Blue Peter is a long-running
BBC television programme for
children. It is shown on
CBBC, both in its
BBC One programming block and on the
CBBC Channel.
It is named after the blue-and-white
flag hoisted by a ship
in port when it is ready to sail. The reasoning behind the choice
of title is that the programme is intended to be a voyage of
adventure and discovery for the viewers, constantly covering new
topics.
History
Blue Peter was first aired on 16 October 1958. It had been
commissioned to producer
John Hunter
Blair by Owen Reed, the head of children's programmes at the
BBC, as there were no programmes in existence
that catered for children aged between five and eight. The name
"Blue Peter" was thought up by Hunter Blair; the
Blue
Peter flag,
used as a maritime signal, indicates the vessel is about to leave,
and Hunter Blair intended the name to represent "a voyage of
adventure" on which the programme would set out. Hunter Blair also
pointed out that
blue was a child's favourite
colour, and
Peter was the name of a child's
friend. The first two presenters were
Christopher Trace, an actor, and
Leila Williams, winner of
Miss Great Britain in 1957. The initial
format mostly involved the two presenters demonstrating different
activities, with Trace concentrating on traditional "boys' toys"
such as model aeroplanes and trains, and Williams concentrating on
dolls and traditional female tasks, such as cookery. They were
supported on occasion by
Tony Hart,Baxter
& Barnes, p.13 an artist who later designed the ship
logo,Baxter & Barnes, p.33 who told stories about an elephant
called Packi (or Packie). It was broadcast every Monday for fifteen
minutes on BBC tv (which later became
BBC
One).
Blue Peter was popular from the outset, and over
the first few months, more features were added such as
competitions, documentaries, cartoons, and stories. Early
programmes were almost entirely studio-based, with very few
external films being created.
In 1961, Hunter Blair became ill, meaning he was often absent from
the show. After he produced his last show on 12 June 1961, he was
replaced by
Clive Parkhurst the
following September. He did not get along with Leila Williams, who
recalled "he couldn't find anything for me to do", and in October
Williams did not appear for six editions leaving Christopher Trace
on his own. Parkhurst was replaced by
John
Furness, and
Anita West joined
Christopher Trace on 7 May 1962. She featured on just 16 editions,
making her the shortest serving presenter, and was replaced by
Valerie Singleton, who presented
regularly until 1972, and on special assignments until 1981.
Following Furness's departure, a new producer who was committed to
Blue Peter was required, so
Biddy
Baxter was appointed. However, at the time, Baxter was
contracted to schools' programmes on the radio so was unable to
take up her new post until October 1962. It was suggested that
Edward Barnes, a production assistant,
would temporarily produce the show until Baxter arrived, at which
point he would become her assistant. This suggestion was turned
down, and a more experienced producer,
Leonard Chase, was appointed with Barnes as
his assistant. Baxter eventually joined
Blue Peter at the
end of October 1962.
During this period, many iconic features of
Blue Peter
were introduced. The first appeal took place in December 1962,
taking place of the previous practice of reviewing toys that
children would ask for themselves.
Blue Peter's first pet,
a brown and white
mongrel dog named
Petra was
introduced on 17 December 1962. Features such as "makes" (normally
involving creating something such as an advent crown out of
household junk) and cooking became regular instalments on
Blue
Peter and continue to be today. The
Blue Peter badge was introduced in 1963,
along with the programme's new logo designed by Tony Hart. Baxter
introduced a system that ensured replies sent to viewers' letters
were personal ones; as a girl, she had written to
Enid Blyton and received a standard reply twice
which had upset her. The following year, from 28 September 1964,
Blue Peter began to be broadcast twice weekly, with Baxter
becoming the editor and Barnes and
Rosemary Gill (an assistant producer who had
joined as a temporary producer while Baxter was doing jury service)
became the programme's producers. The first
Blue Peter
book, an annual in all but name, was published this year and have
been nearly every year since. A third presenter,
John Noakes, was introduced at the end of 1965
and became the longest serving presenter. A complete contrast to
Trace, Noakes set the scene for "daredevil" presenters that has
continued through the generations of presenters. Trace left
Blue Peter in July 1967, and was replaced by
Peter Purves in November. The trio of Valerie
Singleton, John Noakes and Peter Purves lasted five years, and
according to
Richard Marson were "the
most famous presenting team in the show's history".
In 1965, the first
"Summer Expedition" (a filming trip abroad) was held in Norway
, and have
been every year since all over the world.
The first colour edition of
Blue Peter aired on 14
September 1970, with the last black and white edition on 24 June
1974. A regular feature of the 1970s were the Special Assignments,
which were essentially reports on interesting topics, filmed on
location. Singleton took this role, and in effect became the
programme's "roving reporter".
Blue Peter also offered breaking
news on occasion, such as the 1971 eruption of Mount Etna
, as well as unique items such as the first
appearance of Uri Geller on British
television. In May 1976, presenter
Lesley Judd interviewed
Otto Frank, father of
Anne
Frank, after he had agreed to bring his daughter's
diaries to Britain. In 1974, the
Blue Peter garden was officially opened in a green space outside
the television centre restaurant block. By this time,
Blue
Peter had become an established children's programme, with
regular features which have since become traditions. Its theme
music was updated by
Mike Oldfield in
1979, and at the end of the decade a new presenting team were
brought in, consisting of
Simon Groom,
Tina Heath and
Christopher Wenner. They were, however,
overshadowed by the success of the previous two decades, and failed
to make an impact. Heath decided to leave after just a year when
she discovered she was pregnant, but agreed to have a live scan of
her baby, something which had never been done on television.
Blue Peter was praised for this by the
National Childbirth Trust who told
the BBC that in "five minutes,
Blue Peter had done more to
educate children about birth that they'd achieved in ten years of
sending out leaflets". Wenner was unpopular with viewers, so left
along with Heath on 23 June 1980.
Sarah Greene and
Peter Duncan both joined in 1980, and a
new producer,
Lewis Bronze, joined in
1982. The 1980s saw the
Blue Peter studio become more
colourful and bright, with the presenters gradually wearing more
fashionable outfits, in contrast to the more formal appearance of
previous decades. Several videos of
Blue Peter were
released from 1982, the first being
Blue Peter Makes, and
an omnibus comprising of the two weekly editions of the show
appeared in 1986 on Sunday mornings. On 27 June 1988, Baxter took
part in her final show, after nearly 26 years involvement, and
Bronze took her place as editor. Around this time,
Blue
Peter became distinctively environmentally aware and
introduced a green badge in November 1988 for achievements related
to the environment.
In the 1990s, a new version of the theme tune was written, and due
to falling ratings, BBC1 controller
Alan
Yentob suggested airing a third edition of
Blue Peter
each week. This meant that the third show was pre-recorded;
Joe Godwin, the director, suggested that
the Friday show should be a lighter version of
Blue Peter,
which would concentrate on music, celebrities and games. A fourth
presenter,
Katy Hill, was introduced in
1995, but unlike earlier decades, there was little stability in the
lineup, with resignations and new additions made almost every year
of the decade. The 1990s also saw many more live broadcasts on
location, with many shows shot entirely away from the studio.
Blue Peter was also one of the first television shows to
launch a website. There were also two changes of editors:
Oliver Macfarlane replaced Bronze in the
mid-1990s, and moved on in 1999 soon after
Blue Peter
celebrated its 40th anniversary. It was at this time
Richard Bacon was sacked
following reports in
News of the
World that he had taken
cocaine.
Steve Hocking was then appointed as
editor in what was believed to be a difficult period for the
show.
However, the 2000s started off successfully, when two time capsules
that had been buried on
Blue Peter were opened up. The
former presenters were invited back to assist, and the rest of the
programme looked at life in the 1970s when the first capsule was
buried. With Hill's departure and replacement by
Liz Barker in 2000, the new team of
Konnie Huq,
Simon
Thomas,
Matt Baker and herself made
the programme strong and consistent for the next five years, which
had been somewhat lacking in the 1990s. The Friday edition of the
show, as in the previous decade, featured games and competitions,
but additionally there was a drama series,
The Quest,
which featured
cameo from many
former presenters.
Basil Brush also made
several appearances on Fridays. It was at this time that the new
controller of BBC One,
Nigel Packard,
asked for
Blue Peter to be broadcast all year round. This
was achieved by having two shows per week instead of three during
the summer months, and using pre-recorded material. The early 2000s
also introduced
Christmas productions,
which the presenters took part in. In 2003,
Richard Marson became the new editor, and one
of his first tasks was changing
Blue Peter's output on the
digital
CBBC Channel, which for the
first year of the channel's launch consisted of repeated editions,
plus spin-off shows
Blue Peter Unleashed and
Blue
Peter Flies the World. This new arrangement involved a complex
schedule of live shows and pre-recorded material, being broadcast
on
BBC One and the
CBBC Channel. Marson also introduced a new set,
graphics and music, In February 2008 the BBC One programme was
moved from 5:00 pm to 4:35 pm to accommodate
The Weakest Link, and as a result of
the move,
Blue Peter s ratings dropped to as low as
100,000 viewers in the age 6–12 bracket but are now steadily
improving.
Over 4000 shows have been produced since 1958, and almost every
episode from 1964 onwards still exists in the BBC archives. This is
extremely unusual for programmes of that era, and is a testement to
the foresight and initiative of editor
Biddy Baxter, as she personally ensured that
telerecordings and, from 1970,
video copies were kept of the
episodes.
Many items from
Blue Peter history have passed into
television legend, especially moments when things have gone wrong,
such as the much-repeated clip of Lulu the elephant (from a 1969
edition) who defecated on the studio floor, trod on presenter
John Noakes' foot and then proceeded to
attempt an exit, dragging her keeper along the ground behind her.
Contrary
to popular belief, the episode was not live, but recorded to allow
the presenters to catch a flight to Ceylon
for a
filming trip. Other well-remembered and much-repeated items
include the Girl Guides' campfire
that got out of hand on the 1970 Christmas
edition, John Noakes' report on the cleaning of Nelson's Column
, and Simon Groom referring to a previous item on
door-knockers with the words "What a beautiful pair of knockers",
which has usually been explained as an accidental turn of phrase,
but which Groom later admitted was a deliberate joke.
Additionally, Groom is remembered for inappropriately reciting,
while wearing a suit of armour, "Once a king always a king, but
once a (k)night is enough", while Peter Duncan's cookery
instructions to "finely chop one raw egg", Yvette Fielding's
disastrous attempt to cook a pancake and Mark Curry driving a mini
sit-on traction engine into part of the set will also go in the
annals.
Writing in the BBC's in-house magazine,
Ariel, in 2009,
BBC Children's Controller Richard Deverell announced plans to
re-invent the show to be more like the BBC's motoring programme
Top Gear.
Deverell hopes that by adding "danger and excitement",
Blue
Peter will achieve the same "playground buzz" among children
as
Top Gear.
Airtime
Blue Peter first aired once a week on Mondays, for a
duration of 15 minutes. From 28 September 1964 until 1995 it was
shown twice a week on Mondays and Thursdays, extending its duration
to 25 minutes. Between 1995 and 2000, it was broadcast on Monday,
Wednesday and Friday on
BBC One, and from
2000, it was aired at 17:00, due to
Newsround moving to a later slot. In 2002, repeats
of
Blue Peter were shown on the newly-launched
CBBC Channel along with spin-off shows
Blue
Peter Unleashed and
Blue Peter Flies the World, and
from 2003 a new arrangement involved new material being shown
daily, on both BBC One and the CBBC channel. From 2006 the show's
output began to be reduced, first by dropping the Friday edition,
then by running the programme from Monday to Wednesday then Tuesday
to Thursday. In May 2007, it was announced another day would be
dropped, leaving Tuesday and Wednesday the only days on which
Blue Peter was broadcast on BBC One, although repeats and
spin-offs continued to be broadcast on the CBBC channel. The BBC
claims that the purpose of returning to two shows a week is to
increase the quality of the programme's content rather than simply
a means of reducing production costs. The schedule was changed
again in February 2008 when
Blue Peter was moved to the
4:35 pm slot on BBC One, due to
The
Weakest Link moving from
BBC Two
replacing
Neighbours which was
bought by
Five. However, this most
recent timing change has led to a decrease in viewing figures, with
fewer than 100,000 viewers, down from around 335,000 in 2003. The
BBC Trust recommended the BBC to produce
plans, detailing how they intend to increase viewership, by the
summer of 2009.
Content
Blue Peter content is very wide-ranging. Most programmes
are broadcast live, but usually include at least one filmed report.
There will also often be a demonstration of an activity in the
studio, and/or a music or dance performance.
The programme is made
at BBC Television
Centre
, and often came from Studio 1, which is the second
largest TV studio in Britain and amongst the largest in
Europe. This enabled
Blue Peter to include
large-scale demonstrations and performances within the live
programme. From the September 2007 series, the programme is
broadcast from a small fixed set in Studio 2. The current set is
more realistic than in previous years and is a living space where
large scale productions can still be used. The show is also famous
for its "makes", which are demonstrations of how to construct a
useful object or prepare food. These have given rise to the
oft-used phrase "Here's one I made earlier", as presenters bring
out a perfect and completed version of the object they are making —
a phrase credited to Christopher Trace. Trace also used the line
"And now for something completely different", which was later taken
up by
Monty Python. Time is
also often given over to reading letters and showing pictures sent
in by viewers.
Signature tune and motif
The
signature tune has always been a
sea shanty, originally using variations
of
Barnacle Bill. The
original opening titles showed a Blue Peter flag being lowered on a
ship. In 1979 it was updated by
Mike
Oldfield, and again in the 1990s. From the 2008 series onwards
it became a rendition of the similar
Sailors Hornpipe.
However, from 14 October 2008, the tune has become a blend of both
tunes. The programme's motif is a stylised
sailing ship designed by
Tony Hart. Hart's original design was never
successfully used in a totally uniform fashion, with several
different reproductions used in studio, on badges, the
Blue
Peter books and on-screen graphics. This was until the show's
redesign in 1999, when the ship's rigging and hull detail was
removed, and in 2000, the flags were subtly reshaped. For the 2008
series there has been a return to the original flag design on the
ship, although some of the mast detail on the bow and stern has
been removed.
Appeals
An enduring feature of the programme is the annual charity appeal,
which asks viewers to collect items that can be recycled or sold to
raise money for the chosen cause. This is always a charity project
in the UK in odd-numbered years, and abroad in even-numbered. The
appeal is usually launched in late November and runs through to
February or March of the following year. Until 1979, only waste
products were ever collected, such as stamps, linens, coins, scrap
metal etc. In 1979, one of the most popular forms of raising appeal
money was introduced; encouraging viewers to hold "Blue Peter Bring
And Buy Sales" at which buyers are also encouraged to bring their
own bric-a-brac or produce to sell. The Great Bring And Buy Sale
was used every few years or so as a means of adding variety to the
collecting theme during other years.
Between 2001 and 2003 a series of "Bring And Buy Appeals" led many
viewers and the media to voice their concern that the traditional
method of collecting scrap items to recycle was being abandoned in
favour of the "easier revenue" generated by the sales. This led to
an on-air explanation by presenter Konnie Huq during the 2003 Get
Together Appeal that this particular appeal required the sort of
funding that only Bring And Buy Sales could raise. The 2004 and
2005 appeals saw a return to the collecting theme: the first being
to collect old clothes that Oxfam could sell in its stores to raise
funds for a family-searching service in third world countries
ravaged by war, and the second being the collection of old mobile
telephones and coins that could be recycled to raise money for
ChildLine. Continuing the return to collecting unwanted items,
Blue Peter launched its Shoe Biz Appeal campaign in 2006.
In partnership with
UNICEF, its aim was to
collect unwanted pairs of shoes or other footwear in order to raise
money for children orphaned by AIDS and HIV in Malawi. The 2007
appeal was the "Disc Drive" – working with
Barnardo's to sell unwanted CDs and DVDs.
During appeals, the sum of money or objects collected is presented
on the
totaliser – a display that lights to show the
amount collected. With some appeals, a second totaliser has often
been introduced immediately after the original target has been met,
with the aim of providing an incentive to keep on donating.
The 2007 Disc Drive Appeal was, controversially, handled in a
different editorial style, and it was not featured in each
programme since its launch as in previous years. Also the
totaliser, before part of the studio set, was relegated to
an on-screen animation/graphic.
The 2008 appeal was called
Mission Nutrition, an attempt
to provide children in the UK, Bangladesh and South Africa with
better food. As part of this appeal, the Blue Peter presenters held
the world's biggest bring and buy sale on 18 February 2009, which
was attended by several celebrities as well as regular people.
Since the 2008 appeal there has been a return to regular features
on the Appeal's progress in each edition, and the reistatement of a
physical studio set Totaliser.
The 2009 Appeal has been revealed as "Send a Smile Appeal" which is
symbolic as being the first Appeal in the history of the programme
to blend a collecting theme with the Blue Peter "make" methodology.
Children are encouraged to collect unwanted T-shirts to be donated
to
Operation Smile, a charity
providing free reconstructive surgery to children in the developing
world, where they will be used as surgical gowns for their
operations. Appeal contributors are encouraged to customise their
gowns in a variety of creative ways, as well as following
instructions given on the programme for how to include eyelets and
ties to the backs of the gowns.
Overall since the first appeal started
Blue Peter has
raised over £100 Million by appeals alone.
Pets
The latest pet to join the show is 9-month-old Barney, a red
setter-dachshund, who has make his TV debut on Tusday 22nd
September.
The
Blue Peter pets are the animals who regularly appear
on the BBC children's television series
Blue Peter. These
include dogs, cats, parrots and tortoises. The current
Blue
Peter Pets are: three dogs, a Golden Retriever called Lucy, a
Blue Merle Border Collie called Mabel and a red setter-dachshund
called Barney; two cats, one called Socks and one called Cookie;
and one tortoise called Shelley.
Garden
The
Blue Peter garden
The presenters also maintain the famous
Blue Peter Garden,
adjacent to Television Centre, which was designed by
Percy Thrower. Its features include an Italian
sunken garden with a pond, which contains
goldfish, a vegetable patch, greenhouse and viewing
platform. The 2000
Blue Peter time capsule, which is due
to be dug up in 2029, is buried there. George the Tortoise was
interred in the garden following his death in 2004, and there is
also a bust of Petra, sculptures of Mabel and the
Blue
Peter ship, and a plaque in honour of Percy Thrower. The
garden is also available to other programmes for outside
broadcasts, and is often used for the links between children's
programmes during the summer months and for BBC One's
Breakfast weather
broadcasts.
Percy Thrower set about designing a working crop garden with
different areas for different types of plants, for
Blue
Peter. The finished garden was unveiled on the show on 21
March 1974, with Percy Thrower accompanied by the regular
presenters, who at the time were Peter Purves, John Noakes and
Lesley Judd.
The layout of the garden remained the same for a number of years,
until 1979 when Percy Thrower redesigned it to look like an Italian
sunken garden, complete with fish pond and small benches for the
presenters to sit on while introducing items. The garden was partly
vandalised shortly before completion, causing a lot of distress to
Percy, the presenters and the viewers but although the damage could
be repaired, worse was to come.
On 21 November 1983, the garden was again vandalised, leading to an
on-air appeal for viewers to come forward with information — which
now often appears on clip shows. A rumour circulated in the early
1990s that the vandalism had been carried out by a gang including
the footballers
Dennis Wise and
Les Ferdinand when they were teenagers. Both
men have denied direct involvement in the actual vandalism,
although Ferdinand did later appear to confess to "helping a few
people over the wall." Later still, however, Ferdinand claimed that
this admission of involvement had merely been a joke, and that he
had not been involved at all.
The BBC is
considering selling Television Centre, and will be moving its
entire CBBC operations to mediacity:uk
at Salford
Quays
, Greater Manchester
. This puts into doubt the future of the
Blue Peter garden.
There are, however, plans to make the entire
BBC Television
Centre a Grade II listed
building.
Annual events
The programme also marks annual events, including
Chinese New Year,
St David's Day,
Shrove Tuesday,
Mothering Sunday,
Guy Fawkes Night and
Christmas. The latter, in particular, is a special
occasion with a traditional format repeated year on year.
Mothering Sunday
Usually shows the viewers how to make their own Mother's Day card.
Sometimes, a similar show will be done around Father's Day.
Guy Fawkes Night
Usualy shows the presenters telling viewers about the firework code
and tips for a safe bonfire and fireworks night.
Christmas
The traditional Christmas programme opened with the signature tune
being replaced with a brass band arrangement of the carol "Good
King Wenceslas" juxtaposed with shots of viewers' homemade
Christmas cards. The programme's Christmas manger figures are
featured, reminding viewers of the Nativity story, a last-minute
Christmas make, either a song and dance or filming assignment and
the grand finale; the
Chalk Farm Salvation Army
Band and children from local schools marching "up the hill" and
into the studio from the cold outside (lanterns in hand!) singing a
Christmas carol (alternating years between either "
Hark the Herald Angels Sing" or
"
O! Come All Ye Faithful") around the
Blue Peter Christmas tree. Much of the script has been
repeated year after year for this special programme. However, for
the 2007 Christmas programme, none of these traditions were
featured, ending a format repeated annually since the 1960s. For
the 2008 series, some of the items from the traditional format
returned with a make, presents for the presenters and pets and a
brief look at the programmes natvity crib. Some years there will be
a Christmas play, either spoofing hit movies like
Grease or a
Pantomime
and during
the millenium special Blue
Peter cast both past and present stared in a time travel
play.
Book awards
Blue Peter promotes the
Blue Peter Book Awards, a
series of
literary prizes for
children's literature awarded
annually, and inaugurated in 2000.
Traditions
Many long-standing traditions were started during the 1960s and
1970s by the show's editor,
Biddy
Baxter, along with producers Edward Barnes and Rosemary Gill,
and most of them still feature on the programme.
The programme maintains its long-standing practice of avoiding
using commercial names on air. Most famously, this policy led to
the invention of the phrase "sticky-backed plastic" back in the
1970s for the products marketed under the trade names
Fablon and Coverlon.
Sellotape was often referred to by the term
"sticky tape", barring one incident in which John Noakes used the
trade name and remarked as an aside "I'll get shot for that".
Similarly, many makes called for the use of a
Velcro type material, which was referred to as "self
sticking material". An extreme example of avoiding criticism
occurred in February 2005, when the show ran a feature on how
Nestlé Smarties are made,
without once mentioning the name of the product.
The
Blue Peter
Summer Expedition is another long-running tradition. These
visits focus on a single country and are filmed while the programme
is off the air from June to September.
During the 1950s and 1960s, the programme sometimes included a
cartoon series as "light relief" from some of the more informative
articles. One such was
Bleep and
Booster, which started in 1963 and continued in the
Blue Peter books until 1977. A similar idea was explored
in
The Quest series, broadcast as part of Friday
programmes in the early 2000s, and in which the presenters would
play the parts of good and bad guys outwitting a common enemy.
The Quest ran for several series, building up the mystery
with a new instalment of the puzzle every week, often including
guest appearances by former
Blue Peter presenters, such as
Valerie Singleton and
Peter Duncan, and performers such as
Jean Marsh.
In the early 1960s the "Advent Crown" was introduced. It consists
of two wire coat hangers tied together with garden twine and
decorated with fireproof tinsel with candles placed at each of the
four corners. (Most years this appears on-screen as one of the
programme's "makes"). Unlike a religious advent crown, with one
candle lit for each Sunday before Christmas,
Blue Peter
presenters took it in turns to light one candle for each of the
last four programmes before Christmas, though the last few years
have seen a change to a more Christian process of lighting one
candle on the four Monday programmes during Advent.
In 2007 the traditional "Advent Crown" was replaced with a table
decoration featuring the four candles next to the seating unit. The
fourth and final candle was lit a week before the Christmas
programme. For 2008 the traditional "Advent Crown" was resurrected
and given a make-over, and the candles were lit on each of the last
four programmes before Christmas, however it was called an "Advent
decoration" on screen.
Badge
Children (and adults) who appear on the show or achieve something
notable may be awarded the coveted
Blue Peter badge. The
Blue
Peter badge allows holders free entry into a number of visitor
attractions across the UK. In March 2006, this privilege was
temporarily suspended after a number of badges were discovered for
sale on the auction site
eBay. This suspension
was lifted in June 2006, when a new "Blue Peter Badge Card" was
introduced to combat the problem, which is issued to each badge
winner to prove that they are the rightful owners.
The presenters almost always wear their badge; the only exception
being when their apparel is incompatible (for example, a life
jacket), in which case a sticker with the ship emblem is normally
used instead. In addition, large prints or stickers of the ship are
attached to vehicles driven by the presenters during filming
assignments.
In addition to the standard "blue" badge, several variations of the
badge exist, for various achievements, including:
- Silver badges, for viewers or participants who
have already won a blue badge
- Green badges, for contributions with a
conservation, nature or environmental theme
- Gold badges, the most rarely awarded, for
exceptional achievement
- Orange badges, for competition winners
(replacing the previous circular "competition winner's badge")
- Purple badges, awarded for completing a review
of the show by completing the form on the Blue Peter website
- 50th anniversary badge, awarded for sending a
picture, poem or letter on the subject of the programme's 50th
birthday
- Factbyte factory badge, Awarded to people who
complete up to V.I.P. level 7 on the Factbyte factory game
Tributes and honours
In a list of the
100 Greatest British
Television Programmes drawn up by the
British Film Institute in 2000, voted
for by industry professionals,
Blue Peter was placed
6th.
Asteroid 16197
Bluepeter is named in its honour. The asteroid was discovered
on 7 January 2000, the day that the
Blue Peter time capsules from 1971 and 1984 were
unearthed.
Signature tune
The
Blue Peter opening theme called "Barnacle Bill" from
1958 to 2008 was composed by Ashworth Hope (1880–1962), who was a
successful solicitor as well as a composer.
The following is a list of all the musicians who have recorded a
version of the
Blue Peter signature tune, "Barnacle Bill"
:
The debut of a new version of the famous theme tune "Barnacle Bill"
is accompanied with an introduction by the presenters at the time
explaining the reasons behind the new rendition. Mike Oldfield
appeared on the programme around 1979, and his version of the theme
tune was so popular with viewers that the producers decided to
record it for use as a permanent theme.
Despite a new rendition of the theme music being introduced in
2004, a new version was arranged by
Murray
Gold and recorded in 2006, as part of a viewers' competition,
with prize winners taking part in the final orchestral recording.
Viewers were told that this new version of the theme would be used
when the series returned from its summer break in September 2006;
however, for unknown reasons, this was not the case, save for
excerpts being used as incidental music. Instead, when the
September 2006 series began, a slightly shortened version of the
2004 arrangement was used, with the opening bars removed. Between
January and June 2007, Dave Cooke re-arranged the theme tune,
although it was confirmed that Murray Gold's new arrangement would
be used from the new series in September 2007, to coincide with the
programme's 50th anniversary celebrations. However, the version
that airs bears little resemblance to either the original Murray
Gold/Music Makers recording or any previous recording of the
theme.
Nearly as famous as the opening music is the closing theme, which
has been re-arranged in line with the various versions of the
opening signature tune. However, during the period 1999–2004, a
shorter version of the opening tune was used to close the
programme. The editor at the time, Steve Hocking, said that he was
happy for the same tune to be used at the beginning and end of each
broadcast, but in recent years the traditional finale tune has
returned, with Nial Brown rearranging the closing tune from 2004 to
2006, and Dave Cooke doing so as of January 2007. From September
2007 to June 2008 the closing theme was slightly extended and
rearranged, once again by Dave Cooke.
For the start of the September 2008 series "Barnacle Bill" was
dropped as the signature tune after nearly fifty years of use and
replaced by an arrangement of the very similar traditional dance
tune "Sailors Hornpipe". On 14 October (the same week as the 50th
anniversary) the opening arrangement of the tune was reworked to
include elements of "Barnacle Bill" once again. The closing theme
for 2008 is again bespoke and maintains elements unique to the
closing arrangement of "Barnacle Bill".
Opening titles
1958–1989:The earliest episodes featured stock
footage of a sailing ship under the opening credits.
By the late 1960s, Blue Peter's opening sequence featured extracts
of that editions filmed inserts or an event in the studio where
speech was absent accompanied by the signature tune and
superimposed presenter credits. The theme music would either play
out in full, or fade out appropriately depending on the programme's
content.
1989–1997:From 1989, a 2D animation of the
Blue Peter ship had been developed and used alongside the
1985-introduced word-logo and was used as a method of displaying
both the ship and
Blue Peter name to precede any film or
episode footage as before. From 1992 a 3D animation was used and
further replaced by another graphical sequence in 1994. Once again,
these animations preceded any film, studio or episode footage.
Occasionally, from the 1994 series onwards, the 3D animation of the
Blue Peter ship would be followed by a preview of certain
items on the day's programme with a "coming up" caption and a
presenter commentary. Again, the theme music would either play in
full or fade out at an appropriate time.
1997–1999:From 1997, a more generic title sequence
was used with the 1994 ship and title animation remaining, but was
followed by clips of different action shots from a variety of the
past years’ filming assignments intermixed with specially filmed
"posing" footage of the presenters. The traditional format of
episode-specific film or studio setting scenes were still used,
occasionally on their own, or mixed into the generic footage to
varying degrees depending on the day's edition. The theme music
tended to play out in full, and on days when a totally generic
version of the titles were used, the opening was often
followed by a "coming up" sequence narrated by the
presenters.
1999–2004:By 1999, a new "bubble ship" symbol and
titles sequence had been developed to be used alongside the
traditional ship emblem. These bubble ships were seen floating
around the presenters who were displayed in specially posed shots,
and appeared to be floating above a graphical ocean on their own
blue coloured ships, and in 2003 when the presenters shots were
updated, they appeared to be waving, smiling and blowing the bubble
ships. This footage was also mixed in with episode-specific film,
introductory studio setting or more predominantly from the 2003
series onwards a preview of many items on the day's programme with
a return to a "coming up" caption and presenter commentary.
2004–2006:In 2004, a similar approach was adopted
with each presenter posing with "ship's rigging" in their hands,
appearing as though they were hoisting the sails of the
Blue
Peter ship. This sequence, designed by BBC Broadcast (now
Red Bee Media) saw a return to the
sole use of the original
Blue Peter ship logo and also
featured the
Blue Peter pets in their own poses.
Predominantly these titles would precede a “coming up” sequence or
occasionally clips of the edition’s filming assignment. The
original version used from 2004–2005 opened with the ship logo and
featured silhouettes of unidentified children also hoisting sails
along with the presenters. This was discarded in 2005 for the last
year of the sequence's run and opened with the ship and
Blue
Peter name for the first time in six years – allowing more
flexibility for when the titles would merge into that day's edition
without being completed in full, as in the 1950–1990s era – before
flowing into the rest of the titles (minus children) as
before.
2006–2008:From September 2006 a new title sequence
was introduced, opening with the traditional
Blue Peter
ship logo, followed by the presenters surrounded by "fact file
boxes" displaying statistics and information about them and also
pictures of the pets and snippets of previous assignment films.
This also marked the end of the traditional format of the presenter
credits being credited in order of seniority (although this is
likely to be down to the stylistic dictation of the titles in their
"girl boy girl boy" arrangement – the only irregularity being
Gethin Jones appearing before Zöe Salmon who debuted on the show
five months before him). As in previous years, this new graphical
sequence precedes a “coming up” sequence or, alternatively, footage
of that edition’s filming assignment. From September 2007 the posed
portion of the same opening titles followed a "coming up" clip of
that day's programme and used a new theme tune to accompany
it.
Following Konnie Huq's departure in January 2008, the order of the
opening sequence was rejigged slightly, with a filmed aerial pan of
a cliff-face taken from a helicopter, featuring a lighthouse and
large-scale impression of the
Blue Peter ship on a grass
lawn adjacent to it. The "chopper" sound of the helicopter's
propellers imitates the traditional drum roll of the
Blue
Peter theme tune. The sequence then merges into a summary of
what's coming up on the programme, with a quick cut at the end to
the remaining three presenter poses, now having reverted to
appearance order, i.e. Zöe > Gethin > Andy, before ending
with the 2006–2008 logo board, minus Konnie's silhouette.
2008–2009:The current
Blue Peter titles
see a return to the original format without posing presenters.
Instead, a fast moving graphical approach is taken where the main
colour is light blue. The logo board with the new look word logo
appears at the end and graphically 'flows' away to reveal the day's
programme. 2008 sees a new word mark for the first time since 1999
and some of the detail has been altered on the ship logo – for
example, a return to the original flag design. Small changes have
also featured in the studio where the mezzanine wall is now red,
the big screen has a new frame and the seating has been re-jigged
slightly.
2009-present:In the same style to the 2008 titles
however the presenters are now featured in the titles with the
coming up bit before the titles begin.
General notes: The opening titles of every
programme feature the list of the presenters in order of their
first appearance on
Blue Peter, regardless of whether they
actually appear in the edition in question (since 1995 and the
introduction of the fourth presenter it is unusual to have all four
presenters in the studio at the same time, save for special
programmes). The only time this rule is not adopted is when the
programme is a special pre-recorded assignment – for example a
visit to a foreign country by two of the presenters, in which case
the usual practice is just to credit the presenters appearing.
Until 2004, the presenters were always credited by their full
names. Since September 2004, the opening titles have only featured
their first names, perhaps in a move to make the presenters appear
more accessible to the audience.
Closing credits
1958–1992: The
Blue Peter closing credits
were put on screen over the final moments of the programme to the
sound of the closing theme tune. Alternatively, once the programme
had officially ended (i.e. the presenters had said their
'goodbyes') the camera would focus on shots of the pets or aspects
of the studio as a calmer backdrop against which to flash up the
credits. The sequence would always end with the
Blue Peter
ship filling the screen (originally a rather crude flat image,
latterly a more graphically interesting incarnation) and BBC
copyright blurb. Before 1989 the "Editor" credit (for almost all
this period it was Biddy Baxter) would also flash up over the final
moments of the programme, but since Lewis Bronze's promotion the
editor credit was saved for the final ship frame.
1992–2003: Once again during this period the
credits maintained the practice of appearing during the final
seconds of the programme's presentation or once the script had
finished. The major difference being that the text was now scrolled
along the bottom third of the screen from right to left, usually
overlaid on a graphical bar themed around the style of the opening
titles of the time. The exception to this rule was when the
programme was on permanent Outside Broadcast for the whole show.
During these occasions the same "theme" of credits would be used –
i.e. same graphics and background etc. but the typeface
would almost always change to a completely different font and
colour, regardless of the regular typeface used at the time. Also,
the credits would flash up on screen one by one, as opposed to
scrolling. It is unknown why these anomalies occurred, but it is
likely to be related to the reduced technical abilities whilst
transmitting a live O.B. The final frame of the credits was always
the
Blue Peter ship as displayed in the opening titles of
the time and the editor's credit, along with BBC branding.
2004–2007: This period saw a sequence which showed
flashed up credits along the bottom third of the screen, whilst a
photo of a recent
Blue Peter badge winner, with or without
the project that won them their badge, was shown above. One of the
presenters' voices was also heard introducing the winner and
explaining what they did to win their badge. Occasionally on
certain programmes, for example the launch of an appeal, special
guests in the studio or when out on location, the credits ran as
pre-2004 over the closing moments of the programme with the music
fading in. Again, the credits end with the
Blue Peter
ship, editor and BBC credit.
2004, 2007–2008:Early in 2004, the producers
experimented with flashing up the credits over a background of "on
the next
Blue Peter" type footage. This was discarded
later in 2004 when the new arrangement of signature tune and titles
were introduced and a revised format was adopted that remained in
use until 2007. September 2007 saw a return to the "coming up next
time" sequence of footage, with credits text overlaid on a
graphical bar at the bottom section of the screen. The same ship
and editor credit is used as the final frame.
2008–present:There are no closing crew credits;
instead, the programme ends with a five second caption of
Blue
Peter and the
CBBC logo.
General notes: The exceptions to the above are
during the Christmas programme, when the credits still scroll from
right to left, often with Christmassy themed drawings separating
each crew member. The Christmas programme ends on a view of the
children carol singers in the studio in the background, the
Nativity scene in the foreground, studio lights dimmed, a star of
Bethlehem glowing on the cyclorama and a sparkling silver
Blue
Peter ship overlaid on the screen.
When a "make" is featured in the programme, the creator of the item
(invariably the retired Margaret Parnell or Gillian Shearing) is
credited first. An example of this would be "
Dolls House make
by Margaret Parnell".
Books
In 1964, the first
Blue Peter book was published. Although
an annual in all but name, the books are rarely referred to as
such. Each book (published in time for Christmas) features
highlights from the previous twelve months of
Blue Peter
features, and chronicles major guests who visit the studio, the
Summer expedition, the annual appeal, and the pets. The style of
the books' contents has changed very little over the years, with
the only noticeable difference between a 1960s book and the current
formula being the increase in colour photography and digital
artwork; otherwise, the principle is the same. There was, in 1986
and 1990, and between 1992 and 1998, a break in the publication of
the books. Since Pedigree took over the books in 2004, there has
been an increase in quality. The books are now bigger than before,
with a greater number of pages. The
Blue Peter editor and
members of the production team write the book, and choose its
content, though the book is written from the presenters' point of
view. As for the 'book or annual' debate, it is interesting to note
that, as of Book 34 in 2004, the cover makes reference to it as
"Annual XXXX" and the spine marking it as "Book XX". This is
probably because
The Beano and
The Dandy books
were renamed as annuals in 2003, leaving
Blue Peter the
only one still using the name book on its annuals.
A collectors' market has developed, with "Book One" being
especially rare and commanding triple figures on online auction
websites. Books from the late 1960s and 1970s are more common, and
often turn up for less than a pound in second hand bookshops or
charity stores. Books from the 1980s and 1990s tend to be more
expensive and rarer, as people realised the value of keeping hold
of them.
In the early 1970s a set of
Blue Peter mini books were
produced, covering specific topics that had been featured in the TV
series. A set of these were buried in 1971 in the time capsule for
the year 2000. The spin-off series
Blue Peter Special
Assignment also had books.
Presenters
Christopher Trace and
Leila Williams were the first presenters of
Blue Peter in October 1958, and since then, there have
been 32 other presenters with
Helen
Skelton and
Joel Defries the latest
to join in September 2008, replacing
Zöe
Salmon and
Gethin Jones who both
left in June 2008.
Other contributors
Other people who have played roles on the show include the
zoologist
George Cansdale, who was
the programme's first on-screen vet, and
Percy Thrower who was the show's gardening
expert from the 1960s until shortly before his death in 1988. He
was followed briefly by
Chris Crowder,
and then
Clare Bradley, who was
replaced by the current incumbent,
Chris Collins.
Another contributor, though rarely seen on screen, was
Margaret Parnell, who created almost all of
the show's "makes" from the early 1960s until her retirement in
2001. Her role is now filled by
Gillian
Shearing, though Parnell's name still appears in the credits
from time to time when a classic "make" is re-used.
Controversy
Fake phone competition winner
It was revealed by the BBC that a phone-in competition supporting
the Unicef "Shoe Biz Appeal", held in November 2006, was rigged.
The person who appeared to be calling in the competition was
actually a
Blue Peter Team Player who was visiting that
day. The visitor pretended to be a caller from an outside line who
had won the phone-in and the chance to select a prize. The
competition was rigged due to a technical error with receiving the
calls.
Former editor
Biddy Baxter, described
as still being influential with the programme today, described the
problem as an issue with a member of the production team on the
studio floor and the Editor being oblivious to the situation in the
studio gallery. She also went on to say that the programme would
not feature premium rate telephone competitions in the
future.
It was announced on 16 May 2007 that
Blue Peter editor and
unofficial historian,
Richard Marson,
stood down from his job, although any link to the controversy of
March 2007 remains unconfirmed. On a
Doctor Who internet forum, Marson stated he
had been planning to leave the programme at the end of this
series.
In July
2007, Blue Peter was given a £50,000 fine, by the Office of
Communications
(OFCOM) as a result of rigging the
competition.
Political partiality
In August 2007 while the programme was off air for its annual
Summer Expedition, long-time presenter
Konnie
Huq was involved in a press conference to promote the health
benefits of
cycling along with
Mayor of London,
Ken Livingstone. The
Conservative Party accused the BBC
of political bias as a result of one of its employees appearing at
what was construed as a pro-
Labour
Party event. The BBC claimed to have turned down the offer for
Huq to appear, but this was unknown to both her and her
agent.
On 24 November 1988, Frank Ruse, a left-wing Labour councillor for
Liverpool City Council,
accompanied Liverpool's Pagoda Chinese Youth Orchestra to London
for an appearance on
Blue Peter. He was given a
Blue
Peter badge and wore it proudly to his council meetings.
However, he received a BBC headed letter requesting for the return
of the badge. The letter (which was later discovered to be a
forgery) stated that
Blue Peter had been approached by
Neil Kinnock's office (Labour leader at the time) who were alarmed
that a councillor with hard-left views had been given a
Blue
Peter badge. On receiving the
Blue Peter badge from
Frank Ruse, the BBC wrote back to him stating that the letter must
be a hoax and an angry Mr Ruse started a local and national enquiry
to find out who sent the hoax letter.
"Socks"
Blue Peter hit the headlines again with new breaches of trust in
September 2007; an online vote on the BBC's
Blue Peter
official website took place to choose the name of the new
Blue
Peter kitten in January – the reported story was that instead
of calling the cat Cookie, the name chosen by a majority of votes,
the staff over-ruled the decision and called the kitten
Socks. As a result of bad media
coverage the original cat, Socks, was joined by another kitten
named
Cookie to reflect the decision of
those who participated in the online vote. The BBC broadcast an
apology on 25 September 2007 at the start of the new series.
Child Actors
On 9 November 2007 the BBC admitted that two viewers chosen to meet
comedian and actor
Jon Culshaw in a
competition were in fact child actors. An interview with a BBC
spokesman stated:
Blue Peter organised a light-hearted item in which
children got to meet Jon Culshaw and ask him questions which he
would answer with an impersonation.
Of the six children who appeared, four had contacted
the programme through the website and two were invited to join them
from a drama group.
The children were all asked to prepare their own
questions.
None of the children were paid, the item in question
was not a competition and no prizes were offered or
awarded.
It would have been preferable not to have given viewers
the impression that all the children in the item had contacted the
programme through the website.
Awards
In 2008
Blue Peter was nominated for
BAFTA Children's Kids Vote Award.
See also
Notes
- Baxter & Barnes, p.11
- Marson, p.16
- Marson, p.21
- Marson, p.22
- Marson, p.23
- Marson, p.51
- Marson, p.37
- Baxter & Barnes, p.14
- Baxter & Barnes, p.48
- Marson, p.24
- Marson, p.39
- Marson, p.41
- Marson, p.118
- Marson, p.45
- Marson, p.88
- Marson, p.89
- Marson, p.54
- Marson, p.18
- Marson, p.49
- Marson, p.58
- Marson, p.63
- Marson, p.64
- Marson, p.71
- Marson, p.84
- Marson, p.72
- Marson, p.83
- Marson, p.81
- Marson, p.92
- Marson, p.95
- Marson, p.96
- Marson, p.99
- Marson, p.100
- Marson, p.124
- Marson, p.138
- Marson, p.127
- Marson, p.128
- Marson, p.142
- Marson, p.129
- Marson, p.158
- Marson, p.161
- Marson, p.163
- Marson, p.165
- Edition broadcast 3 July 1969. [1]
- Edition broadcast 30 May 1977. [2]
- Edition broadcast 14 January 1980. [3]
- Rushton, Katherine (18 February 2009). " Blue Peter to be 'more like Top Gear'",
Broadcastnow, Emap Media. Retrieved on 18 February
2009.
- b&b13
- " BBC cuts back Blue Peter," The Guardian.
Published 25 May 2007.
- Marson, p.168
- Alistair McGown, ‘Trace, Christopher Leonard (1933–1992)’,
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, online edn, Oxford
University Press, October 2005; online edn, October 2008 accessed 29 June 2009
- The Guardian
- Marson, p.12
- BBC
- Listed status bid for BBC Centre
- Edition broadcast 18 February 2005. [4]
- Edition broadcast 19 June 2006.
- BBC - Blue Peter - Your Questions Answered
- The history of Blue Peter
- Timesonline.co.uk
- BAFTA Children's Kids Vote 2008 nominees
References
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