PopMaster: Ken Bruce’s music quiz to become TV gameshow at Channel 4

‘I can’t wait to find out whether I might have a face for TV after all,’ said Bruce

Ken Bruce’s music quiz show PopMaster is being made into a TV show by Channel 4.

The quiz, in which competitors answer musical trivia questions, was first broadcast in 1998 as part of Bruce’s Radio 2 show.

When the presenter left Radio 2 last month after 45 years at the BBC, it was announced that PopMaster would go with him.

On Thursday (6 April), the same week that Bruce started his new show on Greatest Hits Radio, it was announced that PopMaster will now be given the TV treatment as a six-part TV series for More4.

The show will follow the same format as the radio series, where contestants are quizzed on music ranging from the 1950s to the present day, before being asked three top chart hits for a specific artist or group.

Bruce said: “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.

“I can’t wait to get started – and find out whether I might have a face for TV after all!”

Bruce left Radio 2 in March (BBC/James Watkins)

In February, Bruce revealed that BBC bosses had asked him to leave three weeks earlier than planned, instead of continuing until 24 March, when his contract ended.

Reports at the time suggested that this decision was made in an effort to stop him from publicising his new Greatest Hits show on Radio 2.

Discussing his enforced early departure in a recent interview, Bruce said: “I was annoyed because I thought, ‘I’m reasonable. I’m not being difficult. Neither were you…’ I think the idea is just to create a bit of space between me and Vernon [Kay] starting.”

Presenter Kay will take over the mid-morning slot on Radio 2 in May.