CD:UK
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| CD:UK | |
|---|---|
| Format | Music |
| Starring | Many different singers/artists. |
| Country of origin |  United Kingdom |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | Blaze |
| Location(s) | The London Studios (1998 - Sep 2003) Riverside Studios (Sep 2003 - 2006) |
| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | ITV |
| Original run | August 29, 1998 – April 1, 2006 |
CD:UK was a UK television music show. It was launched on 29 August 1998 on ITV, in conjunction with SMTV Live, to rival the BBC's Live & Kicking. Airing every Saturday morning at 11.30am, it replaced The Chart Show.
In contrast to its predecessor, which only showed promo videos, the new show was live with a studio audience and featured live performances, as well as star interviews and competitions. It also featured the Saturday chart, which although was unofficial, revealed the new number one single a day before the official chart was announced on BBC Radio 1. This made the BBC's long-running Top Of The Pops, which aired only the night before, seem very out-of-date broadcasting the previous week's chart. However, more recently the show has used an interactive chart based on viewers' votes, called the MiTracks Countdown.
In 2002 it was criticised for showing "raunchy" performances in a slot aimed at children, sparked by a performance of "Dirrty" by Christina Aguilera. Shortly afterwards a late night version of the show, CD:UK Hotshots, which played new music videos, some of which could be considered unsuitable for daytime viewing.
In its first eight years, CD:UK had become one of the most important music programmes on television. But by 2006, its future looked uncertain.
Contents |
[edit] CD:UK Hotshots
CD:UK Hotshots was the late night sister show to CD:UK. It was launched on ITV in January 2003. The show was initially presented by Cat Deeley, but she left to make way for MTV presenter Dave Berry. He later left and the show was hosted by Myleene Klass/Lauren Laverne/Johny Pitts.
One of the items is the broadcasting of six of the best new music videos, the majority of them being too controversial for daytime TV.
[edit] History
When it was launched as an extension to the SMTV Live variety show — originally referred to by name as "Countdown UK" — the same presenters (Ant & Dec) originally presented CD:UK along with Cat Deeley. When Ant and Dec left SMTV in 2001 they also left CD:UK, leaving Cat to present by herself.
As time went on, due to her apparent popularity with viewers, Cat was offered more and more television work and went on to present Stars in Their Eyes and Fame Academy. This meant that she was absent from the show more and more and was frequently replaced by either a celebrity guest or Holly Willoughby from SMTV's successor Ministry of Mayhem. Finally in March 2005, Cat decided to leave the show. TRL's Dave Berry was the show's "new face" for a while and it seemed that he was going to be offered a permanent contract. However, he mysteriously vanished. Guest presenters such as Kelly Osbourne, Rachel Stevens, Brittany Murphy, Girls Aloud and Jayne Middlemiss filled in whilst producers searched for a new presenter. Holly Willoughby was tipped to be the next new presenter but with her regular shows at Ministry of Mayhem she would only be able to do every other show like what was happening throughout the summer of 2005. In August 2005, instead of Holly to take on the job, Myleene Klass was announced as the main presenter for a new look cd:uk and she would be joined by Lauren Laverne and Johnny Pitts.
[edit] MiTracks relaunch
In August 2005, it was announced that ex-Hear'Say singer Myleene Klass, XFM DJ Lauren Laverne and Johny Pitts, a presenter on teenage channel Trouble would be presenting the "new look" CD:UK. It was launched on 17 September 2005 with new titles, a re-designed studio and a new chart, the MiTracks Countdown, which allowed viewers to vote for their favourite and least favourite songs on the CD:UK website. Kelly Clarkson scored the first MiTracks number one with "Behind These Hazel Eyes".
Although initially it was reported that the re-launch had helped "double" the viewing figures, it was only a temporary fix and they soon dipped below the 1 million mark.
[edit] The end of CD:UK on ITV
On 28 December 2005 it was announced that CD:UK was to finish its ITV run due to budget issues within the broadcaster. The news was first reported in The Sun, and then "confirmed" when it appeared on ITV's Teletext. The show broadcast its last regular show on Saturday 18 March 2006 and continued with two 'best of' programmes until its final ITV broadcast on 1 April 2006.
[edit] International versions
Although currently off-air in the UK, an American version of the programme, CD USA, began on DirecTV's The 101 on January 21 2006. Australian broadcaster Foxtel will also air a local version of the show, renamed CD Live, on its Fox8 channel every Saturday at 6.30pm beginning May 15, 2006. Australian radio personality Craig 'Lowie' Low is due to host it. In Italy RAI television, the public service broadcaster, from September 27, 2003 airs on Rai Due an Italian adapted version of the show, renamed CD Live, every Saturday afternoon at 3:00pm.
[edit] The return that never was
On 20 April 2006, it was announced that production company Blaze had reached a deal with Five to broadcast CD:UK. However, Five announced on 2 June 2006 that Myleene Klass, Lauren Laverne and Johny Pitts would not return to present the show, and that Dave Berry will instead host the show alongside a yet to be decided female presenter, later announced as Caroline Flack. It was also announced that CD:UK will air at 5:30pm on Saturday afternoons, and that the show should be back on air, initially by Autumn 2006, later pushed back to some time in 2007. However, nothing on the subject had been heard in several months and it seemed uncertain as to whether the show would return at all. It was officially announced on April 17, 2007 that CD:UK would not be returning. [1]
[edit] Controversy
On the edition broadcast March 20, 1999, the show was interrupted by a stage invasion by Alan Driscoll, lead singer with techno band thewomb, who berated Ant and Dec for the show's reluctance to support non-mainstream and unsigned artists. During singer Kele Le Roc's set he unfurled a banner bearing his band's name, tore up a picture of Glamma Kid, and kicked over a microphone stand before being overpowered by security and led away from the studio, later claiming to have been "abused by several large security men"[1]. After explaining his actions to the show's producer, Driscoll was arrested and charged with criminal damage over the microphone, but the charges were subsequently dropped.[2] The Womb later wrote a song about the incident, 'Bees', which appeared on their 2003 album "I Disown Ricky Hervaid".[verification needed]
On December 2, 2000, Cat Deeley interviewed ex-Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash. When asked what was the most ridiculous rumour he'd heard about himself, he replied "getting a blowjob in a bar", and then spoke about how one of his snakes "bit the fuck out of me". Declan Donnelly was made to apologise for Slash's comments and a feature on Slash's Snakepit, which was due to be shown the following week was dropped.
There was also a complete sound failure which prevented a performance by The Charlatans.
[edit] References in popular culture
- The Streets' 2006 single release When You Wasn't Famous sparked up controversy over Mike Skinner describing how he allegedly spent the evening with a mystery female celebrity the night before she appeared on CD:UK the following day. Rumours were abound that it was either Rachel Stevens or Cheryl Cole (nee Tweedy) of Girls Aloud.
- The show is mentioned on two separate occasions in former Sleeper frontwoman Louise Wener's novel Goodnight Steve McQueen about the lead vocalist of a fictional down and out South London rock band.
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- ^ "Alan Driscoll's Diary (archived)", March 20, 1999.
- ^ "Alan Driscoll's Diary (archived)", March 20, 1999.
