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''Blue Peter'' is a British children's television entertainment programme created by John Hunter Blair. It is the longest-running children's TV show in the world, having been broadcast since October 1958. It was broadcast primarily from BBC Television Centre in
London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
until September 2011, when the programme moved to dock10 studios at MediaCityUK in
Salford Salford () is a city and the largest settlement in the City of Salford metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. In 2011, Salford had a population of 103,886. It is also the second and only other city in the metropolitan county afte ...
,
Greater Manchester Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county and combined authority area in North West England, with a population of 2.8 million; comprising ten metropolitan boroughs: Manchester, Salford, Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tam ...
. It is currently shown
live Live may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Live!'' (2007 film), 2007 American film * ''Live'' (2014 film), a 2014 Japanese film *'' ''Live'' (Apocalyptica DVD) Music * Live (band), American alternative rock band * List of album ...
on the
CBBC CBBC (initialised as Children's BBC and also known as the CBBC Channel) is a British free-to-air public broadcast children's television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is also the brand used for all BBC content for children aged 7–16 ...
television channel on Fridays at 5pm. The show is also repeated on Saturdays at 11:30am, Sundays at 9:00am and a BSL version is shown on Tuesdays at 2:00pm. Following its original creation, the programme was developed by a BBC team led by
Biddy Baxter Joan Maureen "Biddy" Baxter, MBE (born 25 May 1933) is a British television producer, best known for editing the long-running BBC TV children's magazine show ''Blue Peter'' from 1965 to 1988. As editor of the programme, Baxter devised much of t ...
; she became the programme editor in 1965, relinquishing the role in 1988. Throughout the show's history there have been 41 presenters; currently, it is hosted by
Richie Driss Richie Driss is an English television presenter, best known for presenting the weekly CBBC programme ''Blue Peter'' and becoming the 38th presenter on the show. Early life and career Driss was born in St Albans, Hertfordshire. He attended both ...
, Mwaksy Mudenda and Joel Mawhinney. The show uses a
nautical Seamanship is the art, knowledge and competence of operating a ship, boat or other craft on water. The'' Oxford Dictionary'' states that seamanship is "The skill, techniques, or practice of handling a ship or boat at sea." It involves topics ...
title and theme. Its content, which follows a
magazine A magazine is a periodical publication, generally published on a regular schedule (often weekly or monthly), containing a variety of content. They are generally financed by advertising, purchase price, prepaid subscriptions, or by a combinatio ...
/entertainment format, features viewer and presenter challenges, competitions, celebrity interviews, popular culture, and sections on making arts and crafts items from household items. The show has had a garden in both
London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
and
Salford Salford () is a city and the largest settlement in the City of Salford metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. In 2011, Salford had a population of 103,886. It is also the second and only other city in the metropolitan county afte ...
, known as the Blue Peter Garden, which is used during the summer and for outdoor activities. The programme has featured a number of pets including dogs, tortoises, cats, and parrots. The longevity of ''Blue Peter'' has established it as a significant part of
British culture British culture is influenced by the combined nations' history; its historically Christian religious life, its interaction with the cultures of Europe, the traditions of England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland and the impact of the British Empire ...
and British heritage.


Content

''Blue Peter'' content is 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, or a music or dance performance. Between the 1960s and 2011 the programme was made at BBC Television Centre, and often came from Studio 1, the fourth-largest TV studio in Britain and one of 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 was broadcast from a small fixed set in Studio 2. However, from 2009 the series began to use the larger studios once more; also more programmes were broadcast in their entirety from the Blue Peter Garden. 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, though Marguerite Patten is another possibility. Trace also used the line "And now for something completely different", which was later taken up by ''
Monty Python Monty Python (also collectively known as the Pythons) were a British comedy troupe who created the sketch comedy television show ''Monty Python's Flying Circus'', which first aired on the BBC in 1969. Forty-five episodes were made over fou ...
''. Time is also often given over to reading letters and showing pictures sent in by viewers. Over 5,000 editions have been produced since 1958, and almost every episode from 1964 onwards still exists in the BBC archives. This is unusual for programmes of that era. Editor Biddy Baxter personally ensured that
telerecording Kinescope , shortened to kine , also known as telerecording in Britain, is a recording of a television program on motion picture film, directly through a lens focused on the screen of a video monitor. The process was pioneered during the 1940 ...
s and, from 1970, video recording were kept of each episode. The earliest surviving footage, a 35mm film sequence, comes from Programme 204 produced and broadcast in 1962. The earliest edition to survive in a complete form is Programme 238 from 1963, which survives as a 16mm film recording. Many items from ''Blue Peter'' history have become embedded in British popular culture, especially moments when things have gone wrong, such as the much-repeated clip of Lulu the baby elephant (from a 1969 edition) who urinated and defecated on the studio floor, appeared to tread on the foot of presenter John Noakes and then proceeded to attempt an exit, dragging her keeper along behind her. Although it is often assumed to have been broadcast live, the edition featuring Lulu was one of the rare occasions when the programme was pre-recorded, as the presenters were en route to Ceylon for the summer expedition at the time of transmission. Other well-remembered and much-repeated items from this era include the
Girl Guides Girl Guides (known as Girl Scouts in the United States and some other countries) is a worldwide movement, originally and largely still designed for girls and women only. The movement began in 1909 when girls requested to join the then-grassroot ...
' campfire that got out of hand on the 1970
Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...
edition, John Noakes's report on the cleaning of Nelson's Column, and Simon Groom referring to a previous item on the production of a facsimile door knocker for Durham Cathedral which was displayed alongside the original, with the words 'what a beautiful pair of knockers'.


History


Early years

''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 for children aged between five and eight. Reed got his inspiration after watching ''Children's Television Club'', the brainchild of former radio producer,
Trevor Hill Trevor ( Trefor in the Welsh language) is a common given name or surname of Welsh origin. It is an habitational name, deriving from the Welsh ''tre(f)'', meaning "homestead", or "settlement" and ''fawr'', meaning "large, big". The Cornish lang ...
, who created the latter show as a successor to his programme ''Out of School'', broadcast on BBC Radio's ''Children's Hour''; Hill networked the programme from BBC Manchester and launched it aboard the MV ''Royal Iris'' ferry on the
River Mersey The River Mersey () is in North West England. Its name derives from Old English and means "boundary river", possibly referring to its having been a border between the ancient kingdoms of Mercia and Northumbria. For centuries it has formed par ...
,
Liverpool Liverpool is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the List of English districts by population, 10th largest English district by population and its E ...
with presenter Judith Chalmers welcoming everyone aboard at the bottom of the gangplank. It was subsequently televised about once a month. Hill relates how Reed came to stay with him and his wife, Margaret Potter, in Cheshire, and was so taken with the "Blue Peter" flag on the side of the ship and the programme in general, that he asked to rename it and take it to London to be broadcast on a weekly basis (see Reed's obituary). The "Blue Peter" is used as a maritime signal, indicating that the vessel flying it is about to leave, and Reed chose the name to represent 'a voyage of adventure' on which the programme would set out. Hunter Blair also pointed out that
blue Blue is one of the three primary colours in the RYB colour model (traditional colour theory), as well as in the RGB (additive) colour model. It lies between violet and cyan on the spectrum of visible light. The eye perceives blue when ...
was a popular colour with children, and Peter was a common name of a typical child's friend. The first two presenters were Christopher Trace, an actor, and
Leila Williams Leila Williams (born 1937) is a former British beauty queen and television presenter. She was one of the original presenters of ''Blue Peter'', working on the programme from 1958 to 1962. Career In 1957 Williams won the Miss Great Britain title ...
, winner of
Miss Great Britain Miss Great Britain is Britain's longest running beauty contest held annually in Britain since 1945. Owner and CEO John Singh made history crowning his first winner and to this date only the first black Miss Great Britain 1996. Singer and dancer A ...
in 1957. The two presenters were responsible for activities which matched the traditional gender roles. As broadcasting historian
Asa Briggs Asa Briggs, Baron Briggs (7 May 1921 – 15 March 2016) was an English historian. He was a leading specialist on the Victorian era, and the foremost historian of broadcasting in Britain. Briggs achieved international recognition during his lon ...
expressed it in 1995: "Leila played with dolls; Chris played with trains".Asa Brigg
''The History of Broadcasting in the United Kingdom: Volume V: Competition''
, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1995, p.178
They were supported on occasion by
Tony Hart Norman Antony Hart (15 October 1925 – 18 January 2009),Debrett's People of Today 2008, Debrett's Peerage Ltd, 2007. known professionally as Tony Hart, was an English artist best known for his work in educating children in art through his role ...
,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 Thursday for fifteen minutes (17.00–17.15) on BBC TV (which later became BBC One). Over the first few months more features were added, including competitions, documentaries, cartoons, and stories. Early programmes were almost entirely studio-based, with very few filmed inserts being made.


1960–1969

From Monday 10 October 1960, ''Blue Peter'' was switched to every Monday and extended from 15 minutes to 20 minutes (17.00–17.20). In 1961, Hunter Blair became ill, and was often absent. After he produced his last edition on 12 June 1961,Marson, p.16 a series of temporary producers took up the post. Hunter Blair was replaced the following September by Clive Parkhurst who did not get along with Leila Williams. "He could not find anything for me to do," Williams recalled. In October, she did not appear for six editions, and was eventually fired, leaving Christopher Trace on his own or with one-off presenters. Parkhurst was replaced by John Furness, and
Anita West Anita West (born 1935) is a British actress and former television presenter. ''Blue Peter'' On 7 May 1962, she joined the British children's television show ''Blue Peter'' as co-host, following the departure of Leila Williams. She remained wit ...
joined Trace on 7 May 1962. She featured in just 16 editions, making her the shortest-serving presenter, and was replaced by Valerie Singleton, who presented regularly until 1972,Marson, p.51 and on special assignments until 1981. Following the departure of Furness, a new producer who was committed to ''Blue Peter'' was required, so Biddy Baxter was appointed. At the time she was contracted to schools' programmes on the radio, and therefore unable to take up her new post immediately.Alistair McGow
"Baxter, Biddy (1933–)"
, BFI screenonline
It was suggested that Edward Barnes,Marson, p.37 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 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, replacing the practice of reviewing toys that children would ask for themselves. ''Blue Peter''s first pet, a brown and white
mongrel A mongrel, mutt or mixed-breed dog is a dog that does not belong to one officially recognized breed and including those that are the result of intentional breeding. Although the term ''mixed-breed dog'' is sometimes preferred, many mongre ...
dog named
Petra Petra ( ar, ٱلْبَتْرَاء, Al-Batrāʾ; grc, Πέτρα, "Rock", Nabataean: ), originally known to its inhabitants as Raqmu or Raqēmō, is an historic and archaeological city in southern Jordan. It is adjacent to the mountain of Ja ...
, was introduced on 17 December 1962. The puppy soon died of distemper, and having decided against upsetting young viewers over the news, Barnes and Baxter had to search London pet shops for a convincing clandestine replacement. Features such as "makes" (normally involving creating something such as an
advent crown A crown is a traditional form of head adornment, or hat, worn by monarchs as a symbol of their power and dignity. A crown is often, by extension, a symbol of the monarch's government or items endorsed by it. The word itself is used, partic ...
, out of household junk) and cooking became regular instalments on ''Blue Peter'' and continue to be used 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; as a girl, she had written to
Enid Blyton Enid Mary Blyton (11 August 1897 – 28 November 1968) was an English children's writer, whose books have been worldwide bestsellers since the 1930s, selling more than 600 million copies. Her books are still enormously popular and have b ...
and twice received a standard reply, which had upset her. The next year, from 28 September 1964, ''Blue Peter'' began to be broadcast twice weekly, with Baxter becoming the editor in 1965, and Barnes and Rosemary Gill (an assistant producer who had joined as a temporary producer while Baxter was doing jury service) becoming the programme's producers.Marson, p.45 The first ''Blue Peter'' book, an annual in all but name, was published that year, and one was produced nearly every year after that, until 2010. 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 continued every year (except 1986 and 2011) until 2012, all over the world.


1970–1999

The first colour edition of ''Blue Peter'' aired on 14 September 1970, and 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 Mount Etna, or simply Etna ( it, Etna or ; scn, Muncibbeḍḍu or ; la, Aetna; grc, Αἴτνα and ), is an active stratovolcano on the east coast of Sicily, Italy, in the Metropolitan City of Catania, between the cities of Messina ...
, as well as unique items such as the first appearance of
Uri Geller Uri Geller ( ; he, אורי גלר; born 20 December 1946) is an Israeli-British illusionist, magician, television personality, and self-proclaimed psychic. He is known for his trademark television performances of spoon bending and other i ...
on British television. In May 1976, presenter
Lesley Judd Lesley Judd (born 20 December 1946) is an English former television presenter and dancer, best known as a long-serving host of the BBC children's programme ''Blue Peter'' (1972–1979). Background Born in London, the daughter of Leslie T. Judd ...
interviewed Otto Frank, father of
Anne Frank Annelies Marie "Anne" Frank (, ; 12 June 1929 – )Research by The Anne Frank House in 2015 revealed that Frank may have died in February 1945 rather than in March, as Dutch authorities had long assumed"New research sheds new light on Anne Fra ...
, after he had agreed to bring his daughter's diaries to Britain. From 1971 the summer expedition from the previous year was edited into special programmes broadcast under the title ''Blue Peter Flies The World'', televised during the summer break when the team were recording the latest expedition. The first was shown in July 1971 and featured the expedition to Jamaica. 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. In 1978, the show celebrated its twentieth anniversary with a nationwide balloon launch from five regional cities during a special edition of the programme when Christopher Trace, Leila Williams, Valerie Singleton and Peter Purves returned. John Noakes contributed a message pre-recorded on film. At this time, Trace introduced the Blue Peter Outstanding Endeavour Award. Its theme music was updated by
Mike Oldfield Mike may refer to: Animals * Mike (cat), cat and guardian of the British Museum * Mike the Headless Chicken, chicken that lived for 18 months after his head had been cut off * Mike (chimpanzee), a chimpanzee featured in several books and document ...
in 1979, and at the end of the decade a new presenting team was brought in, consisting of Simon Groom,
Tina Heath Tina Heath (born 1953) is a British actress and former television presenter. She and husband Dave Cooke have two children. Early career Her first television appearance was in 1969, when she appeared in ''Broaden Your Mind'' on BBC 2 alongside Gra ...
and Christopher Wenner. They were overshadowed by the success of the previous two decades, and failed to make as much of an impact.Marson, p.72 Heath decided to leave after 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 before. ''Blue Peter'' was praised for this by the
National Childbirth Trust The National Childbirth Trust (NCT) is the UK's largest charity offering information and support in pregnancy, childbirth and early parenthood Since 1956 it has supported millions of parents through birth of their children and through early par ...
who told the BBC that in 'five minutes, ''Blue Peter'' had done more to educate children about birth than they'd achieved in ten years of sending out leaflets'. The production team decided not to renew Wenner's contract, resulting in him leaving 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.
Janet Ellis Janet Ellis, (born 16 September 1955) is an English television presenter, actress and writer, who is best known for presenting the children's television programmes ''Blue Peter'' and '' Jigsaw'' between 1979 and 1987. She has published two nove ...
joined Sarah Greene and Peter Duncan on 28 April 1983. 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 made available from 1982, the first being ''Blue Peter Makes'', and an omnibus comprising the two weekly editions appeared in 1986 on Sunday mornings. Ahead of the show's 25th anniversary in October 1983, BBC1 ran a series ''Blue Peter Goes Silver'', revisiting previous summer expeditions. The 25th anniversary itself was commemorated by a documentary presented by Valerie Singleton shown on BBC1 on Sunday, 16 October 1983. This was followed the next day by a special edition of the programme when Christopher Trace presented the annual Outstanding Endeavour Award and Valerie Singleton, Peter Purves, Christopher Wenner, Tina Heath and Sarah Greene returned to celebrate the show's birthday with the current presenting trio of Simon Groom, Peter Duncan and Janet Ellis who launched a national balloon treasure hunt. On 27 June 1988, Baxter took part in her final show, after nearly 26 years of 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. Shortly before, in October 1988, the show celebrated its thirtieth anniversary with a competition to design the cover of a commemorative issue of the 'Radio Times' and Valerie Singleton presented the Outstanding Endeavour Award on the birthday show itself. The following year, the award was presented for the last time. On 13 September 1984, champion trampolinist and professional performer
Michael Sundin Michael Sundin (1 March 1961 – 23 July 1989) was an English television presenter, actor, puppeteer, dancer and trampolinist. He was a presenter of the BBC children's programme ''Blue Peter'' for 77 episodes between 1984 and 1985. Early life an ...
presented for the first time, as a replacement for Peter Duncan. He had been talent spotted by the ''Blue Peter'' team when they filmed an item on the set of ''
Return to Oz ''Return to Oz'' is a 1985 dark fantasy film released by Walt Disney Pictures, co-written and directed by Walter Murch. It stars Nicol Williamson, Jean Marsh, Piper Laurie, and Fairuza Balk as Dorothy Gale in her first screen role. The film ...
''; Sundin was playing the part of Tik-Tok. After 77 appearances as a ''Blue Peter'' presenter his contract was not renewed. It has since been explained by Biddy Baxter that he attracted complaints from viewers. She stated in her autobiography that homophobia was not the reason for his departure: "he came across as a whinger.... and an effeminate whinger to boot... it was nothing to do with his sexual proclivities". Sundin successfully continued his performing career but died from an
AIDS Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual ma ...
-related illness in 1989. In 1989 (and again in 1992 and 1994), new arrangements of the theme tune were introduced. Due to falling ratings in BBC children's programming, BBC1 controller Alan Yentob suggested airing a third edition of ''Blue Peter'' each week from 1995. This meant that it was sometimes pre-recorded; Joe Godwin, the director, suggested that the Friday edition should be a lighter version of the show, which would concentrate on music, celebrities and games.Marson, p.124
Helen Lederer Helen Margaret Lederer (born 24 September 1954) is an English comedian, writer and actress who emerged as part of the alternative comedy boom at the beginning of the 1980s. Among her television credits are the BBC2 sketch series '' Naked Video' ...
presented a documentary on BBC2 to celebrate the show's 35th anniversary ''Here's One I Made Earlier'', with a special edition of the regular programme featuring the returns of Leila Williams, John Noakes and Lesley Judd amongst many other presenters. Neither Noakes or Judd had appeared in the studio since leaving the programme and Williams was returning for the first time in 15 years. A fourth presenter, Katy Hill, was introduced in 1995, but unlike earlier decades, there was little stability in the line-up, with resignations and new additions made almost every year of the decade. The 1990s also saw many more live broadcasts on location, with many shot entirely away from the studio. ''Blue Peter'' was also one of the first television series to launch a website. Oliver Macfarlane replaced Bronze as editor in 1996. The 40th anniversary of the show was marked in 1998. Apart from two summer proms concerts, the most talked about event to celebrate the milestone was a trip behind
LNER Peppercorn Class A2 60532 Blue Peter LNER Peppercorn Class A2 No. 60532 ''Blue Peter'' is the sole survivor of 15 4-6-2 locomotives of the A2 class, designed by Arthur Peppercorn of the LNER. 60532 worked between 1948 and 1966. It is owned by the Royal Scot Locomotive and Gene ...
on an Edinburgh to London railtour. The special train in question was Days Out Limited's "Heart of Midlothian" from London Kings Cross to Edinburgh Waverley on Sun 19 April 1998, with 60532 working the train from Edinburgh. Due to safety rules, none of the presenters were supposed to ride on board the footplate during the trip. Peter Kirk, who was in charge on board the train and who was presenting from the footplate, however, allowed Stuart Miles to travel on board the footplate between
Newark-on-Trent Newark-on-Trent or Newark () is a market town and civil parish in the Newark and Sherwood district in Nottinghamshire, England. It is on the River Trent, and was historically a major inland port. The A1 road bypasses the town on the line ...
and
Peterborough Peterborough () is a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, east of England. It is the largest part of the City of Peterborough unitary authority district (which covers a larger area than Peterborough itself). It was part of Northamptonshire unti ...
. This was the stretch of track which, on 3 July 1938, saw the world speed record for
steam locomotive A steam locomotive is a locomotive that provides the force to move itself and other vehicles by means of the expansion of steam. It is fuelled by burning combustible material (usually coal, oil or, rarely, wood) to heat water in the loco ...
s of set by LNER A4 Locomotive no. 4468 ''Mallard'' (a segment in the same episode showed Katy Hill exploring the
National Railway Museum The National Railway Museum is a museum in York forming part of the Science Museum Group. The museum tells the story of rail transport in Britain and its impact on society. It is the home of the national collection of historically significant ...
and viewing locomotives like Mallard,
Stephenson's Rocket Stephenson's ''Rocket'' is an early steam locomotive of 0-2-2 wheel arrangement. It was built for and won the Rainhill Trials of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway (L&MR), held in October 1829 to show that improved locomotives would be m ...
, Midland Compound no'1000, LMS Black 5 no'5000 & 92220 ''Evening Star'' alongside Stuart helping with the servicing of 60532 in the NRM's yard). In October 1998, Richard Bacon was sacked, following reports in ''
News of the World The ''News of the World'' was a weekly national red top tabloid newspaper published every Sunday in the United Kingdom from 1843 to 2011. It was at one time the world's highest-selling English-language newspaper, and at closure still had one ...
'' that he had taken
cocaine Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly used recreationally for its euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from the leaves of two Coca species native to South Am ...
. This incident followed shortly after the show's 40th anniversary, when previous presenters returned for a special programme. Those returning included Leila Williams, Valerie Singleton, John Noakes, Peter Purves, Diane Louise Jordan, Anthea Turner, John Leslie, Tim Vincent, Yvette Fielding, Caron Keating, Mark Curry, Janet Ellis, Peter Duncan, Sarah Greene, Tina Heath, Simon Groom and Christopher Wenner. Steve Hocking then replaced Macfarlane as editor, at what was regarded as a difficult period for the programme. He introduced a further re-arrangement of the theme tune and a new graphics package in September 1999.


2000–2010

The 2000s began with the opening of two previously buried time capsules. Former presenters including Singleton, Purves and Noakes were invited back to assist, and the programme also 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 herself, Konnie Huq, Simon Thomas, and Matt Baker were consistent for the next few years. The Friday edition, as in the previous decade, featured games, competitions and celebrities, but additionally there was a drama series, ''The Quest'', which featured cameos of many former presenters. It was at this time that the new Head of the BBC Children's Department, Nigel Pickard, asked for ''Blue Peter'' to be broadcast all year round. This was achieved by having two editions per week instead of three during the summer months, and using pre-recorded material. The early 2000s also introduced Christmas productions, in which the presenters took part. In 2003, Richard Marson became the new editor, and his first tasks included changing the output of ''Blue Peter'' on the digital
CBBC CBBC (initialised as Children's BBC and also known as the CBBC Channel) is a British free-to-air public broadcast children's television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is also the brand used for all BBC content for children aged 7–16 ...
. The first year of the channel's launch consisted of repeated editions, plus spin-off series ''Blue Peter Unleashed'' and ''Blue Peter Flies the World''. This new arrangement involved a complex schedule of live programmes and pre-recorded material, being broadcast on BBC One and
CBBC CBBC (initialised as Children's BBC and also known as the CBBC Channel) is a British free-to-air public broadcast children's television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is also the brand used for all BBC content for children aged 7–16 ...
. Marson also introduced a brand new set, graphics and music. In September 2007, a new editor, Tim Levell, took over. At the same time, budget cuts meant that the programme came from a smaller studio. In February 2008 the BBC One programme was moved from 5 pm to 4.35 pm to accommodate ''
The Weakest Link ''Weakest Link'' (also known as ''The Weakest Link'') is a television game show which first appeared in the United Kingdom on BBC Two on 14 August 2000 and originally ended on 31 March 2012 when its host Anne Robinson completed her contract. ...
'', and as a result, ''Blue Peter''s ratings initially dropped to as low as 100,000 viewers in the age 6–12 bracket, before steadily improving. As with the previous decade, numerous presenters joined and left the programme. This included the exits of Thomas, Baker and Barker and the additions of Zöe Salmon, Gethin Jones and Andy Akinwolere. Early 2008 saw the departure of Huq, who had become the longest serving female presenter with over ten years on the show. Later that year, Salmon and Jones both left and the presenting team of Akinwolere with new additions
Helen Skelton Helen Elizabeth Skelton (born 19 July 1983) is an English television presenter and Actor, actress. She co-presented the BBC children's programme ''Blue Peter'' from 2008 until 2013, and since 2014 has been a presenter on ''Countryfile''. She als ...
and
Joel Defries Joel Nirmalan Defries (born 14 March 1985) is a British-born presenter, who worked on the BBC One children's programme ''Blue Peter'' from 2008 to 2010. He previously worked on the New Zealand television station, C4. Career Born in Hammersmith ...
was introduced. On 16 October 2008, Blue Peter celebrated the 50th Anniversary with a reception at Buckingham Palace hosted by Queen Elizabeth II and featuring several former presenters. There was a special live edition of the show broadcast to celebrate the anniversary with many returning presenters and a 60-minute documentary on BBC1 featuring interviews with many previous presenters and production staff, including Edward Barnes, Biddy Baxter and Rosemary Gill. Writing in the BBC's in-house magazine, ''Ariel'', in 2009, BBC Children's Controller
Richard Deverell Richard George Deverell (born 1965) became Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in September 2012. He was previously Controller of CBBC, the department within the BBC responsible for output aimed at children. Early life Deverell was born i ...
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''.


2011–2017

In January 2011,
Barney Harwood Barnaby John "Barney" Harwood (born 7 November 1979) is a British actor and television presenter. He is known for his work with CBBC beginning in 2002. Career Television For CBBC, Harwood presented '' Prank Patrol'' and was a voice-over comment ...
was introduced to the programme as replacement for Defries, who had departed in late 2010 after two years. Unusually, Harwood was no stranger to ''Blue Peter'' viewers, having appeared as a presenter on CBBC for many years, on shows including '' Prank Patrol'' and ''
Bear Behaving Badly ''Bear Behaving Badly'' is a British children's sitcom which originally aired for four series and was broadcast between 3 September 2007 and 21 December 2010. Background The programme is centred around the daily adventures of Barney Harwood, h ...
''. On 29 March 2011, ''Blue Peter'' became the first programme in the UK to broadcast an entire show in 360 degrees on the web. Viewers were able to watch the programme via their TVs and simultaneously interact with the television studio in front of and behind the cameras on the website. Viewers were also challenged to play a game where they had to find particular crew members and staff dressed up in distinctive costumes. The final edition of ''Blue Peter'' to broadcast from the BBC's Television Centre in London was broadcast on 28 June 2011, before a move to the BBC's new facilities at Dock10, MediaCityUK. The set left behind at BBC Television Centre was subsequently purchased and installed at
Sunderland University , mottoeng = Sweetly absorbing knowledge , established = 1901 - Sunderland Technical College1969 - Sunderland Polytechnic1992 - University of Sunderland (gained university status) , staff = , chancellor = Emeli ...
's David Puttnam Media Centre in August 2013. When the new series started on 26 September 2011, after the usual summer break, Harwood and Skelton revealed the new look ''Blue Peter'' studio along with the new music and title sequence. Departed presenter Andy Akinwolere was not initially replaced, and for the first time in 50 years only two presenters remained on the programme. The new ''Blue Peter'' Garden, located outside the studios, was officially opened by
Princess Anne Anne, Princess Royal (Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise; born 15 August 1950), is a member of the British royal family. She is the second child and only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the only sister of ...
in February 2012. From 12 January 2012, ''Blue Peter'' has been broadcast all year round (with no break for summer) once a week, its original premiere being on CBBC on Thursdays at 5.45pm, changed to 5.30pm from April 2013 then 5:00 pm from March 2015. It was usually repeated on Fridays on
BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, ...
, although this ceased in December 2012. A repeat airs at 9.00am on Sundays. At this time, Levell left to work at
BBC Radio 5 Live BBC Radio 5 Live is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that broadcasts mainly news, sport, discussion, interviews and phone-ins. It is the principal BBC radio station Broadcasting of sports events, covering sport in ...
; he was replaced (initially in an acting capacity) as editor by Ewan Vinnicombe, who had worked on the programme as a producer since 2007. The reformatted ''Blue Peter'' occasionally also included specials and spin-offs such as "Helen's Polar Adventure" or the ''Stargazing Live'' special on other days of the week. In 2013,
Lindsey Russell Lindsey Russell (born 25 September 1990) is a British television presenter. She is best known for being the thirty-sixth presenter of the long running British BBC television programme ''Blue Peter'', which she co-hosted from 2013 to 2021 with Bar ...
was voted the 36th presenter via ''Blue Peter - You Decide!'', a series of five programmes hosted by Dick and Dom, where ten aspiring presenters were set a number of challenges to prove that they were worthy of the position. Judges Cel Spellman,
Eamonn Holmes Eamonn Holmes (; born 3 December 1959)Holmes receives honorary degree
BBC ...
and
Myleene Klass Myleene Angela Klass (born 6 April 1978) is a British musician, singer, presenter, model and businesswoman. She was a member of the pop group Hear'Say, and later released two solo classical crossover albums in 2003 and 2007. More recently, Klass ...
decided the final three, before viewers were given the chance to vote online. Russell joined ''Blue Peter'' in September of that year, shortly before Skelton's departure and the introduction of her replacement
Radzi Chinyanganya Munyaradzi Thomas Kingsley "Radzi" Chinyanganya (born 12 September 1986) is a British presenter and broadcaster. He co-presented the BBC children's TV programme ''Blue Peter'' from 2013 until 2019, and the ITV game show ''Cannonball'' in 2017 ...
. From October 2013, the team consisted of Harwood, Russell and Chinyanganya. The format adapted with slightly different branding and a more classic take on the show, as well as beginning ''Blue Peter Bites'', which are five-minute clips showing just one challenge or video from episodes broadcast on CBBC. ''Blue Peter'' guide pup Iggy joined the team in 2014 and Shelley the Tortoise continues to make occasional appearances. The ''Blue Peter'' Garden is currently maintained by child gardener George who appears throughout the year. The team made more use of the website with more quizzes and videos such as 'Blue Peter VS...' and 'Ultimate Challenges' as well as holding a fan club hour after the show where fans could leave comments as to the answers of riddles or headline suggestions and ask guests questions. A popular game on the programme, ''Spot Shelley'' was also introduced, where, in most episodes, an animated version of Shelley the tortoise is hiding somewhere/on something and viewers must leave a comment on the website during the show, the first person to spot her wins a shout-out (or some more expensive or weird prizes as Harwood would often joke, such as a house in Spain or a unicorn called Eric). From April 2017, the show reverted to 5:30 pm. In September 2017, Harwood left the show, again leaving just two presenters. In the summer, ''Blue Peter'' often challenges its viewers to earn all of their ''Blue Peter'' badges (with the exception of orange and gold) through five weeks, where the team look at each individual badge for a week, finishing with the limited time Sports badge which appears every summer with a different design. In the show before these weeks, the team show viewers how to make something to keep their badges in/on and continue the theme through the weeks, these have included the Badge Baton Relay in 2016, where badges stored within a baton tube and the Big Badge Boat Bonanza in 2017, where badges displayed on the iconic BP ship, a 2D model that can be made from paper. Ahead of their Jubilee celebrations, ''Blue Peter'' introduced its first ever Guest Editor to the show on 19 October 2017 which was children's author Dame Jacqueline Wilson. Guest Editors have control for the day and plan what they what to show on their edition, as well as taking control behind the scenes.


2018–2021

A special programme broadcast on 1 February 2018, marked ''Blue Peters 5000th edition. A brand new Diamond badge was revealed for the first time, designed by Henry Holland. This was only to be awarded within the special 60th year of 2018. On 12 October 2017, it was revealed that outside of MediaCityUK, a Hollywood style walk of fame would be created with the names of famous people who have received a Gold ''Blue Peter'' badge. The walkway would lead up to the front of the studios and would help to mark 60 years of ''Blue Peter''. There were various celebrations across the UK for "The Big Birthday Year". In January, a competition was launched to design ''Blue Peter''s second birthday balloon to be flown. In May, the Millennium Time Capsule formally buried under the
Millennium Dome The Millennium Dome was the original name of the large dome-shaped building on the Greenwich Peninsula in South East London, England, which housed a major exhibition celebrating the beginning of the third millennium. As of 2022, it is the ni ...
, which was dug up accidentally in 2017 by builders went on tour with various past presenters around the country. A play, "Once Seen On ''Blue Peter''", ran at the Edinburgh Festival fringe in August, with six former presenters appearing in it. On 16 October 2018, a special one-hour live edition of the programme, entitled ''Blue Peter: Big 60th Birthday'', was broadcast on CBBC. Guests included The Vamps, Sophie Ellis-Bextor and
Ed Sheeran Edward Christopher Sheeran (; born 17 February 1991) is an English singer-songwriter. Born in Halifax, West Yorkshire and raised in Framlingham, Suffolk, he began writing songs around the age of eleven. In early 2011, Sheeran independently re ...
, who was presented with a gold ''Blue Peter'' badge. Former presenters returned for the show and contributed to the broadcast, including Leila Williams, Anita West, Valerie Singleton, Peter Purves, Lesley Judd, Sarah Greene, Peter Duncan, Janet Ellis, Yvette Fielding, John Leslie, Diane-Louise Jordan, Anthea Turner, Tim Vincent, Stuart Miles, Katy Hill, Romana D'Annunzio, Richard Bacon, Konnie Huq, Simon Thomas, Liz Barker, Zöe Salmon, Andy Akinwolere, Helen Skelton, Joel Defries and Barney Harwood. Matt Baker contributed a pre-recorded message and Mark Curry was represented by a lego model as he had to cancel his contribution due to ill health. The programme was repeated on
BBC Two BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It covers a wide range of subject matter, with a remit "to broadcast programmes of depth and substance" in contrast to the more mainstream a ...
on 20 October. The celebration was also marked by other BBC programming, including ''
The One Show ''The One Show'' is a British television magazine and chat show programme. Broadcast live on BBC One weeknights at 7:00 pm, it features topical stories and studio guests. It is currently co-hosted by Alex Jones, Jermaine Jenas, and Ronan ...
'' hosted by Matt Baker and former ''Blue Peter'' contributor Gabby Logan, which featured Sarah Greene, Mark Curry, Simon Thomas and Konnie Huq; ITV's ''
Lorraine Lorraine , also , , ; Lorrain: ''Louréne''; Lorraine Franconian: ''Lottringe''; german: Lothringen ; lb, Loutrengen; nl, Lotharingen is a cultural and historical region in Northeastern France, now located in the administrative region of Gra ...
'', where Greene appeared with Leila Williams and Anthea Turner; and ''
BBC Breakfast ''BBC Breakfast'' is the BBC television breakfast news programme. Produced by BBC News, the programme is broadcast on BBC One and the BBC News channel. The simulcast is presented live, originally from the BBC Television Centre, London before ...
'' which featured Lesley Judd. A documentary entitled ''Happy Birthday Blue Peter'' was broadcast that evening on
BBC Radio 2 BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 15 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the station broadcasts a wide range of content. ...
. It was hosted by Barney Harwood and featured interviews with past and present presenters, as well as members of the production team. As part of the birthday celebrations, a new plant species was named "Blue Peter". In February 2019 a gritter was named and decorated "Blue Peter", unveiled by Russell.


2021–present

On 3 June 2021, the show received a refresh with a new logo, title sequence, music and studio. This was the first major refresh since the show's move to
Salford Salford () is a city and the largest settlement in the City of Salford metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. In 2011, Salford had a population of 103,886. It is also the second and only other city in the metropolitan county afte ...
in 2011. The studio is environmentally-friendly and is composed of upcycled materials from past studios. On 24 June 2021, Russell announced that she would be leaving the show, after eight years. Her final show aired on 15 July 2021. On 17 June 2022, Adam Beales announced that he would be leaving the show, in July 2022, after 2 years. His final show aired on 15 July 2022. On 22 October 2022, former presenter Skelton danced a Charleston with professional partner
Gorka Marquez Gorka is both a given name and a surname, the Basque form of the given name George. Notable people with the name include: Given name *Gorka Brit, (born 1978), Spanish footballer * Gorka Elustondo (born 1987), Spanish footballer * Gorka González ...
on ''
Strictly Come Dancing ''Strictly Come Dancing'' (informally known as ''Strictly'') is a British dance contest show in which celebrities partner with professional dancers to compete in mainly ballroom and Latin dance. Each couple is scored by a panel of usually 4 j ...
'' to the ''Blue Peter'' theme tune as a part of the celebrations of BBC's 100th Anniversary. On 25 October 2022, Joel Mawhinney was announced as the latest presenter. Joel, 25, is a magician and content creator who first appeared in 2018 as a guest. He is best known for his illusions on social media where he has a huge following, with over 16.5 million on one platform alone. He also starred in his own
BBC Northern Ireland BBC Northern Ireland ( ga, BBC Thuaisceart Éireann; Ulster-Scots: ''BBC Norlin Airlan'') is a division of the BBC and the main public broadcaster in Northern Ireland. It is widely available across both Northern Ireland and the Republic of I ...
TV series ''Life is Magic'' in 2020. He comes from the seaside town of Bangor, Co. Down in Northern Ireland, Zoe Salmon is from the same town. Joel is the 41st Blue Peter presenter and will co-host alongside Richie, Mwaksy and Henry the dog, with his first live show airing on 11 November.


Presenters and contributors

Christopher Trace and
Leila Williams Leila Williams (born 1937) is a former British beauty queen and television presenter. She was one of the original presenters of ''Blue Peter'', working on the programme from 1958 to 1962. Career In 1957 Williams won the Miss Great Britain title ...
were the first presenters of ''Blue Peter'' in October 1958, and since then, there have been 38 subsequent presenters.
Richie Driss Richie Driss is an English television presenter, best known for presenting the weekly CBBC programme ''Blue Peter'' and becoming the 38th presenter on the show. Early life and career Driss was born in St Albans, Hertfordshire. He attended both ...
, who was announced as the 38th presenter in April 2019 currently presents the programme alongside Mwaksy Mudenda who was revealed as the 39th presenter in May 2020 and Joel Mawhinney, who joined as the 41st presenter in November 2022. Other personnel who have played roles on the show include the zoologist
George Cansdale George Soper Cansdale (29 November 1909 – 24 August 1993) was a British zoologist, writer and television personality. He was Superintendent of the Zoological Society of London, and one of the best-known presenters of wildlife programmes and it ...
, who was the programme's first on-screen veterinarian, and
Percy Thrower Percy John Thrower (30 January 1913 – 18 March 1988) was a British gardener, horticulturist, broadcaster and writer born at Horwood House in the village of Little Horwood, Buckinghamshire. He became nationally known through presenting garde ...
who was the show's gardening expert from 21 March 1974 to 23 November 1987 and was presented with a Gold ''Blue Peter'' badge shortly before he died in 1988. He was followed from 1988 until 1991 by Chris Crowder and from 1991 until 2000 by Clare Bradley. From 2004 until 2013 by Chris Collins. From 2014 to present, The Skinny Jean Gardeners Lee & Dale Connelly and child gardener George Hassal the RHS Ambassador, who makes various appearances throughout the year. Another contributor, though rarely seen on screen, was Margaret Parnell, who created almost all of the show's "makes" from 1963 until her retirement in 2001. Her role was then filled by Gillian Shearing, though Parnell's name still appeared in the credits from time to time when a classic "make" was re-used. Director/producer Alex Leger who joined the show in 1975 as a production assistant and retired in 2011, making him ''Blue Peter''s longest serving staff member ever. Presenter Anthea Turner said of Leger: "Alex was the director we feared and loved in the same sentence; he would push you to your limits of endurance and in my case made me face my fear of water by taking me to Crystal Palace to shoot a film about high board diving. Never have my knees knocked so much." Writing on ''
The Huffington Post ''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...
'' in November 2012, Leger admitted the "piles of clippings, strange souvenirs from overseas trips, half-finished 'makes' from the show and half-dead pot plants disguised the fact something ground-breaking was happening in the cramped ''Blue Peter'' offices". Leger published his book, ''Blue Peter: Behind the Badge'', on 5 November 2012, in collaboration with many of his former colleagues. The 40th presenter joined the team in September 2020, Adam Beales. The most recent presenter to depart was Beales, who left on 15 July 2022, after less than two years.


Pets

The ''Blue Peter'' pets are the animals who regularly appear on the programme. These include dogs, cats, parrots and tortoises. John Noakes was almost famous for his work with a dog called Shep. Among the most recent ''Blue Peter'' pets are two cats, one called Socks and one called Cookie; and one tortoise called Shelley. Dog Mabel retired on 30 March 2010 after 14 years on the show. Barney, a red setter-dachshund, made his TV debut on Tuesday 22 September 2009, and left four years later at the same time as his owner, presenter Helen Skelton. Lucy, a golden retriever, died aged 13 in late March 2011. In July 2013, Socks and Cookie made their final appearance in the studio in Salford, as (like Shelley the tortoise) they live in London, but they are still regarded as part of the programme team. Trained Guide Dog Iggy, who joined in 2014, still appears regularly. In 2019, new dog (Beagle-Basset Hound cross) Henry joined the team. They are attended by resident vet Dr Rory Cowlam.


Blue Peter Garden

Since the 1970s, presenters have maintained a ''Blue Peter'' Garden. The first garden, which was designed by British
horticulturist Horticulture is the branch of agriculture that deals with the art, science, technology, and business of plant cultivation. It includes the cultivation of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, herbs, sprouts, mushrooms, algae, flowers, seaweeds and no ...
Percy Thrower Percy John Thrower (30 January 1913 – 18 March 1988) was a British gardener, horticulturist, broadcaster and writer born at Horwood House in the village of Little Horwood, Buckinghamshire. He became nationally known through presenting garde ...
in 1974, was at the rear of Television Centre (). Its features included an Italian sunken garden with a pond that contained
goldfish The goldfish (''Carassius auratus'') is a freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae of order Cypriniformes. It is commonly kept as a pet in indoor aquariums, and is one of the most popular aquarium fish. Goldfish released into the wild have bec ...
, a vegetable patch, greenhouse and viewing platform. The garden was also used to commemorate the show's pets and notable events. A bust of the dog Petra was placed in the garden after her death in 1977. The remains of George the Tortoise were interred there in 2004. It had a sculptures of the ''Blue Peter'' ship, and a plaque honouring Percy Thrower, who died in 1988. The garden was often made available to other programmes for outside broadcasts such as the links between children's programmes during the summer months and for ''
BBC Breakfast ''BBC Breakfast'' is the BBC television breakfast news programme. Produced by BBC News, the programme is broadcast on BBC One and the BBC News channel. The simulcast is presented live, originally from the BBC Television Centre, London before ...
''s weather forecasts. On Monday 21 November 1983, Janet Ellis reported that over the weekend the garden had been vandalised. A rumour circulated in the early 1990s that the vandalism had been carried out by a gang that included the future English international footballers Dennis Wise and
Les Ferdinand Leslie Ferdinand MBE (born 8 December 1966) is an English football coach, former professional footballer and television pundit, who is currently the director of football at Queens Park Rangers. A striker, his playing career included notable sp ...
when they were teenagers. Both men denied any involvement, although Ferdinand did later appear to confess to "helping a few people over the wall." However, Ferdinand later recanted saying he had been making a joke and was never there. In September 2011, when the programme's production base moved to Dock10 in
Salford Salford () is a city and the largest settlement in the City of Salford metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. In 2011, Salford had a population of 103,886. It is also the second and only other city in the metropolitan county afte ...
, parts of the first garden including the sculptures and the sunken pond, were relocated to the piazza outside the new studio (). The 2000 ''Blue Peter'' time capsule that was buried in London was also brought to the new location. It was due to be opened in 2029 but was accidentally dug up in 2017. ''Blue Peters second garden was officially opened on Thursday 23 February 2012 by
The Princess Royal Princess Royal is a style customarily (but not automatically) awarded by a British monarch to their eldest daughter. Although purely honorary, it is the highest honour that may be given to a female member of the royal family. There have been sev ...
. Like its predecessor, it continues to be used throughout the year for outdoor broadcasts and live events.


Main badges

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 eBay Inc. ( ) is an American multinational e-commerce company based in San Jose, California, that facilitates consumer-to-consumer and business-to-consumer sales through its website. eBay was founded by Pierre Omidyar in 1995 and became ...
. 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 sending in a different creative contribution to the show when already having a Blue badge. * Green badges, for contributions with a conservation, nature or environmental theme * Gold badges, the most rarely awarded, for exceptional achievement, bravery or endeavour * Orange badges, for competition winners and runners-up (replacing the previous circular "competition winner's badge") * Fan Club badges, a purple badge awarded for completing a review of the show and providing suggestions for future segments * 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 completed up to V.I.P. level 7 on the Factbyte factory online game on the official ''Blue Peter'' website in 2009 * Sport badge, awarded each summer, based on participation in sport or physical activity * Diamond Badge, awarded to people from February 2018 to February 2019 to celebrate Blue Peter's 60th anniversary


Annual events

The programme also marks annual events, including
Chinese New Year Chinese New Year is the festival that celebrates the beginning of a new year on the traditional lunisolar and solar Chinese calendar. In Chinese and other East Asian cultures, the festival is commonly referred to as the Spring Festival () a ...
,
St David's Day Saint David's Day ( cy, Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Sant or ; ), or the Feast of Saint David, is the feast day of Saint David, the patron saint of Wales, and falls on 1 March, the date of Saint David's death in 589 AD. The feast has been regularly celebr ...
,
Shrove Tuesday Shrove Tuesday is the day before Ash Wednesday (the first day of Lent), observed in many Christian countries through participating in confession and absolution, the ritual burning of the previous year's Holy Week palms, finalizing one's Lenten ...
,
Mothering Sunday Mothering Sunday is a day honouring mother churches, the church where one is baptised and becomes "a child of the church", celebrated since the Middle Ages in the United Kingdom, Ireland and some Commonwealth countries on the fourth Sunday in ...
,
Guy Fawkes Night Guy Fawkes Night, also known as Guy Fawkes Day, Bonfire Night and Fireworks Night, is an annual commemoration list of minor secular observances#November, observed on 5 November, primarily in Great Britain, involving bonfires and firewor ...
and Christmas. The latter, in particular, is a special occasion with a traditional format repeated year on year.


Shrove Tuesday

Usually shows one of the presenters making a pancake. It is usually the newest presenter who makes the pancake and attempts to toss it perfectly.


Mothering Sunday

Usually shows the viewers how to make their own Mother's Day card or present.


Guy Fawkes Night

Usually tells the history of
Guy Fawkes Guy Fawkes (; 13 April 1570 – 31 January 1606), also known as Guido Fawkes while fighting for the Spanish, was a member of a group of provincial English Catholics involved in the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605. He was born and educated ...
and the
Gunpowder Plot The Gunpowder Plot of 1605, in earlier centuries often called the Gunpowder Treason Plot or the Jesuit Treason, was a failed assassination attempt against King James I by a group of provincial English Catholics led by Robert Catesby who sough ...
whilst the presenters tell viewers about the firework code and tips for a safe bonfire and fireworks night.


Christmas

The traditional Christmas programme usually opens with the signature tune being replaced with a brass band arrangement of the carol " Good King Wenceslas" juxtaposed with shots of viewers' home-made Christmas cards and followed by the lighting of the final candle on the Advent Crown. 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 {{Use dmy dates, date=December 2017 The Chalk Farm Band is brass band of the Salvation Army located at the Salvation Army Centre in Haverstock Hill, Chalk Farm, London, England. It is one of the best known brass bands of the Salvation Army in t ...
and children from various schools, assisted by members of the
BBC Symphony Chorus The BBC Symphony Chorus is a British amateur chorus based in London. It is the dedicated chorus for the BBC Symphony Orchestra, though it performs with other national and international orchestras. Brief history Background In its early years, th ...
, 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. In some years there was a Christmas play, either spoofing hit movies like '' Grease'', popular songs or a
pantomime Pantomime (; informally panto) is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment. It was developed in England and is performed throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland and (to a lesser extent) in other English-speakin ...
. 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 (although the crib had been glimpsed in the previous edition), ending a format repeated annually since the 1960s. Apart from presents for the presenters and pets and a brief look at the programme's Nativity crib, the traditional elements remained largely absent in 2008 and 2009. From 2010 the closing carol was reinstated, with the
Chalk Farm Salvation Army Band {{Use dmy dates, date=December 2017 The Chalk Farm Band is brass band of the Salvation Army located at the Salvation Army Centre in Haverstock Hill, Chalk Farm, London, England. It is one of the best known brass bands of the Salvation Army in t ...
being replaced by the Salford band from 2011 onwards, as the programme had moved to MediaCity by then. In 2014, the full traditional content was revived, including the viewers' home-made cards accompanied by the Good King Wenceslas arrangement, the Advent Crown (although now using electric candles for safety reasons) and (after an absence in the previous two years) the sparkling ship logo appearing by the shot of the crib in the studio at the end of the closing carol. The Good King Wenceslas sequence was discontinued in 2016, but the Nativity crib, Advent Crown and sparkling ship logo endured, although the last two did not feature in 2020. However in 2021, the Advent Crown returned.


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. For example, in 1973–74, Blue Peter sponsored a "Stampede", asking people to donate postage stamps in support of Ethiopian famine relief. 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 UNICEF (), originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to c ...
, 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 Barnardo's is a British charity founded by Thomas John Barnardo in 1866, to care for vulnerable children. As of 2013, it raised and spent around £200 million each year running around 900 local services, aimed at helping these same group ...
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'', previously a 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 reinstatement of a physical studio set Totaliser. The 2009 Appeal was "Send a Smile Appeal" which was symbolic as being the first Appeal in the history of the programme to blend a collecting theme with the Blue Peter "make" methodology. Children were 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 were to be used as surgical gowns for their operations. Appeal contributors were 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. In subsequent years, the traditional Appeal has been dropped in favour of general fundraising and awareness-raising for BBC Children in Need. As part of the 50th year a BBC estimate was that since the first appeal started ''Blue Peter'' has raised over £100 million (inflation adjusted figure to 2008 value) by appeals. In 2018, it was announced that to celebrate ''Blue Peters 60th year, it's 'Bring and Buy Sales' would be returning in aid of BBC Children in Need.


Book awards

''Blue Peter'' promotes the Blue Peter Book Awards, a series of literary prizes for
children's literature Children's literature or juvenile literature includes stories, books, magazines, and poems that are created for children. Modern children's literature is classified in two different ways: genre or the intended age of the reader. Children's ...
awarded annually, and inaugurated in 2000.


Time capsules

One of the most iconic parts of the show is its time capsules. Tradition began in 1971 when the first Blue Peter time capsule was buried, set to be opened in 2000 to show the next generations of viewers about life of the time, viewers selecting what goes in the time capsule. Since then more time capsules have been buried and opened.


1971–2000

The first time capsule was buried by Valerie Singleton, John Noakes and Peter Purves in front of the BBC Television Centre, where the presenters dug and buried the capsule. It contained objects from the time such as a copy of the 1970 Blue Peter annual, a set of decimal coins – which were introduced in 1971 – and photographs of the three presenters. The box had to be moved at one point in its long burial - the original site of the capsule was due to be developed in 1984 so the box was unearthed and moved to another site in the Blue Peter garden. On Friday 7 January 2000, presenters Katy, Konnie, Simon and Matt were joined with Valerie, John and Peter, who buried the capsule, to help unearth it. The team used a treasure map to locate the box and then dug it up and opened it. Water had leaked into the box and partially damaged some items, however most of the items were in surprisingly good condition. Editor Richard Marson decided that the opening of the capsule should not be broadcast live as it was unclear as to what would be discovered inside or even if the rusted container could even be opened. He was glad he made this decision when it became clear during the recording that the capsule had at some point been opened - probably at the time it was moved and reburied - and that the contents had been wrapped entirely differently from the original burial. By editing the video of the opening, he managed to avoid this becoming obvious to the viewers.


1981–2022

A second box was buried in March 1981 by Simon Groome, Sarah Greene and Peter Duncan under a multi-storey carpark at BBC Television Centre. It featured ‘records of what life was like in the 1980s’, including projects and drawings from the children on food, fashion, and sport. It also featured records from Blue Peter at the time, including photos of the presenters and their ‘signature tunes’. It had been discovered by builders at BBC Television Centre in 2022 and was opened up on This Morning in June 2022 by Sarah Greene,
Phillip Schofield Phillip Bryan Schofield (born 1 April 1962) is an English television presenter who works for ITV. He is currently the co-presenter of ITV's '' This Morning'' (2002–present) and ''Dancing on Ice'' (2006–2014, 2018–present) alongside Holl ...
and
Holly Willoughby Holly Marie Willoughby ( ; born 10 February 1981) is an English television presenter, author and model. She is currently the co-presenter of ITV's '' This Morning'' (2009–present) and ''Dancing on Ice'' (2006–2011, 2018–present) alongsid ...
.


1984–2000

A third box was buried alongside the original by presenters Simon Groom, Peter Duncan and Janet Ellis, when the original was moved to the Blue Peter garden. This box contained hairs from Goldie the Blue Peter Labrador, a record of the programme's theme tune arranged by Mike Oldfield and video footage of the moving of Petra's statue. The later capsule was dug up by Groom and Ellis.


1998–2017/2050 (The Millennium Time Capsule)

The fourth was buried by Katy Hill and Richard Bacon in the floor beneath the Millennium Dome on 11 June 1998. As well as containing Blue Peter items including a badge and history of the programme, the capsule also contains a set of Teletubby dolls, an insulin pen and a France '98 football. The time capsule was set to be opened in 2050, however in 2017 it was accidentally dug up by builders and damaged. It was then taken back to Salford and restored successfully. In 2018 it was announced that, as part of the show’s 60th birthday, the contents would go on tour with various past presenters meeting it at several locations, after which it would be stored in the National Archives until 2050.


2000–2029

Following the unearthing of the first two time capsules in 2000 a fourth time capsule was to be buried in the Blue Peter garden. Alongside one of the recent Blue Peter books, two video tapes of the shows best bits from 1999, Photographs of the presenters and crew of the show in 2000 as well as items celebrating the shows 40th birthday in 1998. Matt Baker, Simon Thomas, Katy Hill & Konnie Huq also contributed by adding their own contribution. The capsule is due to be dug up in 2029.


2018–2038 (The Diamond Time Capsule)

In 2018, the team announced a new time capsule for their 60th anniversary. Viewers could suggest the contents of the time capsule through the website for the first time, and it is also to be stored in the National Archives, the first time it will not be buried. The capsule was stored on the 60th birthday programme by a competition winner, who had won the chance to have her design printed onto the capsule, as well as presenters Radzi Chinyanganya, Lindsey Russell, Valerie Singleton, Peter Purves, Janet Ellis and Katy Hill.


Books

In 1964, the first ''Blue Peter'' book was published by Lutterworth Press, by arrangement with the BBC. Due to the success of the book, the BBC produced an in house publication the following year. 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 1997, 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, 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. In 1973 a book about
Paddington Bear Paddington Bear is a fictional character in children's literature. He first appeared on 13 October 1958 in the children's book ''A Bear Called Paddington'' and has been featured in more than twenty books written by British author Michael Bond, a ...
's adventures with Blue Peter was published, called Paddington's Blue Peter Story Book. In 2011 it was announced that, due to falling sales, the annuals would be scrapped. However, programme editor Tim Levell indicated that the book could return in the future.


Broadcast history


BBC One (1958–2012)

''Blue Peter'' first aired once a week on Mondays on the BBC Television Service, now
BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, ...
, 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. A third show was added in 1995, broadcasting on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and from 2000 the show began airing at 5pm, due to ''
Newsround ''Newsround'' (stylised as ''newsround'', and originally called ''John Craven's Newsround'' before his departure in 1989) is a BBC children's news programme, which has run continuously since 4 April 1972. It was one of the world's first tele ...
'' moving to a later slot. From 2006 the show's output began to be reduced, first by dropping the Friday edition, and initially moving the programme schedule to Monday to Wednesday, before moving again to Tuesday to Thursday. In May 2007, it was announced the show would lose a show a week and return to broadcasting twice weekly, leaving Tuesday and Wednesday the only days on which ''Blue Peter'' was broadcast on BBC One. At the time the BBC claimed that the purpose of returning to two shows a week was to increase the quality of the programme's content rather than simply a means of reducing production costs. The show's schedule was changed again in February 2008 when ''Blue Peter'' was moved to the 4.35 pm slot on BBC One,Marson, p.168 due to ''
The Weakest Link ''Weakest Link'' (also known as ''The Weakest Link'') is a television game show which first appeared in the United Kingdom on BBC Two on 14 August 2000 and originally ended on 31 March 2012 when its host Anne Robinson completed her contract. ...
'' moving from BBC Two to replace ''
Neighbours ''Neighbours'' is an Australian television soap opera, which has aired since 18 March 1985. It was created by television executive Reg Watson. The Seven Network commissioned the show following the success of Watson's earlier soap '' Sons an ...
'' which had transferred to
Five 5 is a number, numeral, and glyph. 5, five or number 5 may also refer to: * AD 5, the fifth year of the AD era * 5 BC, the fifth year before the AD era Literature * ''5'' (visual novel), a 2008 visual novel by Ram * ''5'' (comics), an awa ...
. However, this timing change led to a decrease in viewing figures for the weekday afternoon CBBC One slot, with Blue Peter receiving fewer than 100,000 viewers, down from around 335,000 in 2003. The
BBC Trust The BBC Trust was the governing body of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) between 2007 and 2017. It was operationally independent of BBC management and external bodies, and its stated aim was to make decisions in the best interests of ...
recommended that the BBC produce plans, detailing how they intended to increase viewership, by mid-2009. In September 2010, the show was moved from Wednesdays and Tuesdays to Mondays and Tuesdays at the same time slot.


CBBC Channel (2012–)

From Thursday, 12 January 2012 another episode was dropped, with the show coming full circle by only broadcasting one new episode each week. For the first time in the show's history, first run episodes were now broadcast on the
CBBC Channel CBBC (initialised as Children's BBC and also known as the CBBC Channel) is a British free-to-air public broadcast children's television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is also the brand used for all BBC content for children aged 7– ...
, at 5.45pm on Thursdays. However, a repeat was still broadcast the following day on BBC One. Eventually however, in December 2012, ''Blue Peter'' ended its 54-year run on BBC One and now airs only on the CBBC Channel. The move came as regular children's programming was removed entirely from BBC One and Two following the completion of the digital switchover. Viewing figures determined that 93% of CBBC's target audience was now watching the BBC's children's programming on the dedicated CBBC Channel (including first-run episodes of ''Blue Peter''), and few viewers were watching solely on BBC One.


Repeats and spin-off shows

''Blue Peter'' was first repeated in full on satellite and cable channel
UK Gold Gold is a British pay television channel from the UKTV network that was launched in late 1992 as UK Gold before it was rebranded UKTV Gold in 2004. In 2008, it was split into current flagship channel Gold and miscellaneous channel, W, with clas ...
in the 1990s, one of the first archive channels in the UK. Later it moved to sister channel UK Gold Classics when UK Gold began broadcasting more recent programmes, although that channel lasted only six months before closing. In September 1998, the BBC launched its first digital only channel
BBC Choice BBC Choice was a British digital television channel which was owned by the BBC and was launched on 23 September 1998. It was the first British TV channel to broadcast exclusively in digital format, as well as the BBC's second non-analogue-terres ...
. A few months after launch, a new weekend afternoon ''CBBC Choice'' strand began broadcasting, and as part of this a highlights show ''Re:Peter'' showcased the best of that week's Blue Peter shows. ''Re:Peter'', along with a similar highlights show for
Live & Kicking ''Live & Kicking'' is a British children's television series that originally aired on BBC1 from 2 October 1993 to 15 September 2001. It was the replacement for '' Going Live!'', and took many of its features from it, such as phone-ins, games, ...
known as ''L&K Replay'', ended when the strand was axed in April 2000 and became the daily 6am7pm ''CBBC on Choice'' programming block which launched in November 1999. However, in 2002, repeats of ''Blue Peter'' started being shown on CBBC on Choice's successor, the newly launched CBBC TV channel, along with spin-off shows ''Blue Peter Unleashed'' and ''Blue Peter Flies the World''. From 2003 a new arrangement involved new material being shown daily, on both BBC One and the CBBC Channel. In 2017, ''Blue Peter Bite'', a five-minute programme which features challenges previously shown on the programme was introduced. However, this has since been renamed ''Blue Peter Challenges'', and only includes challenges.


Signature tune and motif

The
signature tune A signature song is the one song (or, in some cases, one of a few songs) that a popular and well-established recording artist or band is most closely identified with or best known for. This is generally differentiated from a one-hit wonder in th ...
has always been a hornpipe, originally using variations of ''Barnacle Bill'' by Herbert Ashworth-Hope (not to be confused with the bawdy American drinking song ''
Barnacle Bill the Sailor "Barnacle Bill the Sailor" ( Roud 4704) is an American drinking song adapted from "Bollocky Bill the Sailor", a traditional folk song originally titled "Abraham Brown".Cray, Ed. (1992) ''The Erotic Muse: American Bawdy Songs''. University of Illin ...
''.) The original version of the theme was a recording by the New Century Orchestra issued by the
FDH Mood Music FDH may refer to: Biology, health and medicine * (-)-Endo-fenchol dehydrogenase] Other uses * Daglish railway station, in Western Australia * FDH Bank, Malawi * Freies Deutsches Hochstift, a foundation in Frankfurt, Germany * Frères des H ...
library. From the 2008 series, the theme became a rendition of the similar '' Sailor's Hornpipe''. However, from 14 October 2008, the tune has been a blend of both tunes.


Opening theme

The following is a list of all the versions of the ''Blue Peter'' signature tune that have been used on the show: * Sidney Torch & The New Century Orchestra: October 1958 to January 1979 *
Mike Oldfield Mike may refer to: Animals * Mike (cat), cat and guardian of the British Museum * Mike the Headless Chicken, chicken that lived for 18 months after his head had been cut off * Mike (chimpanzee), a chimpanzee featured in several books and document ...
: January 1979 to June 1989 (see "Blue Peter" (Mike Oldfield instrumental)) * Simon Brint: September 1989 to September 1992 * Simon Brint: September 1992 to September 1994 *
The Yes/No People Yes/No People were a British band which recorded on London Records, and which featured Luke Cresswell and Steve McNicholas, and now are best known for their dance theatre performance pieces called '' Stomp''. Pookiesnackenburger Yes/No People grew ...
: September 1994 to August 1999 * David Arnold and the
BBC Philharmonic Orchestra The BBC Philharmonic is a national British broadcasting symphony orchestra and is one of five radio orchestras maintained by the British Broadcasting Corporation. The Philharmonic is a department of the BBC North Group division based at Media ...
: September 1999 to June 2004 * Nial Brown: September 2004 to December 2006 *Dave Cooke: January 2007 to June 2007 *Dave Cooke & The Blue Peter Music Makers: September 2007 to June 2008 *Dobs Vye: September 2008 – June 2011 *
Banks & Wag Banks & Wag are composers based in London. Chris Banks and Wag Marshall-Page studied Commercial Music together at the University of Westminster (1996-1999). After graduation, Chris studied Composition For Screen at the Royal College of Music (1 ...
: September 2011 – May 2021 * Sanj Sen: June 2021 – present The debut of a new version of the theme tune is sometimes accompanied with an introduction by the presenters at the time explaining the reasons behind the new rendition. In 2006, a new version was arranged and recorded by Murray Gold as part of the Music Makers competition, with prize winners taking part in the final orchestral recording. Viewers were told that this recording 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 ''Sailor's Hornpipe'' and the opening bars removed. Between January and June 2007, Dave Cooke (who was the husband of ex-presenter Tina Heath) 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 ultimately aired bears little resemblance to either the original Murray Gold/Music Makers recording or any previous recording of the theme. For the start of the September 2008 series, ''Barnacle Bill'' was dropped after nearly fifty years and replaced by an arrangement of the very similar ''Sailor's Hornpipe''. On 14 October (the same week as the 50th anniversary) the opening tune was reworked to include elements of "Barnacle Bill" once again. The closing theme for 2008 was the same as the opening signature tune. In September 2011, the series returned to using "Barnacle Bill" though with the opening bars and drum roll omitted and the traditional closing signature tune not used. On 16 October 2018 (the same week as the 60th anniversary), the opening tune was remixed like the 50th anniversary one, which is composed by David Roocroft. A new version of the ''Blue Peter'' theme and opening titles was introduced in 2021.


Closing theme

There is little or no record of the closing music of ''Blue Peter'' in its earliest days, but by the mid-1960s, the show was closing with an edit of Parts Two and Three of ''Drums and Fife'', from a 1961 suite of six library cues by Wilfred Burns, performed by The Light Symphonia, conducted by Roberto Capelli (Conroy, BM 301-A). This recording remained in use until January 1979 when it was replaced by an arrangement by Mike Oldfield. The track continued to be rearranged along with subsequent versions of the opening theme until 1999, when ''Drums and Fife'' was dropped and the opening theme was instead used to close the show. ''Drums and Fife'' returned in an arrangement by Nial Brown used from 2004 to 2006, and then by Dave Cooke as of January 2007. From September 2007 to June 2008 the closing theme was slightly extended and rearranged, again by Dave Cooke. From 2008 ''Drums and Fife'' was dropped again with the closing theme being the same as opening signature tune.


Motif

The programme's motif is a stylised
sailing ship A sailing ship is a sea-going vessel that uses sails mounted on masts to harness the power of wind and propel the vessel. There is a variety of sail plans that propel sailing ships, employing square-rigged or fore-and-aft sails. Some ships ...
designed by
Tony Hart Norman Antony Hart (15 October 1925 – 18 January 2009),Debrett's People of Today 2008, Debrett's Peerage Ltd, 2007. known professionally as Tony Hart, was an English artist best known for his work in educating children in art through his role ...
. 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.


Opening titles

1958–1989: The original opening titles showed a Blue Peter flag being lowered on a ship. By the late 1960s, the opening sequence featured extracts of that edition's filmed inserts or an event in the studio where speech was absent accompanied by the signature tune and superimposed presenter credits. The presenter's names were always listed in 'seniority' based on the order in which they joined the programme. From 1972 to 1975, any edition that featured Valerie Singleton, whether she was in the studio co-presenting the show, being seen in a filmed insert or even featuring in a repeated film item from the archives, her name was always above the other presenters. 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 to 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: This era of ''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. 2009–2011: In the same style to the 2008 titles; however, the presenters' pictures and first names were now featured in the titles, following the 'coming up' section. 2011–2013: The new Blue Peter titles were created by Mighty Giant. The titles were meant to capture the essence of the show in 20 short seconds. The sequence Mighty Giant created had the presenters playing and throwing an object that changes throughout. As it transforms it captures another element of Blue Peter. These objects include for Helen, the Blue Peter adventure box, Technology screen and a ball. Barney's elements of Blue Peter in the titles include a globe, a piece of gaming technology and a keyboard. Mighty Giant shot the presenters against a green screen and then combined them with 3d objects back at its Northern Quarter base to create the desired effect. The logo also had a make over with the ship being put into a blue circle and the original designed ship in white inside the circle. The writing is the same as the 2008 logo. 2013–2015: In 2013, the sequence had been replaced by a series of clips of previous programme activities. 2015–2021: In 2015, the sequence had a colourful graphics with rainbow lines, as well as the letters of the logo and the ''Blue Peter'' ship logo were floating around in the titles. This sequence was designed by Liquid. It looked similar to the 1999–2004 and 2004–2006 ones. 2021–present: A new sequence has introduced in 2021, which featured modern-day objects (e.g. a hand writing the message to the series), flying badges, and various clips of the series. Like the previous sequence, it is designed by Liquid. General notes: The opening titles of every programme featured 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 (after 1995 and the introduction of the fourth presenter it was unusual to have all four presenters in the studio at the same time, save for special programmes). The only time this rule was 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. From September 2004, the opening titles only featured their first names, perhaps in a move to make the presenters appear more accessible to the audience. From September 2008, the titles went back to traditional style, not including presenters or their names. This however was changed again in 2009, when pictures of the presenters popped out from nowhere with their name by the side of them. For the new Technology themed titles for September 2011, the presenters Helen and Barney appeared with specially shot sequences. The names however did not make a return. For the first time the presenters were interacting with different objects in the titles.


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 simple 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, starting from 1987 until 1989, the sequence cuts to the frame of the Blue Peter ship that lights up. 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 was that the text scrolled along the bottom third of the screen from right to left, usually overlaid on a graphical bar in the style of the opening titles. 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. the 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'' logo, the "bbc.co.uk/cbbc" caption border and the CBBC logo (and later, BBC Children's Productions Limited.) General notes: The exceptions to the above were during the Christmas programme, when the credits still scrolled from right to left, often with Christmas-themed drawings separating each crew member. Until 2006, and again from 2010, 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 (although the sparkling ship did not appear in the Christmas 2012 and 2013 editions). When a "make" was featured in the programme, the creator of the item (invariably the retired Margaret Parnell or Gillian Shearing) was credited first (until credits were discontinued in 2008). An example of this would be "Dolls House make by Margaret Parnell".


Controversy


Presenters sacked

In October 1998, Richard Bacon became the first presenter to have his contract terminated mid-run, after he admitted to taking
cocaine Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly used recreationally for its euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from the leaves of two Coca species native to South Am ...
and punching a wall, following reports in a tabloid newspaper. Lorraine Heggessey, then the Head of BBC Children's programmes, apologised on air. However, before Bacon, four previous presenters had left the programme when their contracts were not renewed, each for different reasons: these were
Leila Williams Leila Williams (born 1937) is a former British beauty queen and television presenter. She was one of the original presenters of ''Blue Peter'', working on the programme from 1958 to 1962. Career In 1957 Williams won the Miss Great Britain title ...
in 1962, Christopher Wenner in 1980,
Michael Sundin Michael Sundin (1 March 1961 – 23 July 1989) was an English television presenter, actor, puppeteer, dancer and trampolinist. He was a presenter of the BBC children's programme ''Blue Peter'' for 77 episodes between 1984 and 1985. Early life an ...
in 1985 and Romana D'Annunzio in 1998.


Fake phone competition winner

It was revealed by the BBC that a phone-in competition supporting the
UNICEF UNICEF (), originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to c ...
"Shoe Biz Appeal", held on 27 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 when receiving the calls. Former editor Biddy Baxter, described as still being influential with the programme today, explained 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, had stood down from his job, although any link to the controversy of March 2007 remains in doubt. In July 2007, ''Blue Peter'' was given a £50,000 fine by the
Office of Communications The Office of Communications, commonly known as Ofcom, is the government-approved regulatory and competition authority for the broadcasting, telecommunications and postal industries of the United Kingdom. Ofcom has wide-ranging powers acros ...
(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 Cycling, also, when on a two-wheeled bicycle, called bicycling or biking, is the use of cycles for transport, recreation, exercise or sport. People engaged in cycling are referred to as "cyclists", "bicyclists", or "bikers". Apart from ...
along with
Mayor of London The mayor of London is the chief executive of the Greater London Authority. The role was created in 2000 after the Greater London devolution referendum in 1998, and was the first directly elected mayor in the United Kingdom. The current m ...
,
Ken Livingstone Kenneth Robert Livingstone (born 17 June 1945) is an English politician who served as the Leader of the Greater London Council (GLC) from 1981 until the council was abolished in 1986, and as Mayor of London from the creation of the office ...
. The
Conservative Party The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right. Political parties called The Conservative P ...
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 Liverpool City Council is the governing body for the city of Liverpool in Merseyside, England. It consists of 90 councillors, three for each of the city's 30 wards. The council is currently controlled by the Labour Party and is led by Mayor J ...
, 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 the return of the badge. The letter (which was later discovered to be a forgery) stated that ''Blue Peter'' had been approached by the office of
Neil Kinnock Neil Gordon Kinnock, Baron Kinnock (born 28 March 1942) is a British former politician. As a member of the Labour Party, he served as a Member of Parliament from 1970 until 1995, first for Bedwellty and then for Islwyn. He was the Leader of ...
(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 they had sent no such letter (thereby proving it was a hoax) and an angry Ruse started a local and national enquiry to find out who sent the hoax letter.


"Socks"

In September 2007, an online vote on the BBC's ''Blue Peter'' official website took place to choose the name of the eighth ''Blue Peter'' kitten in January – the reported story was that, instead of calling the cat "Cookie" as chosen by a majority of the votes, the staff overruled the vote and called the kitten "
Socks A sock is a piece of clothing worn on the feet and often covering the ankle or some part of the calf. Some types of shoes or boots are typically worn over socks. In ancient times, socks were made from leather or matted animal hair. In the late ...
", citing problems with the voting system and a large surge in the former name. As a result of negative media coverage, the original cat, Socks, was joined by another kitten named
Cookie A cookie is a baked or cooked snack or dessert that is typically small, flat and sweet. It usually contains flour, sugar, egg, and some type of oil, fat, or butter. It may include other ingredients such as raisins, oats, chocolate chips, nu ...
, as had been chosen in the online vote. The BBC broadcast an apology on 25 September 2007 at the start of the new series.


Tributes, honours and awards

In a list of the
100 Greatest British Television Programmes The BFI TV 100 is a list of 100 television programmes or series that was compiled in 2000 by the British Film Institute (BFI), as chosen by a poll of industry professionals, with the aim to determine the best United Kingdom, British television pr ...
drawn up by the
British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...
in 2000, voted for by industry professionals, ''Blue Peter'' was placed 6th. In 1992, ''Blue Peter'' won the BAFTA for Best Children's Programme (Factual): Lewis Bronze. In 2008, ''Blue Peter'' was nominated for the BAFTA Children's Kids Vote Award.
Asteroid An asteroid is a minor planet of the inner Solar System. Sizes and shapes of asteroids vary significantly, ranging from 1-meter rocks to a dwarf planet almost 1000 km in diameter; they are rocky, metallic or icy bodies with no atmosphere. ...
16197 Bluepeter is named in its honour. The asteroid was discovered on 7 January 2000, the day that the ''Blue Peter''
time capsule A time capsule is a historic cache of goods or information, usually intended as a deliberate method of communication with future people, and to help future archaeologists, anthropologists, or historians. The preservation of holy relics dates ...
s from 1971 and 1984 were unearthed.


See also

* BBC *
CBBC (TV channel) CBBC (initialised as Children's BBC and also known as the CBBC Channel) is a British free-to-air public broadcast children's television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is also the brand used for all BBC content for children aged 7–16 ...
* ''
Go With Noakes John Noakes (born John Wallace Bottomley; 6 March 1934 – 28 May 2017) was an English television presenter and former actor. He co-presented the BBC children's magazine programme ''Blue Peter'' in the 1960s and 1970s and was the show's longes ...
'' * '' Duncan Dares'' * '' Junior Magazine''


Notes


References

* * *


External links

*
''50 Years of Blue Peter''
National Science and Media Museum The National Science and Media Museum (formerly The National Museum of Photography, Film & Television, 1983–2006 and then the National Media Museum, 2006–2017), located in Bradford, West Yorkshire, is part of the national Science Museum G ...
exhibition looking at 50 years of ''Blue Peter'' * *
List of ''Blue Peter'' presenters on BBC website
nbsp;– no longer updated since September 2005 {{Blue Peter presenters Blue Peter 1958 British television series debuts 1950s British children's television series 1960s British children's television series 1970s British children's television series 1980s British children's television series 1990s British children's television series 2000s British children's television series 2010s British children's television series 2020s British children's television series CBBC shows British children's education television series BBC children's television shows Television series by BBC Studios English-language television shows BAFTA winners (television series)