Captivating little citizens
“Faced with a ratings crisis, the BBC realised that eight to 12 year olds wanted action on their screens
– not Jane Eyre serials”
At 5 o’clock on Thursday 16 October 1958, in homes across Britain millions of children, some sprawled lazily across living room floors and others perched eagerly on settees, were introduced to a brand-new television programme. Blue Peter promised its young viewers “Toys, model railways, games, stories, [and] cartoons” in a weekly 15-minute show presented live from the BBC studios by Christopher Trace and Leila Williams.
The launch was strikingly low-key. There were no special features in the Radio Times, which seemed far more excited about the final of Miss World. In any case, the new series was just one more children’s programme among many. That same week viewers just back from school could also lap up Sooty and Sweep, , a “sketch club”, several quizzes, some astronomy with Patrick Moore, or a wildlife show, featuring a rota of puppet characters from Andy Pandy through to the Flower Pot Men.
