To be sad that Blue Peter is ending on TV?

[CannThomas]

Read the news this morning that Blue Peter is leaving out TV screens and going online only. AIBU to feel gutted? It was such a massive part of my televisual childhood!

God, is it still going? I thought it had already finished yeeeears ago!

I can't imagine it doing well any more tbh. Kids have changed. I can see this now being as dull as dishwater to our new generations.

We only liked it because it was the only thing for kids to watch, being we only had 5 channels and only 2 of them doing a couple of hours dedicated to kids stuff. It's as exciting as it got back then! But with Netflix, YouTube et al, I'm surprised it lasted this long

I have a 12 yr old who's never heard of it.

Unfortunately a lot of kids TV will be going online, I think both Cbeebies and CBBC will eventually be entirely online.
I babysat two kids a couple years ago who didn't know what channels were.
I think it's sad that streaming services make shows available at all times, with so much choice! Kids won't feel the excitement of waiting all week for the next episode, or the comforting feeling of the whole nation tuning into something at the same time.

It’s not ending on tv. It’s just ending live broadcasting. It’ll still be on cbbc as now. And probably still as boring as it was when I was a kid and when my kids watched children’s tv.

It was boring when I was a child but we weren't allowed to watch Magpie as it was on ITV 😂

It's not ending on "normal" telly.
It's currently shown on CBBC (which may be going online only) but it's also shown on BBC2 on Saturdays.

Yep it's just not being broadcast live any more. I am not sure why it was broadcast live for so long anyway, it doesn't need to be!

I didn’t realise BBC did live broadcasts of any kids shows anymore.

I always found it boring even as a kid!

God I remember it being dull as anything when I was a kid (back in the day where we only had 5 channels!) and had no idea it was still going 🥴

I loved it but my now 16yo totally refused to watch it when he was the target audience because he thought it was boring. As mentioned above it's not stopping it's just not live.

Yes, this. Don’t just read the headlines!

Oh phew! Glad it isn't stopping altogether!

Honestly it was dull even when I was a kid in the 70's. There was just nothing else to watch.

I haven't seen it in years since my kids are grown up and the demise of children's programmes on BBC/ITV. The writing was on the wall with that. Too much dross online, no quality children's and not so young children drama anymore available to everyone and advertised.

Ah sorry all - I stand corrected then - it is still on TV just not live

God, it was boring when I was a child 30 years ago - I'm surprised they're still making it, let alone broadcasting it live!

Yes still going but it’s been on the CBBC channel since 2012

I’m shocked that your 12 year old has never heard of it - but then I was born in 1972 - it was our bread and butter!!! 🤣

I don't mind it being recorded a few hours or a day beforehand. What I would like to see is it being given a slot on BBC1, along with some other children's tv. Say for half an hour in the early evening, we could cope with one less game show.

Children's tv should not be shut away altogether.

ah hadn’t realised it was shown on BBC2 Saturdays - still it’s not the same as BBC1 at 5.10pm weeknights !!

I was born in 1973 and it was boring as shit in my day too.

Absolutely me too - agree with everything you’ve said here

I thought it was boring in the 80s/90s so I’m surprised it’s lasted as long as it has!

I remember the original series with Chris and Val. I also remember Petra the dog being introduced as a puppy. Then Val was joined by Peter Purvis and John Noakes which was the best combo imo. I stopped watching when they left and switched over to Magpie - by then I was in my early teens. After that I discovered alcohol, weed and an insatiable crush on Marc Bolan.

The BBC made a massive mistake in launching cbbc. They had a captive audience in a traditional slot which was simple to just switch on and watch. They limited their product to the under 10s so cutting off a large part of the after school watching demographic.
Blue Peter was a strange show when I was a kid in the 80s. Simon Groom was a main presenter, chosen it seems in the basis his parents had a farm used in another BBC children's show. He was dreadful, despite so many attempts to relax him. We had countless visits to the farm, him singing elvis....it's unsurprising he's done nothing since.
Janet Ellis was sacked for having a baby and not being married.
They had the presenters doing ridiculously dangerous things...like climbing Nelson column without any safety equipment...just a ladder.

Simply it was there because it represented the middle class boys own adventures world that the BBC bosses liked.

I didn't know what sticky back plastic was until I was 17, no it's not selotape, it's sheets of plastic used to line cupboards. Also pipe cleaners! Who the hell had pipe cleaners....and don't start me on the fire risk advent candle holders!

Yeah it’s sad in a way but let’s be honest, even in the classic time of John Noakes, Peter Purves and Val Singleton, I’d be ever so slightly disappointed remembering it was Tuesday or Thursday and Blue Peter was ion instead of something more exciting. Used to turn it over to Little House on the Prairie in our house.

That elephant clip from the Sixties is still gold though. Never get that kind of thing again will we?

Also Simon Groom: “and what a beautiful pair of knockers…”