Minipops
{{Short description|1983 British television series}}
{{Other uses|Mini pops (disambiguation){{!}}Mini pops}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2014}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2014}}
{{original research|date=November 2014}}
{{Infobox television
| image =
| caption =
| runtime = 30 minutes
(including adverts)
| creator = Martin Wyatt
| starring =
| opentheme =
| company = Mike Mansfield Enterprises
| executive_producer = Mike Mansfield
| director =
| country = United Kingdom
| language = English
| network = Channel 4
| first_aired = {{start date|1983|2|8|df=y}}
| last_aired = {{end date|1983|3|15|df=y}}
| num_series = 1
| num_episodes = 6
| list_episodes =
}}
Minipops is a television series broadcast in 1983 on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom. Designed primarily for younger viewers, it consisted of music performances on a brightly coloured set featuring preteen children singing then-contemporary pop music hits and older classics. The children were usually made to look like the original performers, including clothing and make-up. Controversy over children singing songs that often contained a subtext of adult content (in adult costumes and make-up) led to the show's cancellation after one series.{{Cite web|url=https://collider.com/tv-pilots-surprisingly-greenlight-series/|title=10 TV Pilots That Surprisingly Managed To Greenlight A Series|last=Tury|first=Jord|date=20 December 2021|website=Collider}}{{Cite news |last=Goodhart |first=Benjie |date=2023-02-08 |title=‘It wasn’t designed for people with perverted minds’: how kids’ show Minipops scandalised Britain |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2023/feb/08/it-wasnt-designed-for-people-with-perverted-minds-how-kids-show-minipops-scandalised-britain |access-date=2023-08-19 |issn=0261-3077}}
History
Minipops was the brainchild of Martin Wyatt, who created a new child group from London called the MiniPops and released an album in 1982 which reached the top 30 in the UK and Europe. This resulted in a French record label releasing a single from the album, "Stupid Cupid", which was sung by Martin Wyatt's young daughter Jo. The song reached number 1 in France, knocking "Ebony and Ivory" off the top spot.Whatever Happened to the Minipops? (2005). Channel 4
Head of Entertainment Cecil Korer at Channel 4 and record producer Mike Mansfield embraced the idea of producing a TV show around the MiniPops; Korer believed it would boost and broaden the group's audience appeal. On 4 July 1982, thousands of amateur child performers from across Britain descended on a London theatre for the audition in a search to find additional children to sing and star in the television show with the original five members of the group.
Criticism
The programme began attracting criticism from commentators in the British media for the portrayal of children in this manner.{{cite news|url=https://metro.co.uk/2015/06/27/from-michael-fish-to-bobby-ewing-12-moments-of-extreme-awkwardness-from-80s-tv-5269333/|title=12 moments of extreme awkwardness from 80s TV|first=Caroline|last=Westbrook|date=27 June 2015|work=Metro}} One caller on Channel 4's Right to Reply programme stated, "Minipops should be called MiniWhores. Are you people out of your mind?"{{Cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/6726693.stm|title=Channel 4's legacy of controversy|date=6 June 2007|via=news.bbc.co.uk}} An episode of the sketch show A Kick Up the Eighties featured a parody of Minipops, with Tracey Ullman singing as a young girl in skimpy clothing while three men in dark clothes leered at her.
Discography
Seven albums were produced and released in the UK, Europe and Canada.
=Albums=
Before the television show:
- The Mini Pops (1982){{cite book
| first= David
| last= Roberts
| year= 2006
| title= British Hit Singles & Albums
| edition= 19th
| publisher= Guinness World Records Limited
| location= London
| isbn= 1-904994-10-5
| page= 368}}
After the television show:
- We're the Mini Pops (1983)
- Christmas (1984)
- Let's Dance (1984)
- Wanna Have Fun (1985)
- Magic Juke Box (1986)
- Rocket to the Stars (1989)
In Canada We're the Mini Pops was successful, becoming the third-highest-selling album in Canada at the time. This prompted the Minipops to hold a three-week tour in 1983, enjoying controversy-free success.
A number of singles were released across Europe.
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{cite web|url=http://blog.muchmusic.com/the-minipops/|title=The MiniPops|date=22 August 2007|author=Emma|publisher=MuchMusic.com|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110203011347/http://blog.muchmusic.com/the-minipops/|archivedate=3 February 2011|df=dmy-all}}
- {{discogs artist|artist = Mini-Pops | name =Mini-Pops}}
- {{IMDb title|0491236|Whatever Happened to the Mini Pops?}}
Category:1983 British television series debuts
Category:1983 British television series endings
Category:Channel 4 original programming
Category:1980s British music television series