Blue Peter

It may be stuffed away on a Freeview channel these days but lets not forget the fact that 'Blue Peter' is an institution of British TV, and an iconic kids show, having been launched way back in 1958.

It deserves all the plaudits, it really does. No other show has really been able to be a voice for young people for as long, and with such respect and honesty.

I think it's a crying shame that it's buried away on one of the Freeview channels rather than on BBC1 where it belongs to be. I hope it continues to at least remain on TV for as long as possible. There surely would be outcry if it wasn't.

In all of the celebrations for the 50th anniversary of the classic children's TV magazine show 'Blue Peter' there has been no mention of the most tragic of all the presenters, Michael Sundin. He was a presenter on the show for one (maybe two) sometime around the late '70s/early '80s, and was intended to be one of the shows great 'action figures', ala John Nookes, but, as I recall, it was discovered that, horror of horrors, he might be gay!, a fact born out by the fact that he died very young - 28ish - of an Aids related illness.

I am aware he was not the most popular of the presenters - personally I did not take to him much, which was more due to the way he spoke than his sexuality - but he did play a part in this most famous, and important, children's TV programme and thus he is due his rights to be mentioned alongside the other presenters. After all, Val can come clean about her affair with Peter Purvis, John once stood as a National Front candidate for Parliment, Janet Ellis was an unmarred mother, Richard Bacon was sacked for snorting cocaine but they all still get mentioned, so why not this tragic figure, or is the BBC trying to wipe the memory of Micheal off the roll call of honour for this show!

Blue Peter is FAR more than a tv show. It's a national institution. I loved watching it as a child, as did my parents in the 1960s and my own kids now!! Has ANY other show been running for 46 years? I doubt it. We all have our favourite presenter, mine has to be "Uncle John" Noakes, with Val Singleton and her "sticky-back plastic" running a close second. We all knew she was talking about sellotape, but the BBC wasn't allowed to "endorse" :) it's been imitated by ITV many times (Magpie etc etc) but never equalled. What's YOUR favourite episode? Mine has to be the one where they had a baby elephant in the studio which refused to leave and then urinated all over the place. One of the main presenters in the 1980s was Caron Keating who died today, aged only 41. She was a lovely girl who still had so much to achieve. RIP.

Blue Peter is a British institution. EVERYONE has been brought up on it's mix of sticky back plastic, papier-mache, toilet rolls and pipe cleaners. Everyone has tried to make things that come out as the presenters "here's one I made earlier" efforts. (Cheating presenters). They also get the large sections of the British children population to raise large amounts of money each year. It's simply unique. And uniquely British.

And that is no exaggeration at all, I assure you! Literally everyone grows up watching this programme and have done for almost 50 years (since it started in 1958). It has enlightened numerous generations about world issues and the environment we live in, and has managed to keep it interesting consistently. It's been through many generations television-wise as well, it was in black and white for 20 years before changing to colour in 1970.

The show itself has changed a lot since it started, in order to keep up with the children of that age. It's never out of date and is always in tune with what kids like, this is simply because they interact with young people so they know what is "in" and what's not for them, so they can make the programme as good as possible.

As well as entertaining, Blue Peter has been fantastic in the work it has done for charities, getting the viewers involved in their appeals- the latest one to help Childline which it has done by collecting old mobile phones. It's not just in a studio either, presenters are challenged to attempt daring activities such as sky diving and skiing. Each year, the team visit at least one foreign country, where they discover the cultures there and look into it's history.

To sum up, Blue Peter is thoroughly enjoyable as well as educational. It covers all kinds of topics- past, present and future. Without it our childhoods would have been a lot less interesting, with Blue Peter badges to be awarded and prizes to be won, as well as lives to be saved.

Thankyou Blue Peter!