BBC scrubs BLUE PETER from BBC1

[Neil McGowan]

The BBC's flagship children's programme, BLUE PETER, is being scrapped from BBC-1.

In future it will be transmitted on a different network for children.

The BBC's disdain for programming for children is now quite notorious. BBC R3, for example, refuses to air any programming for children whatsoever - despite the BBC's primary remit to educate.  And the so-called "Friends Of Radio 3" are very happy not to have "their" channel filled-up with anything for the under-65s.

[cilgwyn]

Ah yes,Blue Peter! Of course,they have dedicated childrens channels now,but even this isn't a very good excuse,considering the amount of sport they're quite happy to show (even the news gets shifted for Wimbledon,these days!). Having said that,to a 'lad' of my generation,one quick peep at Blue Peter is enough. Loud,irritating presenters,trying too hard to sound like the juveniles they are addressing,makes me long for the halycon days of Valerie Singleton & even,the formerly annoying,Johnny Noakes! ;D I can even remember how upset I was when they replaced Blue Peter with the 'boring' Apollo landings....the bounders! (Every one knows the Apollo moon landings were faked with egg cartons and sticky black plastic,for goodness sake! :)) Later on,I enthusiastically collected the beautifully produced PG tip cards of 'The Race into Space' (anyone here remember those?),so I presumably changed my mind? Having said that,I must confess to preferring 'Magpie',the fondly remembered (by some) ITV imposter. Ironically,while complete episodes of Blue Peter have yet to reach dvd,complete episodes of Magpie have been released by,the admirable, Network! For collectors of vintage tv,the dvd label equivalent of Dutton,Chandos or cpo! Long may they continue! :)