Minipops

*Minipops*
Minipops
Created by	Martin Wyatt
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language	English
No. of series	1
No. of episodes	6
Production
Executive producer	Mike Mansfield
Running time	30 minutes; (including adverts)
Production company	Mike Mansfield Enterprises
Release
Original network	Channel 4
Original release	8 February –; 15 March 1983

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.

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.[1]

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.[1]

Criticism

The programme began attracting criticism from commentators in the British media for the portrayal of children in this manner (one caller on Channel 4's Right to Reply programme stated, "Minipops should be called MiniWhores. Are you people out of your mind?").[2]

Discography

Seven albums were produced and released in the UK, Europe and Canada.

Albums

Before the television show:

The Mini Pops (1982)[3]

After the television show:

We're the Mini Pops (1983)[3]
Christmas (1984)
Let's Dance (1984)
Wanna Have Fun (1985)
Magic Juke Box (1986)
Rocket to the Stars

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.[1]

A number of singles were released across Europe.

References

Whatever Happened to the Minipops? Channel 4
Whatever Happened to the Minipops? documentary, 2005.
Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 368. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.

External links

Emma (22 August 2007). "The MiniPops". MuchMusic.com. Archived from the original on 3 February 2011.
Mini-Pops discography at Discogs
Whatever Happened To the Mini Pops? at IMDb

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[ReferenceA-1] Whatever Happened to the Minipops? Channel 4

[2] Whatever Happened to the Minipops? documentary, 2005.

[British_Hit_Singles_&_Albums-3] Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 368. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.