Ken Bruce Brings Iconic ‘PopMaster’ Quiz To More4 As TV Series
For those Radio 2 listeners who want more of ‘PopMaster‘, we have some good news. Not only is the iconic music quiz back on the radio (albeit on commercial station Greatest Hits Radio), but Ken Bruce is also bringing it to More4 as a TV show!
If you’re somehow unaware of the music trivia quiz, music lovers up and down the country have been obsessed with ‘PopMaster’ for 25 years, downing tools and pausing their days to play along as two fans are pitted against each other to showcase their knowledge of music and artists from across the years. Now, legendary DJ Ken Bruce is bringing the beloved radio quiz to TV for the first time in a new six-part series for More4, made by 12 Yard Productions, an ITV Studios-owned indie.
“After all these years we are finally bring PopMaster to the telly where we’ll be challenging music lovers from around the country to not only recall a range of facts and stats about chart toppers and beyond over the decades, but to do so under the glare of studio lights and with the added pressure of television cameras,” said Ken. “I can’t wait to get started – and find out whether I might have a face for TV after all!”
Ken hosted the mid-morning show on BBC Radio 2 until March 2023, after announcing in January he would be leaving the station to “pursue other opportunities outside the BBC”. It was almost immediately revealed he would be joining the commercial station Greatest Hits Radio, where he began broadcasting this week. ‘PopMaster’ was introduced to his show in February 1998, and soon grew to be an icon of the British mid-morning for listeners. He takes the radio version show with him to Greatest Hits Radio, and it now comes to More4 as a TV series.
‘PopMaster’ sees two contestants asked a series of 10 questions based on popular music from the 1950s to the present day. Each question is worth three points other than the third, sixth and ninth bonus questions which are worth six points and come from a cryptic topic chosen by the player at the start of the quiz. There are a total of 39 points up for grabs.
Questions cover a variety of genres of music and range from naming artists based on the titles of or clips of songs, as well as identifying the year certain songs were hits – often seeing players being just ‘one year out’.
After both players have answered 10 questions, the winning contestant goes on to play ‘Three-in-Ten’, in which they have ten seconds to name three UK Singles Chart hits for one particular artist or group.
“We’re thrilled to be working with Ken Bruce, the inimitable PopMaster, recreating his iconic music quiz into a must-see TV show for More4,” adds Michael Mannes, MD 12 Yard Productions. “Ken will be playing the tunes, testing both the players and audiences alike to engage their musical knowledge across the decades.”
The new televised ‘PopMaster’ will honour the much-loved music quiz with a few surprises thrown in. Players will compete to impress with their music knowledge, with each episode winner advancing to the grand final, where only one can be crowned overall champion.
“I feel like it has been my mission in life to bring PopMaster to the telly so I am beyond thrilled to announce that the wonderful Ken Bruce is bringing his iconic and much-loved format from radio to television, finding a home on More4,” commented Jo Street, Channel 4’s Head of Features & Daytime. “Fans will now be able to go from shouting answers at their speakers to shouting them at the screen. I can’t wait to play along!”
‘PopMaster’ is a six-episode series for More4 commissioned by Jo Street, Head of Daytime and Features. It will be made by 12 Yard Productions with Zoe Tait, Ken Bruce and Phil Swern as Executive Producers.
‘PopMaster‘ does not yet have a premiere date, but will air on More4 in the UK. If you want to keep track of this or any other show, you can add them via our Never Miss system, and you’ll be notified when it gets a UK premiere date.
