[Pips2022]

I'll be honest, I didn't even bother watching last year's Christmas Day show. As a 45 year old, there's hardly any current chart music that appeals to me any more.  I reckon that most people who are criticising the BBC for moving TOTP from its traditional Christmas Day slot would not have watched it anyway.  Today's target audience get their music fix from a variety of different sources, but very few of those will be bothered to watch an annual reboot of an old TV show whose weekly counterpart was axed over 16 years ago.  Which was the main reason why the weekly show was pulled in the first place.  The gradual decline in the ratings of the Christmas Day show in recent years also backs this up.  It's a shame in lots of ways but the simple fact remains- TOTP was great for its time but it's no longer needed in today's pop landscape.

It‘s the gradual decline in the ratings of all Xmas TV shows- except it feels like it’s happened fairly quickly. And a deterioration in the variety (and quality) of shows over the holidays- the BBC suffers especially from the lack of comedies. Viewing is obviously fragmented now, but that most recent Gavin and Stacey Xmas special shows that bumper ratings are there if you can unlock them.