To wonder WHY this is - and that it should change?

[TrinketsBiscuits]

When I was a kid we had really good Saturday morning TV programs like Swap Shop and Saturday Superstore. Now there’s NO kids’ programmes at all on Sat mornings - instead a plethora of cookery programmes - each one with virtually the same format!

Heads up for anyone interested - October 2nd this year will be 50 year anniversary of Swap Shop and there’ll be at least 1 program on TV commemorating it

All the big British soaps did indeed increase their episodes heavily from the 90s onwards. It was an easy win at the time - no risk in developing a new show that might not work; a rise in production costs, but nothing like that involved in building a brand new set, recruiting a new cast and behind the scenes team, creating a PR campaign etc.. If you’ve got a popular product, why not make more of it?

The problem now is that, while multi-channels, streaming etc. have seen viewing figures plummet (along with advertising revenue), the cost of making the shows hasn’t dropped. Far less bang for your buck. So cuts have to be made somewhere, and episode count is an easy start.

Watching tv before noon is slovenly? Really?
Slovenly
ADJECTIVE

1. frequently or habitually unclean or untidy
2. negligent and careless; slipshod

you know you can do it after a wash and while sitting tidily?

You had a misspent childhood OP!

🤣 I tried to get into it !! I really did!

Watching Tiswas used to make me a bit anxious, it was really crazy and unpredictable, and the custard pie thing scared me. I was such a nerd 😂

I loved Crackerjack “it’s Friday, it’s five to five, it’s CRACKERJACK!!!”

OK, I believe you!

Yes I’m a nerd as well - Tiswas just bored me 🤣

I LOVED Crackerjack!

People keep piling on the 'get tv streaming services'
As far as I'm aware there are no children's shows as such, like OP means, some sort of live children entertainment program with real people, maybe with bits of cartoons thrown in or talks or activities.
Streaming services have series if cartoons or pre-recorded craft shows.
It's not the same as an actual regular weekly children tv show.

I guess they don't exist much anymore, maybe it's cheaper to produce standard series rather than shows. Maybe the appetite doesn't exist anymore?

I know what you mean OP. I am not familiar with the programs you mentioned because I grew up in a different country. But we used to have morning children tv at the weekend, I can't remember if it was on Saturdays or Sundays.

Yes, exactly this !

How rude

ok as for contemporary current TV I like -

Would I Lie To You

What Not To Eat

Social Media Monsters

er.. that’s it !!!

CBeebies has kids programmes.

Yes but thing is .. imo - none of them apart from Peppa Pig get any publicity really!

j mean in the old days the kids programmes were

Record Breakers
Screen Test
Blue Peter
Chocky
Cheggers Plays Pop
Razmatazz
Jossy’s Giants

but thing is .. I can’t name any now which signals that they possibly don’t get much publicity

Also CBeebies suggests very young children and not say 7 - 13 year olds

They don't need publicity when they have an entire channel dedicated to them.

Yes but this means that the names of these programmes aren’t widely known unlike Blue Peter etc

The other thing is - back in December 1981/January 1982 - a pop song from some of the presenters of Swap Shop made it into the charts -

Brown Sauce with ‘I Wanna Be A Winner”

You couldn’t imagine that now - could you? 🤣

Because when we were kids, Saturday and after school were the only kids tv there was. Nowadays you have channels and services dedicated to it 24 hours a day.
Kids do not need more TV.

I don't understand why that's a problem though?

It’s just in the old days we all knew that programs like Blue Peter etc were kids programs also Record Breakers / now we don’t have a clue and it means that kids TV doesn’t have the high profile it once had let’s say circa 1983

Kids programmes are the ones on the numerous kids channels, surely?

I'm not sure why they need to be high profile

But when I was younger the kids TV programs tended to be ‘well mown’ iyswim