Minipops
Encyclopedia
Minipops was a television series broadcast in 1983 on Channel 4
in the United Kingdom
. Focused primarily for younger viewers, it consisted of music performances on a brightly coloured set, featuring preteen
children singing then-contemporary pop music
hits as well as older classics. The children were usually made to look like the original performers, including the clothing and make-up.
called the MiniPops and released an album in 1982 which reached the top 30 in the UK and Europe. This resulted in the French
record label releasing a single from the album, "Stupid Cupid
", which was sung by Martin Wyatt's young daughter. The song reached number 1, knocking "Ebony and Ivory
" off the top spot.
Head of entertainment at Channel 4 Cecil Korer and record producer Mike Mansfield embraced the idea of producing a TV show around the Minipops. Cecil Korer believed it would boost and widen its audiences appeal. On the 4th July 1982, thousands of amateur child performers from across Britain descended on a London theatre for the audition in the search to find additional children, to sing and star in the television show along with the original five members of the group.
Whilst embraced by children who loved the idea of ordinary children singing and dancing as they did along with their favourite songs, the show sat uneasily with some adults, capped by a performance from five-year-old Joanna Fisher
who covered the Sheena Easton
song "9 to 5
" (known as "Morning Train" in the U.S.) in nightclothes and included the lyrics "night time is the right time, we make love".
In response, the programme started drawing criticism from commentators in the British media who suggested that portraying children in this manner, singing songs that often contained a subtext of adult content, often in unsuitable costumes and heavy make-up, was somewhat sinister (one caller on Channel 4's Right to Reply
programme fumed, "Minipops should be called MiniWhores. Are you people out of your mind?"). Also, the Daily Mail
claimed that the Minipops were partly responsible for "the slaying of childhood".
The following is an excerpt from The Observer
article of 27 February 1983:
The child cast and the show's creators were somewhat shocked at the response and its misinterpretation despite the ratings success. When Cecil Korer was replaced by Mike Bolland as head of entertainment for Channel 4, he cancelled the plans for a second series.
After the television show
In Canada, the album 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, with them enjoying controversy-free success.
A number of singles
were released across Europe.
where the programme was filmed.
comedy The Day Today
, parodied the Minipops, in which the satirical news programme advertised a fictional 'Attitudes Night' on BBC2, which looked back at past television shows to illustrate how attitudes have changed. One such example was the programme "Kiddystare, Channel Four, 1983" in which nude toddler
s romped for the pleasure of adults.
made a short appearance as a mystery guest in this Channel 4 anniversary quiz show
in December 2007. Two of three teams correctly guessed she was a past performer from Minipops.
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. Focused primarily for younger viewers, it consisted of music performances on a brightly coloured set, featuring preteen
Preteen
Preadolescence is a stage of human development following early childhood and prior to adolescence. It may be defined as ending with the beginning of puberty or with the beginning of the teenage stage, the time frames in which adolescence is considered to begin. In terms of age in years,...
children singing then-contemporary pop music
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
hits as well as older classics. The children were usually made to look like the original performers, including the clothing and make-up.
History
It was the brainchild of Martin Wyatt, who created a new kid group from LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
called the MiniPops and released an album in 1982 which reached the top 30 in the UK and Europe. This resulted in the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
record label releasing a single from the album, "Stupid Cupid
Stupid Cupid
"Stupid Cupid" is a song written by Howard Greenfield and Neil Sedaka which became a hit for Connie Francis in 1958.In the spring of 1958 Francis had hit #4 with her breakout hit, a rock ballad version of the standard "Who's Sorry Now?"...
", which was sung by Martin Wyatt's young daughter. The song reached number 1, knocking "Ebony and Ivory
Ebony and Ivory
"Ebony and Ivory" is a 1982 number-one single by Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder. It was released on March 29 of that year. The song is featured on McCartney's album Tug of War. The song reached number one on both the UK and the U.S. charts...
" off the top spot.
Head of entertainment at Channel 4 Cecil Korer and record producer Mike Mansfield embraced the idea of producing a TV show around the Minipops. Cecil Korer believed it would boost and widen its audiences appeal. On the 4th July 1982, thousands of amateur child performers from across Britain descended on a London theatre for the audition in the search to find additional children, to sing and star in the television show along with the original five members of the group.
Reception
Though the series was a success for Channel 4, gaining two million viewers, little thought had been given to the ethics of child performers, singing songs originally written for older artists and dressing and dancing in a provocative style, often influenced by the original performance.Whilst embraced by children who loved the idea of ordinary children singing and dancing as they did along with their favourite songs, the show sat uneasily with some adults, capped by a performance from five-year-old Joanna Fisher
Joanna Fisher
Joanna Fisher found fame in the UK in the popular if controversial programme Minipops in 1981, with their first series named Mini-pops for new UK broadcaster Channel 4 in 1982. At five years old, she was the youngest member of the group...
who covered the Sheena Easton
Sheena Easton
Sheena Easton is a Scottish recording artist. Easton became famous for being the focus of an episode in the British television programme The Big Time, which recorded her attempts to gain a record contract and her eventual signing with EMI Records.Easton rose to fame in the early 1980s with the pop...
song "9 to 5
9 to 5 (Sheena Easton song)
"9 to 5" is the title of a popular song written by British songwriter Florrie Palmer and recorded by Sheena Easton in 1980, becoming her biggest hit...
" (known as "Morning Train" in the U.S.) in nightclothes and included the lyrics "night time is the right time, we make love".
In response, the programme started drawing criticism from commentators in the British media who suggested that portraying children in this manner, singing songs that often contained a subtext of adult content, often in unsuitable costumes and heavy make-up, was somewhat sinister (one caller on Channel 4's Right to Reply
Right to Reply
Right to Reply was a British television series shown on Channel 4 from 1982 until 2001, which allowed viewers to voice their complaints or concerns about TV programmes...
programme fumed, "Minipops should be called MiniWhores. Are you people out of your mind?"). Also, the Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
claimed that the Minipops were partly responsible for "the slaying of childhood".
The following is an excerpt from The Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
article of 27 February 1983:
"Is it merely priggish to feel queasy at the sight of primary school minxes with rouged cheeks, eye make-up and full-gloss lipstickLipstickLipstick is a cosmetic product containing pigments, oils, waxes, and emollients that applies color, texture, and protection to the lips. Many varieties of lipstick are known. As with most other types of makeup, lipstick is typically, but not exclusively, worn by women...
belting out songs like torch singers and waggling those places where they will eventually have places? The final act of last week's show featured a chubby blonde totlette, thigh-high to a paedophile, in a ra-ra skirt and high heels; her black knickers were extensively flashed as she bounced around singing the words 'See that guy all dressed in green/He's not a man, he's a loving machine.' Kiddie porn, a shop-window full of junior jailbaitJailbaitJailbait is American English slang for a person who is younger than the legal age of consent for sexual activity, but physically mature enough to be mistaken for an adult and be considered sexually desirable...
? And does the show thrust premature sexual awareness onto its wide-eyed performers?"
The child cast and the show's creators were somewhat shocked at the response and its misinterpretation despite the ratings success. When Cecil Korer was replaced by Mike Bolland as head of entertainment for Channel 4, he cancelled the plans for a second series.
Albums
Before the television show- The Mini Pops (1982)
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
In Canada, the album 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
Tour
Tour may refer to:* Tourism, travel for pleasure* Concert tour, series of performances in different markets* Tour of duty, a period of time spent in military service...
in 1983, with them enjoying controversy-free success.
A number of singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
were released across Europe.
Other related TV shows
On 11 October 2005, Channel 4 screened a follow up programme called Whatever Happened to the Minipops?. This featured a history of the show, with interviews from the former Minipops and crew, and a reunion at the original theatreTheatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
where the programme was filmed.
The Day Today
During 1994, the BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
comedy The Day Today
The Day Today
The Day Today is a surreal British parody of television current affairs programmes, broadcast in 1994, and created by the comedians Armando Iannucci and Chris Morris. It is an adaptation of the radio programme On the Hour, which was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 between 1991 and 1992...
, parodied the Minipops, in which the satirical news programme advertised a fictional 'Attitudes Night' on BBC2, which looked back at past television shows to illustrate how attitudes have changed. One such example was the programme "Kiddystare, Channel Four, 1983" in which nude toddler
Toddler
A toddler is a young child, usually defined as being between the ages of one and three. Registered nurse, midwife and author, Robin Barker, states 'Any time from eight months onwards your baby will begin to realise he is a separate person from you...
s romped for the pleasure of adults.
The Big Fat Anniversary Quiz
In 2007 on Channel 4, Joanna FisherJoanna Fisher
Joanna Fisher found fame in the UK in the popular if controversial programme Minipops in 1981, with their first series named Mini-pops for new UK broadcaster Channel 4 in 1982. At five years old, she was the youngest member of the group...
made a short appearance as a mystery guest in this Channel 4 anniversary quiz show
Quiz Show
Quiz Show is a 1994 American historical drama film produced and directed by Robert Redford. Adapted by Paul Attanasio from Richard Goodwin's memoir Remembering America, the film is based upon the Twenty One quiz show scandal of the 1950s...
in December 2007. Two of three teams correctly guessed she was a past performer from Minipops.