BBC axe Christmas

Or, at least, they've decided there won't be a Christmas Top of The Pops this year. The official line is that it hasn't earned it, baby:

Top of the Pops was decommissioned in 2006 after 42 years on the air.

"We said at that time the Christmas Special would continue but would have to earn its place every year," said a BBC spokesman.

"This year it was felt that pop music would be better represented over Christmas by an eight-part series of TOTP2 that will reflect some of the year's key hits and possibly the Christmas Number One."

The spokesperson then looked stern and said that anyone who thinks they can just waltz in to a place on the Christmas schedule should think again, before pointing and screeching "I'm talking to you, Lizzie Windsor. No More Orphans."