Channel 4 has announced that PopMaster, the radio quiz conducted by Ken Bruce for more than two decades, will be adapted into a television series.
The 72-year-old host has hosted the competition on both his former station, BBC Radio 2, and his new station, Greatest Hits Radio.
Bruce stated in a statement that he is excited to see if he has a “face for TV.”
He will host six one-hour episodes for the spin-off channel More 4 of the network.
The television series will have a format similar to the radio challenge, with contestants competing against one another to demonstrate their knowledge of popular music from the 1950s to the present.
There will be a maximum score of 39 points, with questions varying from song identification to identifying the year certain songs were released, as well as themed bonus rounds.
Similar to the radio quiz, the contestant with the highest score will advance to the final round, where they will be asked to identify three hits by a particular artist or group within 10 seconds.
“Added stress”
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Ken Bruce stated, “After all these years, we are finally bringing PopMaster to television, where we will challenge music fans from across the nation to not only recall a variety of facts and figures about chart toppers and beyond over the decades but also to do so under the glare of studio lights and the added pressure of television cameras.”
The launch follows Bruce’s more than 30-year departure from the BBC to join Bauer’s Greatest Hits Radio.
Gary Davies is provisionally hosting Bruce’s old mid-morning slot on Radio 2 until Vernon Kay takes over permanently the following month.
As a replacement for PopMaster, the show now features the quiz Ten to the Top, in which contestants earn more points the more consecutive questions they answer accurately.
A fresh start for Bruce
It will be intriguing to see if PopMaster can defy the trend of radio formats and DJs not translating well to television.
It is notable that the TV series is premiering on the smaller More 4 network, perhaps to test its ability to develop an audience before being moved to a more prominent time slot or channel.
The TV debut is part of a new era for the 72-year-old’s career, which began relatively late.
On Monday, he presented his first program on his new station, Greatest Hits Radio, where the music policy is significantly older than Radio 2. “Quality music throughout… you’re going to adore it,” he told the audience.
In the meantime, his former BBC station has launched a new quiz, Ten to the Top, in an attempt to replicate PopMaster’s popularity.
It is broadcast in the same time period, has a distinct format, and is a respectable replacement; however, most contestants have struggled to score many points thus far.
This is due to the fact that contestants must answer a large number of questions accurately and consecutively. Few contestants are knowledgeable about all eras of popular music, as the queries jump from decade to decade.
When a contestant receives a low score, host Gary Davies often jokes that they shouldn’t fret because it may be sufficient to win this quiz.
While industry experts will be watching the performance of the televised PopMaster, an equal number will be observing Vernon Kay’s reception by Radio 2 listeners when he takes over Bruce’s appointment (and its all-important pop quiz) in May.
Bruce took the quiz with him when he departed Radio 2 because he and co-creator Phil Swern own the rights to it.
Ken Bruce stated last week to the Times that he had trademarked the format himself many years ago.
“I believed [PopMaster] could have some lasting value, so I inquired at the BBC, but nobody seemed particularly interested,” he said.
“Therefore, I asked if it was acceptable for me to trademark it myself. So I went and trademarked it without paying for it.”
Bruce departed Radio 2 on his own accord, according to a BBC spokesperson, who added,
“We wish Ken the best in the future.”
The television adaptation of Bruce and Swern’s quiz will be produced by ITV-owned 12 Yard Productions, which also produces BBC One’s Unbeatable and Channel 5’s Eggheads.
Bruce has previously hosted special editions of PopMaster, which were either Eurovision-themed or featured celebrity contestants instead of listeners. About the exam, books, and documentaries have been produced.
But the DJ avoided visualizing PopMaster in the past, and this represents the first time it has been adapted into a proper television series.
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