the tales have become synonymous with songs. A more ambitious attempt to relocate this world to that of drama was made with Emerald City. First developed by writers Matthew Arnold and Josh Freidman for NBC the concept was to extrapolate familiar characters and scenarios from the books to give them a futuristic, edgier twist.  They also wanted to make a version grounding some of the more fanciful concepts in a more realistic though still unusual context as well as bringing characters who featured in all of the original fourteen books together to exist at the same time.

Liverpool River of Light 2024 Photo post

 Some highlights from this year's River of Light festival, held in Liverpool each autumn.

TV Review - Agatha All Along Eps 7-9

 

Episode seven takes a further step beyond the initial premise to tell something of a time travel tale centred around Lilia. Her powers of premonition prove vital to solving the next trail which takes place inside a suitably gothic mansion. Agatha and Billy  - with temporal interjections from Lilia and Jennifer - have a limited time to complete  a game of tarot and there are literal swords hanging over their heads one of which drops each time there is an error. Presented with Lilia and Jennifer’s scenes popping back and forth incorporating flashbacks to previous episodes show how deeply plotted the show has been. We also see Lilia as a child learning the skills that will now help her win the game albeit at a cost.

Top of the Pops 12 October 1989

 

Words: Chris Arnsby

Gary Davies: “Hello. Good evening and welcome to Top of the Pops, we have a great show for you tonight. In the studio we have Cliff Richard, Sinitta, Belinda Carlisle, Living in a Box but first we start off with a guy who was last on Top of the Pops a year ago with On the Beach. Here's a new entry at twenty six with Road to Hell, here's Chris Rea.

 [26] CHRIS REA: the road to hell (part 2). Gary Davies gets the wrong caption. In fact, now I check, Steve Wright and Jakki Brambles also got the wrong format caption last week. Come on guys, a little consistency please. Or have the Powers That Be decided they hate the new-style target captions and gone back to the old-school asterisk ones? I hope they make up their mind soon because I keep spelling asterisk as asterix (damn you Goscinny and Uderzo) and I'll be glad to never mention this ***** topic again.

Meanwhile, Chris Rea is on the road to hell where I hear the paving is really nice. The album splits The Road to Hell into two tracks with a total running time around nine minutes, far too long for Top of the Pops. What we have here is Part 2, also released as a single, and shaved back from the single's running time of 4:35 to around three minutes. Part one, which is a study in atmosphere and synth groans and biblical lyrics, runs to another 4:52.

TV Review: The Rings of Power Season 2 Eps 7 & 8

 

Episode 7 Doomed to Die

 “True creation requires sacrifice” one of the characters in this episode says and this is something those extremely critical Tolkien lore fanatics might consider. An adaptation of a novel is always going to be a step away from the source being a different medium. What works on the page may not always translate literally on screen. In this case a dramatization of appendices surely needs additional material to turn notes into a story. Fans of anything are over possessive of course but reading some reviews of this show I feel as if I’ve been watching something different. At least viewers seem mostly aligned with this episode which even the haters have dubbed the best of the season. I’d say it’s the best episode of any tv show I’ve seen in some time.

 

Top of the Pops 5 October 1989

 

Words: Chris Arnsby

Steve Wright: “Hi!! Hello and good evening and welcome to another Top of the Pops!! This is Jakki Brambles!! I'm Steve Wright!!”

Jakki Brambles: “Okay we've got a brilliant show coming up for you. This is the second hit for Double Trouble and the Rebel MC. We are talking a wicked tune. A winning collaboration. This is Street Tuff.”

[12] REBEL MC DOUBLE TROUBLE: street tuff. The song which inspired one of the few bits of the Steve Wright in the Afternoon show that stick in my memory. “Is he a Yankee. No he's a pratt.” That was part of the jingle for Steve Wright's character Mr. Spoons. I have no idea what Mr. Spoons did but I'm sure he was wicked zany to the max.

TV Review- The Rings of Power Season 2 Eps 4 - 6

 

Episode Four - Eldest

This starts off on a whimsical note as the wandering Stranger comes across the legendary (to Tolkien readers at least) Tom Bombadil portrayed with a delightful lightness by Rory Kinnear. The actor is playing against type to some extent though there is some hint of  something steelier under the surface and in a lengthy sequence seems to reveal he is somewhat eternal. I don’t know much about his character except that Tolkien fans like him but that he’s been left out of any and all adaptations to date. He talks in a vague manner but seems to have great powers and by the end the Stranger is asking for help mastering his own gifts. If you’re wondering about the episode title it is something that Bombadil says when quizzed about his background. His reply is that he is literally the `eldest` and remembers a time even before there were stars. While its easy to see why his character was awkward to slot into previous versions there seems to be a place for him here, as a mentor to the stranger?

TV Review- Sweetpea

 

Billed as a dark comedy drama, Sweetpea certainly delivers on the former though not so much the latter. It is essentially about three women who for different reasons are frustrated at not being seen for who they are. Rhiannon is a quiet character who is ignored, taken for granted and generally not given her due. Julia is a successful estate agent hiding her abusive relationship under a glamorous confidence. Marina is a junior police officer who works hard but whose conclusions are routinely ignored by her boss. All three come into each other’s orbit when the local community is shocked by two savage murders. Only we, the viewers, know that Rhiannon is the killer – the tension of the series is whether or how this is discovered.

TV Review - Agatha All Along Eps 4- 6

 

The witchy spin off of a spin off continues to surprise...

Reviews contain spoilers 

Top of the Pops 28 September 1989

 

Words: Chris Arnsby

Sybil Ruscoe: “Good evening and welcome to Britain's best pop music show, in brilliant stereo on lead-free Radio 1. Tonight we're making history.”

Jenny Powell: “Yeah Sybil. We must be the only two girls to present Top of the Pops, mustn't we? Well to start the show we've got Sydney Youngblood he's number four with If Only I Could.”

[4] SYDNEY YOUNGBLOOD: if only i could. Lead-free? Sybil's topical reference refers to EU legislation which required unleaded petrol to be widely available from October 1989. And the week of 25 September to 1 October was named as National Lead-Free Petrol Week by CLEAR (the Campaign for LEad free AiR -who designed that acronym?). There was a lot of excitement and confusion about what this would mean for the man on the Clapham omnibus, besides lower levels of lead in his blood. The result was reports like this from Top Gear “on the mysteries of going green.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bngMZhYgYg.

TV Review- The Rings of Power Season 2 Eps 1 -3

 

Spoilers are everywhere these days. In the past I have been spoilered just overhearing a conversation on a bus. They are online, especially in the first few hours after something drops. And I’ve now discovered they are on Wikipedia too whose character breakdowns for this series do not always stop at what has already been shown but go on to explain the ultimate fictional destination of many of the characters. To those who have read the novels- and by the looks of it the appendices- this will be no issue but if you’re chronicling an ongoing television series the most lore you should include is what has already been released. I only looked up to find out some actor’s names!

 

He knows that there are spoilers past here...

Film Review - Joker: Folie a Deux

 

The title translates as “madness for two” and appropriately most reviews I’ve seen fall on one of two sides- this is either `utter rubbish` or its a work of `genius`. As ever the truth sits somewhere else though its fair to say this is not the film you might be expecting if you saw the first one.  

 

Spoilers beyond this point

 

TV Review- Heartstopper Season 3

 

If the phrase “why are we like this?” became the mantra for season one you may well ask of season three- why are they still like this? Let’s face it, Heartstopper is never going to develop into a series anything other than the life affirming, positive drama that it is. While this third season nudges the characters a little further into self doubt and strife measured against other shows it is still featherlight and that’s fine. Enough series play the trauma or dystopia cards so surely something different is a good thing? I do feel though that with these plots the show might benefit from the approach of centring each episode around a particular character. Here the production crams everyone’s plots into most of the episodes which means some are underserved. However when they alter the format it produces the best episode of the season.  

 

Top of the Pops 21 September 1989

 

Nicky Campbell: “Woah. Welcome to indisputably the nation's top pop show. What an opener we've got for you tonight. They're frenetic, flamboyant, fun loving, the lot. You can tell from their name that they come from Germany. They're here tonight with Harlem Desire. The one and only, the two and only, London Boys.”

[21] LONDON BOYS: harlem desire. Stanley Appel doesn't like starting Top of the Pops with the host in the crow's nest. What's that all about? My best guess, he doesn't want to deal with the slight additional crowd wrangling involved in starting the show on the audience, panning the crane up to the hosts (while the Floor Manager shuffles the audience off the stage as quickly and quietly as possible), and then back down to the main stage.

TV Review- The Rings of Power Season 1

 

Prequels can be awkward things; on the one hand we all have this fascination with delving deeper into people and places we’ve seen yet this can also offer fewer surprises and far less jeopardy. After all we already know how matters turn out, a lot of things are set in stone before we start watching.  Back in 2022 when this was first released I never got round to seeing it so now that the second season is out, I thought I should catch up and I’m glad I did. Being set so long before the familiar events of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings films allows The Rings of Power some breathing space. Based largely on appendices from the original books as well I would think that only the most churlish Ringer would chafe at what is presented here. It is one of the best prequels I’ve seen but more than that it is also its own animal.

Film Review - Megalopolis

 

The reviews have been savage. “the worst film ever made”, “The worst film I’ve ever seen”, “I beg you not to see this movie” are just some of the reactions to Francis Ford Coppola’s first film in twelve years. Can it really be that bad? Only one way to find out. Well, it is not the worst film I’ve ever seen – believe me I’ve seen far worse- rather it’s an ambitious if flawed work that feels like it is still in progress despite the time spent on it. Maybe that’s the issue; perhaps too much time was spent on it? If we see it as a movie that attempts to comment on the US and more widely the use and abuse of power then it works to some extent. It is more in the delivery of that message that it becomes an uneven watch.

TV Review - Agatha All Along Eps 1-3

 

Agatha Harkness in her various guises was the breakout star of WandaVision three years ago and is now back with her own spin off. It’s a fun show that revels in its witchiness so expect high camp, scary moments, and lots of knowing references. Anchored by Kathryn Hahn’s delightfully broad range of gestures and expressions and a script that leans into spooky lore the first three episodes are top class. You don’t necessarily need to have seen anything else, even WandaVision, though I suspect that it is fans of that show who will be most attracted and I don’t think they will be disappointed.

Spoilers beyond this point

Top of the Pops 14 Sept 1989

 

Words: Chris Arnsby

Simon Mayo: “Hello. Good evening. Welcome. It's another one of those BBC1 and Radio 1 simulcast things.”
Andy Crane: “And on the show tonight we've got Madonna. We've got Tina Turner. And we've got Simon Mayo.”
Simon Mayo: “First of all. It's a jump to the left [Andy Crane, Simon Mayo, and everyone else jumps]. It's a step to the right [Simon Mayo steps, everyone else jumps -including Andy Crane, the clot]. It's got to be Damian.”
Andy Crane: “And the Time Warp. Over there.”
Simon Mayo: “Number seven.”

[7] DAMIAN: the time warp. Good news everyone. Top of the Pops has finally remembered how to do the new look captions they introduced on 24/08/1989. Right style, right graphics. Right colours. Excellent. Now do it again, next week. Damian is back rocking the same Joker look but a different wardrobe.

Noah's Castle

Looking back at this dark kids tv drama first shown in 1980

In the late  Seventies Britain was in a sorry state. There was high unemployment, industrial unrest leading to shortages, high prices (even if inflation was “down” to 8%) and a continued feeling that something needed to be done. It was this backdrop that allowed Margaret Thatcher to win the general election the following year. Kids were not wholly protected from this strife either. Each day the teatime programme John Craven’s Newsround would offer a child friendly version of the news but one that did not shirk from telling the more serious stories. A more sombre portrait of how things might end up was also offered to kids in the tv drama Noah’s Castle. Adapted from the book by John Rowe Townsend it portrays a UK where hyperinflation is eating away at food supplies and jobs. Former military man Norman Mortimer believes he can see where this is headed so he buys an isolated house on the edge of town to move his family, filling the large basement with supplies despite hoarding being illegal.

 

Top of the Pops 31 August & 7 September 1989

 

Words: Chris Arnsby

31/08/1989
“Stand by luvvies. Have a good show.” With that and a short snippet of music that I, and Shazam, cannot identify we're off into the titles for a live edition.

 Gary Davies: “Hello. A very good evening to you. Welcome to a special Top of the Pops. Special because we are live from Television Centre. Special because it's a year ago tonight that we first started to broadcast Top of the Pops in stereo on Radio 1FM. It's special because we've got Jason, Mark, and Phil to open us up. Here's Big Fun.”

 [6] BIG FUN; blame it on the boogie. Gary Davies' caption is in the wrong style. Someone has selected the old look with an asterisk at both ends rather than the new one which debuted last week. Let's blame it on the pressure of a live show and move on.

I don't have anything new to add about Big Fun, after their first appearance on 10/08/1989. That's okay because apparently no one else is bringing anything new to the programme either. The dance routine is identical and, because I'm a glutton for punishment, I synchronised both performances and found Paul Ciani seems to be using the same camera script as well.

Zardoz

 

If you Google Zardoz, the first question that comes up is `What was the point of Zardoz?` This may well be the question many involved in the production asked themselves when the results were released. Zardoz is the work of John Boorman, a distinctive filmmaker whose catalogue includes the vivid likes of Hope and Glory, Excalibur and ,Deliverance,. The film turns fifty this year and BBC’s Front Row next week will feature the director talking about the movie while the novelisation is also being republished. So, what better time than to watch it.

 

Top of the Pops 17th and 24th August 1989

 

Words: Chris Arnsby

17/08/1989

Nicky Campbell: “Hello, welcome to another unashamedly brilliant and superlative Top of the Pops. We've got Neneh Cherry, Alice Cooper, Jody Watley, everything and the girl. Anthea Turner.” 
Anthea Turner: “Thank you very much Nicky! Hey! Have I got an honest face?!
Nicky Campbell: “Scrupulously.”
Anthea Turner: “Believe me! Italian dance music's going to be the biggest thing to hit this country! And Black Box are here!”

 [11] BLACK BOX: ride on time. Call me Mr Cynical but I'm not sure I fully buy Anthea Turner's expert knowledge of Italian dance music and it's forthcoming impact on this country. Nicky Campbell has an odd look on his face, like he's primed Anthea Turner with this insight and is now trying to suppress a smirk. [Obligatory comment about Nicky Campbell always looking like that, goes here].

The opening to the show is a single camera shot, although it doesn't stand out because of the range of motion the camera goes through. From the opening pan up to the hosts, back down to the main stage, and then the pull back across the studio while the introduction to Ride on Time plays. Then there's some light editing trickery. After the transition, the hand held camera shot looking out into the studio comes from a different take because otherwise there's no time for the camera operator to get into position. It's unusual for Top of the Pops to cheat footage like this but it must have been irresistible because it perfectly captures the change in energy between the introduction and the song.

Film Review- Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice

 

Serendipitous circumstance makes this belated sequel to the Eighties cult film bang on trend what with Wynona Ryder being a part of Stranger Things, Jenna Ortega starring in Wednesday and the fact that ghosts and ghouls are arguably more popular than ever. So, it doesn’t really matter whether you’ve seen or recall the minutiae of the original Beetlejuice as there is if anything too much exposition to get us where we are, simply sit back and enjoy the mayhem. If you’re wondering about spelling the main character’s name is spelt as Betelgeuse (same as the red star) but pronounced Beetlejuice yet that’s also the title of the film. Believe me it’s far from being the oddest thing about it!

Top of the Pops 10 August 1989

 Words: Chris Arnsby

Bruno Brookes: “Good evening. It's Thursday night. Top of the Pops night of course. Europe's number one TV pop show. Five live acts on the show this evening.”
Sybil Ruscoe: “Now the Jackson's did it in the seventies. In the eighties it's Big Fun. In at twenty five with Blame It On The Boogie. Down there.”

[25] BIG FUN: blame it on the boogie. Derek Slee is having fun with the Lighting. He's conspired with the visual effects assistant to work out a little routine for the chorus. “Don't blame it on the sunshine” studio lights darken, a thunderflash is set off. “Don't blame it on the moonlight,” studio lights colour the stage midnight blue, another thunderflash. “Don't blame it on the good times,” bring the studio lights back up, tinted red. “Blame it on the boogie,” flash the lights a bit.

It doesn't work every time. I guess the studio lights can't cope with too much turning on and off. And the VFX Department isn't made of thunderflashes.

Roll With It

 Bands always reunite!

This week’s announcement that Oasis are reforming for concerts next year came as a surprise to hardly anyone, not just because it’s been rumoured for months but because bands always reform in the end. As long as the members (or most of them) are still with us and  playing or performing they cannot resist.  There can be different reasons but there must come a point when they tire of the procrastination and think “Yeah, lets get ourselves to the O2 Arena asap”. Even bands who unequivocally rule it out end up coming around. At least Eagles – who had once stated they would reform “when hell freezes over”- had the wit to dub their comeback tour `Hell Freezes Over”!

 

Oasis looking delighted to be back together

Advert of the Year!

 

KFC have often come up with well composed adverts that don’t follow a formula but are always interesting. It was not too long ago that they presented Colonel Sanders looking like some kind of Mafia boss riding around in a large shiny car, face hidden from view, KFC branches reflected in the vehicles’ exterior. This year though they have excelled themselves with `Believe in Chicken`, an advert that has made people laugh out loud, always an achievement. Like the best ads it is simple, effective and memorable. I know it’s only August but this could be the advert of the year!

 

Top of the Pops 3 August 1989

 

Words: Chris Arnsby
Steve Wright: “Hope you're having a good summer!! Good evening welcome to Top of the Pops!! I'm Steve Wright!! Here's Jenny Powell!!”
Jenny Powell: “Yeah. It's very nice to be working with you Steve.”
Steve Wright: “Thank you!!”
Jenny Powell: “Well the first band tonight come from Glasgow. They're three teenagers in the band, err, they're called Gun, I think...”
Steve Wright: “They are!!”
Jenny Powell: “...I think they're going to be a big hit. Here's Better Days.”

[33] GUN: better days. The guitarist at stage right has dirty great holes in his trouser legs. Is this a first sighting of pre-distressed jeans, that nineties fashion essential.

Sorry Gun. That's all I've got. Well done for not jumping when the thunderflashes go off. (John- I've got a fact for you, the drummer on this is called Scott Shields and he went on to compose music scores for films such as Black Hawk Down, Stardust, Bend It Like Beckham, Kick Ass and many more.)

Film Review- Alien: Romulus

 

In some ways a review of an Alien film is superfluous. You wouldn’t write a thousand words about a ride on a Big Dipper for instance; the only way you know what its like is to experience it. This seventh entry in the long running saga is everything you'd expect from an Alien movie yet this is a good thing. Despite the familiarity it still generates so many thrills that you will be exhausted by the end. It’s a very loud film punctuated by metal clangs, steam, smoke, acid and a lot of running. Combining the close quarters jeopardy of Alien with some of the wider scope of Aliens it may not always be that original but it works exceedingly well.

 Warning- deadly spoilers beyond this point!

 

Top of the Pops 20 & 27 July 1989

 

20/07/1989

Gary Davies: “Hello, good evening, hope you're well. Welcome to Top of the Pops on BBC1 and also in stereo on Radio 1FM. If you want to see ten chart topping acts in thirty minutes, you're in the right place. In the studio tonight we've got...”
Girl to the left of Gary Davies: “Monie Love.”
Girl to the right of Gary Davies: “Blow Monkeys”.
Girl to the right of the girl to the right of Gary Davies: “Sonia.”
Gary Davies: “We start off with the London Boys.”

[2] LONDON BOYS: london nights. Paul Ciani is away, so Stanley Appel takes over the Producing and Directing duties. Stanley has not done this for a while. His last credit was (I think, take this with a pinch of salt because it's from IMDB) 08/09/1988.

Stanley is not here to make waves. There's no really big differences between this and a Paul Ciani show. There is however one small difference. Gary Davies introduces the first act from one of the studio bridges rather than the Crow's Nest. Ring those changes, Stanley!

The London Boys have a well practiced routine. Check out the smooth way Edem Ephraim hands his microphone to Dennis Fuller before doing a backflip. The passing of the microphone is done during a move where both London Boys splay their arms, it's so smooth it's essentially unnoticeable. More obvious is when Dennis has to chuck it back to Edem, while the crowd whoop at the backflip.

Top of the Pops: 6th & 13th July 1989

 

Words: Chris Arnsby
06/07/1989

Nicky Campbell: “Hello and welcome to another sizzling edition of Top of the Pops on BBC1 and Radio 1FM. Starting tonight with an absolute fairytale. A dream come true. She's eighteen. She's from Liverpool. She was discovered by Stock, Aitken, and Waterman. Her first record is the highest climber in the chart. Here she is. Sonia.”

[12] SONIA: you'll never stop me from loving you. I have nothing constructive to say about Sonia. I didn't like her in 1989 and I haven't warmed to her since although I'm sure she's a lovely person in real life who stops to stroke cats on the street, etc.

Time and changing social mores have not been kind to this hymn to stalking which sets out its stall with the opening lines: “Even when you're home/You won't pick up your phone/And take my call.” It doesn't get any better from there.

Slow West

 

When you think how many films are made each year, we only ever get to see a tiny proportion of them so its great to uncover a gem that seems like something brand new. A Western filmed with a European eye, Slow West was released in 2015 but seems to have passed a lot of people by, including myself.  Set in Colorado, though filmed in New Zealand, it concerns a Scottish boy called Jay who has ventured to the Wild West to find the girl he loves, Rose. The film is unclear how he’s managed this ambitious journey (or indeed how he knows where he needs to go) however from what he is carrying and his manner he appears to have plenty of money. Knowing vaguely where Rose is supposed to be but not where it is, Jay’s quest is helped by the arrival of a stranger called Silas who offers to take him to his destination for a fee. 

Film Reviews- Deadpool & Wolverine, Twisters

 

Deadpool & Wolverine  is a brutal buddy movie. It takes that age old story of two people who would never work together forced to do so for the greater good. Its just that it takes a lot of fighting- and I mean a lot- before they do! The opening sequence sets out the stall with no holds barred  - physically or narratively- hard edged yet containing some nuggets that make this more than just one massive series of punch ups. Deadpool was always the outlier of the superhero stable who was able to go to more extremes than other genre movies and I was wondering whether this would change now he’s been fully admitted to Marvel’s mainstream. The answer is hardly at all.

 

Batman Unmasked!

 In a large warehouse near Manchester Piccadilly station the Batman Unmasked exhibition has swung in and will be there till the end of August. Its celebrating 85 years of the iconic character and his enemies across all media. Original props, costumes, artwork and interactive areas combine to create an impressive display well worth visiting if you're a Batfan.  The event is due to move to London afterwards.  Here's some pictures I took there yesterday but there's lots more to experience for yourself...

Top of the Pops 29 June 1989

 Words: Chris Arnsby

Bonus master tape bit: Images from a rewinding VT. A wide shot of the studio with the Rebel MC gazing out at an indifferent crowd. A countdown clock. The Top of the Pops logo.

The picture stabilises on the title sequence countdown clock (backed by Bananarama singing Cruel Summer '89). Burned in text at the top of the screen reveals the title sequence is by The Moving Picture Company and at the bottom there's a telephone number; 01-434-3100 and another number 01 437-3885, which is identified as CAR. A carphone? How very eighties.

The countdown clock is held on screen at 10. Crowd noise begins to bleed through the Bananarama track.

Iain McLean: “Ugh. Looks like we're gonna start in a moment. Got themselves ready. All the technical hitches are out of the way. We can start our show. Sorry about that but bear with us like you have done throughout the rest of the show just get s... ooh.. ooh. It's all sticky. Ooh. What is that? Why is that? Cause there's stuff on it. [New 30 second clock appears on screen and starts counting going down] Alright. We're back again. You're lucky. You're gonna see it twice. People at home can only see it ONCE! YEAH! C'mon let's here you ch [audio cuts out]”.

 Titles.

 

Stuff: General Election, Coldplay @ Glastonbury and more

I suppose I should mention the UK General Election which reaches its conclusion on Thursday. From its soggy birth through wet campaigns its not been the most riveting event even if Ed Davey ends up flying to the Moon.  It feels as if none of the parties have an agenda to inspire which may be a sign of the times. Bold political thinking is long gone which means that manifestoes tend to seem similar overall and you sort of know that whichever side wins the same people will benefit and most won’t .

 

Top of the Pops 22 June 1989

 

Words: Chris Arnsby

Simon Mayo: “Hi. Good evening. Welcome to Top of the Pops, on BBC1.”
Gary Davies: “And also on Radio 1FM in stereo. An action-packed programme tonight. In the studio we have the Bangles.”
Simon Mayo: “And Clannad.”
Gary Davies: “And D Mob.”
Simon Mayo: “And Beautiful South.”
Gary Davies: “But first to get us underway. Here's Living In A Box.”
Simon Mayo: “Number thirty seven. This is Gatecrashing.”
Gary Davies: “Woo!”

 

Top of the Pops 15 June 1989

 

Words: Chris Arnsby
Mark Goodier: “Hello. Welcome to Europe's top TV and radio pop show. With stereo sound on Radio 1FM. And making his debut on the Pops, Simon Parkin.”
Simon Parkin: “Thank you, Mark. What a programme we've got for you tonight. REM, Jason Donovan... in the studio, as are Fuzzbox at seventeen with Pink Sunshine."

[17] FUZZBOX: pink sunshine. Lead singer Vix is still waving her giant pin around. It looks lethal and could have someone's eye out.
“The gossip is there's going to be a cartoon series based on Fuzzbox.” Oh, really Mark? I must have missed it.

 

 

Doctor Who- Empire of Death review

These reviews have been very much instant mostly positive reactions to each episode but now we’ve reached the finale after what seems like a short run its time to reflect not just on the thrills of this particular episode but on the overall impact of the season. I do feel that when these eight episodes come to be rewatched without the twists and surprises they will seem less involving. I say this because the best bits for me have been those twists and surprises. Yet now I know them what is left? Unlike some of those knotty Steven Moffat episodes which actually need to be watched more than once, 2024 Doctor Who is more about instant reactions; the gasps and the LOLs. Like a lot of material that now streams into our homes it is not necessarily robust enough to hold up under closer scrutiny. I suppose that is appropriate for a culture increasingly obsessed with what is coming rather than what might already be here

 

Spoilers after the break

 

The Golden decade of the England football song

 

In the Nineties music and football reached a moment of harmony. New Order’s 1990 song `World in Motion` managed to both encapsulate sport and music without being embarrassing to either. It set the standard met by two other similarly inclusive songs ; 1996’s `Three Lions` and 1998’s `Vindaloo`. This trio rescued football songs from the mire in which they had hitherto lurked simply because these are great songs anyway even if you ignore the sport. Back in the Seventies and Eighties football songs largely consisted of a lyric about how the team was going to win the Cup, ironic really that few teams who released such songs managed to achieve that goal.