Blue Peter - TV.com

Blue Peter: Summary

Airs Next:BBC-1 at Weekdays 4:35 PM (25 min.)
Status:Returning Series
Premiered:October 16, 1958
Show Categories:Children, Variety Shows

Blue Peter is the longest running British childrens television show, recently celebrating it's fiftieth birthday with two shows on October 11th and October 16th.

The show began on October 16th 1958, and since then has gone through a cycle of 31 presenters, with Andy Akinwolere, Helen Skelton and Joel Defries currently presenting.

The name Blue Peter comes from the blue and white flag which hoists a ship in port when it's getting ready to sail. The logo for the show is a blue and white boat designed by Tony Hart. Blue Peter badges are worn by presenters and different variations of the badge are awarded to both viewers and celebrity guests. The theme tune to the show is a take on the sea shanty Barnacle Bill and was originally composed by Ashworth Hope and has since been re-recorded ten times, the current version is orchestrated by Murray Gold.

The show airs as part of the CBBC strand of programming on BBC One on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 4.35pm. Throughout it's first series it ran for 15 minutes on Monday nights. From the 1960s until 1995, the show ran twice a week on Mondays and Thursdays, at 4.35pm until the mid 1970s, when it moved to 5.10pm. Throughout 1995 until 2001, three shows aired, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, in 2002 the show moved to 5pm and in 2007 remaining in the same time slot, shows aired on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. From September 2007, the show began airing twice a week and from February 2008 moved to it's current slot.

The show has many features and traditions that it carry's from series to series. The show always features 'Blue Peter Pets', Petra the dog been the first. Their's been five dogs, seven cats, four tortoises and a parrot that have all appeared, before the current line up of two dogs - Mabel & Lucy, two cats - Socks & Cookie and a tortoise, Shelley. Another regular feature on the show is the 'Blue Peter Garden', based in the BBC Television Centre were Blue Peter is filmed, alot of features are based in the garden, so their's need for a regular Blue Peter gardener, Percy Thrower (who also originally designed the garden), Chris Crowder and Clare Bradley have all had the job, before Chris Collins took it on. The show has also made an appeal every year since the show began, these range from bring and buy sales been organised and endorsed by Blue Peter or more recently working alongside childrens charity Barnardos, getting kids to hand in their old CDs and DVDs. Blue Peter is the longest running British childrens television show, recently celebrating it's fiftieth birthday with two shows on October 11th and October 16th.

The show began on October 16th 1958, and since then has gone through a cycle of 31 presenters, with Andy Akinwolere, Helen Skelton and Joel Defries currently presenting.

The name Blue...

Episode 4413

Aired: Wednesday November 12, 2008

Joel Does Something Different, for this years Children In Need campaign, Thomas Schapaniger teaches Joel how to read the weather. Tom reveals some weather facts, before helping Andy & Helen make a Vero meter. We then catch up with the hosts, who rise to their Bring ‘n’ buy sale challenge, set last week in aid of this years Mission Nutrition appeal. Andy visits Fusi who lives in Africa, who’s aged 13 and shows us around his house, he has no family and shows us what he’s left to eat. Their's also a look at how breakfast clubs help kids at school and how people are been encouraged to grow their own vegetables in the UK. Ore from Newsround reveals Andy beat Helen and Joel at the bring ‘n’ buy sale, were all in all the three raised over £1,100. We then go live to BBC News channel, were Joel is reading the news. Helen awards a viewer - Hazel, a Blue Peter badge for her synchronized swimming skills.

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Helen SkeltonHerself [2008-]
Joel DefriesHimself [2008-]
Andy AkinwolereHimself [2006-]
Gethin JonesHimself [2005-2008]
Zoe SalmonHerself [2004-2008]

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TinnieMaster
member since: Aug 31, 2007
The Bottom Line: "Influential"
The Greatest Show on Earth!
And that is no exaggeration at all, I assure you! Literally everyone grows up watching this programme and have done for almost 50 years (since it started in 1958). ...Continue »
07/28/08 06:30am | report abuse
9.2
20
chazzock
member since: Mar 30, 2006
The Bottom Line: "Nobody knows I watch this"
One of the best kids tv programs around ...Continue »
04/24/07 10:31am | report abuse