Is this reunion a step too far?

POP MUSIC VIEW: IT’S been 10 years since the general, ear-owning public were subject to the music of shiny, manufactured pop band Steps.

And while a few of their hits (Tragedy, Chain Reaction and 5,6,7,8) may have had an airing since during ironic “golden years” radio sessions their legacy is, to use one of their own song titles, better best forgotten.

But no, some television bigwig decided that the fivesome should be reunited for a documentary aimed at exploring their “acrimonious” split and blowing the lid on their in-fighting and tension.

The show aimed to go beneath the shiny facade, help the members confront their demons and discuss the chance of making music again. Time to leave the country...

Ok, their music was of the time, it was the 1990s when puppet-string popstars were all the rage and cheesy tunes reigned supreme, but it was hardly the Beatles’ split.

I mean, what were their demons? Arguments over who got to stand in the centre and who got the most lines?

Of course, who can blame them in wanting a second bite of the cherry, they’ve witnessed a crop of their peers already stage a comeback, some totally justified, some rather desperate.

Robbie Williams has walked out of Take That for a second time, a band who set the standard for staging a successful second outing.

But others’ efforts have been futile. Who could forget A1? (that’s a joke, by the way). They reunited just for fans in 2009, if any still admitted to liking them.

Boyzone tried to do it, with a successful tour but lacklustre chart success. Other hilarious efforts included East 17 and Right Said Fred.

But there is still some merit in the idea of reunions. The Police earned a fair packet staging a comeback tour with frontman Sting; the Cure have been delighting fans with their killer hits, and the Libertines were back on the same stage at festivals this year.

We have to take the rough with the smooth, put up with the bad to appreciate the good.

Whether or not the country will take Steps to their heart is yet to be seen, maybe some identikit choreography and bright-coloured outfits are just what the recession-hit country needs to put a smile on its face.

Somehow I can’t see music fans hailing their arrival with glee.