According to a recent poll, Blue Peter has been named the best-ever children’s TV programme by a panel of celebrity experts.
Expert poll
Some of the most popular children’s television presenters from past eras, including Phillip Schofield, Pat Sharp, Noel Edmonds and Andi Peters, formed the 30-member expert panel that was conducted by the Radio Times. After being asked to name their top children’s television shows, votes were tallied up to create the ultimate list, with Blue Peter coming in at number 1.
First aired in 1958, Blue Peter holds the title of the longest-running children’s TV show, with viewers old and new doing everything possible to get their hands on the sought-after Blue Peter Badge. With a 5000th commemorative episode due to be aired on 1st February this year, a special diamond badge has been introduced but will only be given to a select few lucky fans.
At its most popular, Blue Peter brought in eight million viewers and received over 1,000 letters a day. Although it stopped airing on the main BBC channel in 2012, the show was moved to digital channel CBBC, where it continues to be broadcast today. It hasn’t all been smooth sailing, however. Blue Peter hit the headlines in June 2017 when an episode failed to gain a single viewer. The BBC stated that the particular episode was a repeated signed version that had to be broadcast on the channel in order for it to appear on BBC iPlayer.
The rest of the list
Others to make the list include Grange Hill at number two, Newsround in third place, Tiswas at four, and Multi-Coloured Swap Shop landing fifth place. Also included is Vision On, Live & Kicking, Going Live, Play School and Crackerjack, cementing the belief that some of the best children’s TV has been British-made. The 1980s was the most popular era, with 16 of the 20 favourites broadcast in the ’80s.
With the revival of Saturday morning TV, now’s the time to make sure your TV is working. You could look into companies such as One Vision for TV aerials in Swansea to ensure you don’t miss out on what could be a brilliant children’s TV comeback.
Do you agree with the list? What was your favourite children’s TV show?
