[Chris]

A user has dropped some interesting thoughts into our Anonymous 'Have Your Say' section - take a read and let us know what you think:

"The Early Morning Shows were the best... True or False was hilarious... Viaduct was the funniest thing ever... He will never get back to the glorious days of Radio Topshop... or The Saturday Shows were brilliant - don't you remember the Sisqo interview?"

Almost everyone who has been around here for a while will try to tell you that Moyles used to be better back when they first started listening, or before he had to change his show for the breakfast audience. At the time there were people convinced the whole show would change when they moved to breakfast. Now I don't claim to be a great authority on these things but has anyone actually ever really thought "he's really successful lets change his whole show"? I'm not naive enough to believe that things haven't changed but who is to say that the changes that we hear today aren't just natural developments that would have happened anyway? Things can't repeat over and over without becoming stale and tired and you have to remember that there are hours to fill every week in The Chris Moyles Show.

Compare the planning that would go into, for example, a comedy series on TV. That would only be perhaps six episodes which is around two and a half hours in total ... Moyles has three hours to fill every day. Yes, I know there are songs and that its not a full three hours each day but you see my point.

Moyles has mentioned a few times about the messageboard on this site not actually liking his show but maybe its more a case that they have known it so long and they can't see the present for what it is. Perhaps it's a case that they see the past through rose tinted glasses.

Don't believe the hype - the show is as good as ever.

You can click on the link below to comment.

[MK Chris]

It's an interesting point, quite well put and difficult to disagree with.

[S4B]

A show and it's presenter has to evolve, without that evolution it would become stale and boring. I rarely see anyone on this forum commenting that Chris was better before however. Without brown nosing Chris - what's the point he's never on here - I think that the show is exactly what a breakfast show should be namely "friends having fun". As with anything that has human involvement we hear good shows, fabulous shows and less good shows but I don't think I've ever heard a bad one. Also lets remember you can't please all of the people all of the time.

[MC]

Difficult to disagree with definitely.

The fact the team are all in their thirties, getting married, having kids etc is a sign of the fact that they (and the show) have simply evolved. Moyles and Dave used to fill the shows seven or eight years ago with drunken stories, stupid games and links where they basically slagged the station off, whereas now they are the station "mouthpiece" and the links are more likely to be about nappies and giving away football tickets.

That's all I miss from the early days.. the fact that it was a bit more edgy.

[The Dude]

Difficult to disagree with definitely.

The fact the team are all in their thirties, getting married, having kids etc is a sign of the fact that they (and the show) have simply evolved. Moyles and Dave used to fill the shows seven or eight years ago with drunken stories, stupid games and links where they basically slagged the station off, whereas now they are the station "mouthpiece" and the links are more likely to be about nappies and giving away football tickets.

That's all I miss from the early days.. the fact that it was a bit more edgy.

MC, you've reminded me of an interview I read with Noel Gallagher on the writing and recording of their last album Don't Believe The Truth. Forgive me for not sourcing it as I can't find it, but it's not really a direct quote. Noel said something along the lines of "I can't write songs like Cigarettes and Alcohol any more because it's not who I am now". The same analogy goes for Chris and Co. The team have always catered to its own demographics as well as the corporate ones, even more so now. The TV themes on the rambles, the pop culture references speak of children of the 70's and 80's. Exactly my own demographic, which is why I still love the show so much (even if they do insist on playing crap like Gym Class Heroes, but I realise that's not Chris's fault)

I agree with you that the team and the show, regardless of its timeslot, used to be edgy. However, recent shows containing the likes of Gest and Katie Price shows me they're still willing to take risks... even if they are more calculated ones.

[fish heads]

I don't think we "can't see the present for what it is", most of us can and do (if the anonymous writer had signed up him/herself and read/contributed to some of the past discussions on here they would have discovered that for themselves instead of seemingly go on the image of this forum that is portrayed on air- go on you know you want to) . I think the problem is, as MC has said, is that the show has evolved so much now that direct comparisons between now and, say, early breakfast are unfair because they are different slots and as such cater for different audiences - ok not vastly different audiences but early breakfast gives you license to expand more with features and stuff. As Chris gradually realised his ambition to become R1 Breakfast DJ supreme, he knew that he would have to change to fit the slot, and as such he has to compromise his "edginess".

Is Chris still a brilliant DJ? Of course. Is the show as good as ever? Hard to say because he isn't in the same slot catering for the same audience. If he was still on earlies then we could compare and we just can't - not to any convincing degree. It's more apt to ask is he as good on Breakfast now as when he first started, and of course yes he is.

As for his best era, that's a completely different kettle of fish all together...!

[Gaspode_The_Wonder_Dog]

I understand what you are saying Fish Heads and correct me if I am wrong but what you seem to be saying is that if he was on at another time the show would be different? Maybe so but maybe it would have become the same show he puts on at breakfast anyway as he got older and his style changes?

[fish heads]

To an extent, I'm not saying it would be a radical overhaul - but as MC points out they are the station mouthpiece and are restricted by so much "donate to sport relief so you can win premiership one big live lounge tickets" rubbish that the show doesn't always flow as well as it used to. I agree it wouldn't be the exact same show if it hypothetically moved back to afternoons but it would be a fairer comparison (and even then there is so much water under the bridge...) than comparing Radio Topshop to breakfast as Mr. Anonymous seems to think we have an obsession over.

[Yudster]

I remember early breakfast. I remember - with great fondness - the afternoon and weekend shows. They were different, but Chris is different. He used to be an angry young man, now he's a grumpy old man. I loved the shows then, and I love the show now. In many ways in fact I like it more.

[SAV1OUR]

I think its surely an age thing. Chris has maintained his raw edginess to a fair degree but has made sure he retains the style that the 'antique' listeners had originally known him for. I'm a modern listener and feel green with envy that I didnt discover him (like you) earlier on, so I am therefore not properly qualified to "compare", so its roughly guesswork.

Having listened to lots of snippets of the early afternoon days in the vault, I reckon he hasn't changed all that much. Hes still very much in touch with Joe Public. I listened to an early morning show from 97 and the whole show was about an overflowing bin. Brilliant. But I do accept that hes broadened his appeal during morning prime-time introuducing equally likeable members of the team, but hes still very much in the limelight, and aware of whether hes becoming repetitive - after all this time.

[tcisf2f]

I think that Chris has got better and better over time, the show maybe slightly different and with less edge to it...but the poor bloke has had to evolve thanks to such things as not being able to play conkers without wearing goggles, and so he cannot be as edgy without having a file of complaints by some snot nosed grumpy bloke spending his times complaining about anything and everything that goes against his own veiws. He always keeps me laughing and plays the right tracks...this man just couldn't get any better!

[S4B]

I bet he could TC!

[unclejoesmintballs]

shockingly i like moyles now and always have hence why i listen to him ii thought he had lost what makes him special i wouldnt listen

done

[tcisf2f]

I bet he could TC!

Actually...I think you are probably right S4B!

[Biggaz]

I Agree 100%, I have listened to the show for years & think that, if anything, it's getting better.

Viaduct was a great little feature, but think how repetetive it would be after 7 years of listening to the same item 5 days a week. Chris is a sensible man, and a great broadcaster who has a feel for when things aren't working anymore.

It winds me up when people go on like they have "Sold out" or something, what used to upset me about the show when it was on in the afternoons was the fact that they always wanted big name celebrities but couldn't get them in because of the shows status, now they have that status and the interviews are great and can still be controversial (Joss Stone anybody?)

I also think that some people might only listen during peak time (Copyright Rachel Jones), and that between 9am and 10am is when the Chris Moyles show breathes like it used to do in the afternoon with its hit and miss formula of seeing were the conversation takes them.

I dont think people will truly understand what a great show it is until its gone. Which i hope isn't for a good 5 years yet!!

[keith1805]

I never used to listen to Moyles on the early shows as typically I dislike Radio 1 in general and listen to local radio. However, on a trip to Southampton a couple of years back Radio 1 was about the only station I could get on the radio in my van, so I listened to Chris for the first time, now I am an avid listener and enjoy each show. Moyles is a genius who never fails to make me roar with laughter whilst I work. I can only guess how good the early shows were from all of the comments on here, but for what it is worth, I think the current format is great. I accept that I someimes do not like some of the features but then I wouldnt expect to as you cant please all the people all the time. That said, I still look forward to 7-10 mon-fri each week even when I am not working. Keep up the good work Chris and the team.

[Gaspode_The_Wonder_Dog]

Its scary to have nice rational comments from newcomers!

[ladbroke]

I've grown up with Moyles. I've been listening for the last 12 odd years, and the style of his shows kind of reflected my maturity in any given year. Now I've got kids, the show still seems to work for me, as some of the crew do too and the converstaion goes towards that area at times. Guessing it will even more now Dave is going to be a dad!

As for my favourite era it would have to be around 2001 when Will Kinder was the scape goat and general victim for Chris and Dave! Some shows would have me crying with laughter. I had about six weeks off work after an operation and would spend all afternoon in the garden listening to the show-was a shame when it was Sunday!

Sill love the show, and if I regularly use 'Listen again' the show can't have gone down hill too much! What I'm really waiting for is to be able to download the whole show, so I can listen to it on the tube going to work. With modern connections it wouldn't take that long to download. Probably about 6X the time it takes to download the podcast as thats 30 mins long! Maybe one day soon.......!