Blue Peter

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Television

Blue Peter
The current version of the Blue Peter logo, a stylised galleon based on an original design by Tony Hart.
Genre	Children's Entertainment
Created by	John Hunter Blair
Presented by	Konnie Huq Zoe Salmon Gethin Jones Andy Akinwolere
Country of origin	United Kingdom
No. of episodes	Over 4000
Production
Running time	25 min.
Broadcast
Original channel	BBC One BBC Two CBBC Channel
Original run	16 October 1958 –

Blue Peter is a popular, long-running BBC television programme for children, and airs on Children's BBC ( CBBC).

It is named after the blue-and-white flag hoisted by ships in port when they are ready to sail. The reasoning behind the choice of title is that the programme is intended to be a voyage of adventure and discovery for the viewers, constantly covering new topics.

The signature tune, in recognition of the origin of the title, is a sea shanty called "Barnacle Bill", and the programme's motif is a stylised sailing ship designed by Tony Hart. 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. This version is still in use today, and now appears across all media (although the revised badges retain the old-style flags).

On Thursday 16 October 2008, Blue Peter will celebrate its 50th birthday.

History

The programme, devised by John Hunter Blair and edited for many years by Biddy Baxter, was first shown on 16 October 1958 with presenters Christopher Trace and Leila Williams. The initial format was mainly the two presenters demonstrating dolls and model railways, with the male presenter concentrating on traditional "boys' toys" such as model aeroplanes, and the female restricting herself to domestic tasks, such as cookery.

Over the years, the programme changed to reflect the times. Originally, it was a 15-minute weekly programme; now, it is 25 minutes, and shown three times a week on BBC One and repeated later on the CBBC Channel. The 4000th edition was broadcast on 14 March 2005. Most episodes are still broadcast live.

Almost every episode from 1964 onwards still exists in the BBC archives. This is extremely unusual for programmes of that era, and stands as testament to Baxter's foresight and initiative, as she personally ensured that telerecordings and, from 1970, video copies were kept of the episodes. Among the benefits of this policy is that one 1973 episode contains the only known broadcast quality footage of the lost final episode of the Doctor Who serial " The Tenth Planet", which depicts The Doctor's first regeneration.

Blue Peter has had a longstanding relationship with Doctor Who, often running features on the show with appearances by actors and behind-the-scenes personnel. One notable contest in 1967 had viewers design a monster in the style of those featured on Doctor Who. A similar competition was held in 2005 to help design a new monster for one of the episodes, which became the Abzorbaloff in " Love & Monsters".

In addition, long-time host Peter Purves was himself a former co-star on the series. One programme asked viewers to help recover the lost footage of Doctor Who.

Many items from Blue Peter's history have passed into television legend, especially moments when things have gone wrong, such as the much-repeated clip of Lulu the elephant (from a 1969 edition) who defecated on the studio floor, trod on presenter John Noakes' foot and then proceeded to attempt an exit, dragging her keeper along the ground behind her. Other well-remembered and much-repeated items include the Girl Guides' bonfire that got out of hand on the 1970 Christmas edition, John Noakes' report on the cleaning of Nelson's Column, and Simon Groom referring to a previous item on door-knockers with the words 'What a beautiful pair of knockers', which has usually been explained as an accidental turn of phrase, but which Groom later admitted was a deliberate joke. Additionally, Groom is remembered for inappropriately reciting, while wearing a suit of armour, 'Once a king always a king, but once a (k)night is enough', while Peter Duncan's cookery instructions to 'finely chop one raw egg' will also go into the annals.

There have also been times when the show has broadcast breaking news in the days before 24-hour news channels. Possibly the most famous is showing the first colour images on British television of the sinking of the RMS Queen Elizabeth in 1972.

Airtime

When the show first started it was shown once a week.

From the 1960s until 1995 it was shown twice a week from 5:10 to 5:35pm on Mondays and Thursdays.

Between 1995 and 2001: Monday, Wednesday and Friday on BBC One from 5:10 to 5:35pm.

From 2002, it was aired at 5:00pm, because Newsround was moved to a later slot.

From 2007, still at 5pm but on on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursdays.

In the Wimbledon tennis season the show moves temporarily to BBC Two.

Content

Blue Peter's remit is very wide-ranging. Most programmes include a filmed report. There will also often be a demonstration of an activity in the studio, and/or a music or dance performance. The programme is made at BBC Television Centre, and often comes from Studio 1, which is the second largest TV studio in Britain and among the largest in Europe. This enables Blue Peter to include large-scale demonstrations and performances within the live programme. 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. Time is also often given over to reading letters and showing pictures sent in by viewers.

Appeals

Enduring features of the programme include the annual charity appeal, which involves young viewers by asking them to collect items that can be recycled or sold to raise money for the chosen cause. 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. One of the most popular forms of raising appeal money has been through 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 partneship with Unicef, 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 Totaliser

During appeals, a running total of the sum of money or objects collected is presented on the Totaliser - a life-sized contraption which lights up sums of money at various intervals up to the target figure for the appeal at the top. A new Totaliser is constructed for each appeal and takes pride of place on the studio floor throughout the programme. During appeals, the Totaliser is presented during the programme, with new steps lighting up when each landmark flashing as it is reached. With recent 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.

Pets

The team of presenters keep pets and bring them onto the show. The original idea of this was to show viewers lucky enough to own animals how to care for them, and for the creatures to act as surrogate pets for children without them. The first pet was a dog named Petra in 1962. Other canines have included Patch, Shep the Border Collie, Meg, and golden retrievers Goldie and her daughter Bonnie. There also have been tortoises, including Freda (originally misidentified as a male and called Fred), Maggie, Jim and George, and cats, such as Jason, Jack and Jill, Willow, Kari and Oke and the late Smudge. The current animal line-up comprises: dogs Lucy and Mabel; Socks the cat; Shelly the tortoise, Magic (puppy) and the rarely seen Blue Peter Riding for the Disabled horse, Jet, who replaced Rags.

The programme has had a long association with Guide Dogs, which stretches back to 1964 – captivating millions of viewers and helping to transform the lives of thousands of visually impaired people. The first Blue Peter guide dog puppy was Honey, whose training was charted by Valerie Singleton on the programme in 1964. Since then there has been Cindy who was puppy walked by Peter Purves in 1968; Prince, whose training was followed by Peter Duncan in 1981 and most recently a second pup called Honey – named in honour of her predecessor – who was trained by presenter John Leslie during 1991. In 2006 Andy Akinwolere began puppy walking a new Blue Peter guide dog puppy, named by viewers as Magic.

Blue Peter Garden

The presenters also maintain the famous Blue Peter Garden, adjacent to Television Centre, which was designed by Percy Thrower. Its features include an Italian sunken garden with a pond, which contains goldfish, a vegetable patch, greenhouse and viewing platform. The 2000 Blue Peter time capsule, which is due to be dug up in 2029, is buried there. George the Tortoise was interred in the garden following his death in 2004, and there is also a bust of Petra, sculptures of Mabel and the Blue Peter ship, and a plaque in honour of Percy Thrower. The garden is also available to other programmes for outside broadcasts, and is often used for the links between children's programmes during the summer months and for BBC One's Breakfast weather broadcasts. In 1984, the garden was vandalised, leading to an on-air appeal for viewers to come forward with information — which now often appears on clip shows. A rumour circulated in the early 1990s that the vandalism had been carried out by a gang including the footballers Dennis Wise and Les Ferdinand when they were teenagers. Both men have denied direct involvement in the actual vandalism, although Ferdinand did later confess to "helping a few people over the wall."

Annual events

The programme also marks annual events, including Chinese New Year, St David's Day, Shrove Tuesday, Mothering Sunday, Guy Fawkes Night and Christmas. The latter, in particular, is a special occasion with a traditional format repeated year on year, featuring the story of the Nativity, a last-minute Christmas make, a filmed clip and the grand finale, the Chalk Farm Salvation Army Band and children from local schools marching "up the hill" and into the studio from the cold outside (lanterns in hand!) singing a Christmas carol (usually either " Hark the Herald Angels Sing" or " O Come All Ye Faithful") around the Blue Peter Christmas tree.

Blue Peter Book Awards

Blue Peter promotes the Blue Peter Book Awards, a series of literary prizes for children's literature awarded annually, and inaugurated in 2000.

Blue Peter traditions

The programme maintains its long-standing practice of avoiding using commercial names on air. Most famously, this policy led to the invention of the phrase "sticky-backed plastic" back in the 1970s for the product marketed under the trade name Fablon. Similarly, many makes called for the use of a Velcro type material, which was referred to as "self sticking material". In today's climate of negativity surrounding product placement, the programme's policy of disguising any brand names visible on "make necessities" like glue sticks or cereal boxes has never been so important. An extreme example of avoiding criticism occurred in February 2005, when the show ran a feature on how Nestlé Smarties are made, without once mentioning the name of the product.

The Blue Peter Summer Expedition is another long-running tradition. These visits focus on a single country and are filmed while the programme is off the air from June to September.

During the 1950s and 1960s, the programme sometimes included a cartoon series as "light relief" from some of the more informative articles. One such was Bleep and Booster, which started in 1963 and continued in the Blue Peter books until 1977.

In the early 1960s the "Advent Crown" was introduced. It consists of two wire coathangers tied together with garden twine and decorated with fireproof tinsel with candles placed at each of the four corners. (Most years this appears on-screen as one of the programme's "makes"). Unlike a religious advent crown, with one candle lit for each Sunday before Christmas, Blue Peter presenters traditionally took it in turns to light one candle for each of the last four programmes before Christmas, though the last few years have seen a change to a more Christian process of lighting one candle on the four Monday programmes during Advent. Presumably this will change for 2007 as the programme is no longer shown live on Mondays.

Many of these long-standing traditions were started during the 1960s and 1970s by the show's editor, Biddy Baxter, along with producers Edward Barnes and Rosemary Gill, and most of them still feature on the programme.

The Blue Peter badge

Children (and occasionally 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 by a number of people. This suspension was lifted in June 2006, when a new 'Blue Peter Badge Card' was introduced to combat the problem. Each badge winner is now issued with an ID card to prove that they are the rightful owners. The original badge was slightly smaller in size than the current version, but still featured a blue coloured ship logo printed on a white plastic shield. This remained unchanged until the 1990s when a revised badge featuring a raised moulding of the ship design by Tony Hart was introduced (more detailed and neat than the previous printed reproduction). This version disappeared in 1997 when the old-style badge returned. It was not until 2004, coinciding with the show's September revamp, that a new badge was introduced. Slightly larger in dimension and with a much bolder printing of the new-style traditional ship without its rigging detail (though the pre-2000 style flags remain). In October 2003, to celebrate the 45th birthday of the programme, a new, limited edition, badge was introduced, to last only a year. This moulding was made of rubber and larger than the traditional badge. It consisted of a white shield with a raised 'bubble ship' applique.

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. Other badges exist, and are awarded for various achievements:

• Blue Badges (a white shield with a blue ship print) are given to viewers who have stories, poems, pictures etc.
• Silver badges (a blue shield with silver ship print) are given to viewers or participants who have already won a blue badge.
• Green badges (green shield with white ship print) and a Blue Peter pedometer are awarded for any correspondence from viewers with a conservation, nature or environmental theme (in addition, the presenters often wear this badge when their reports deal with such issues, or when in the garden).
• Gold badges (a gold-plated ship-shaped pin brooch) are very rarely awarded and are usually given only to people who have performed acts of extreme bravery, represented their country in a major event and so on. Bizarrely, and perhaps disappointingly, the gold badge has been awarded on several occasions to famous film actors or sportspeople - slightly at odds with the youth ethos of the programme. When presenter Simon Thomas left in 2005, he was awarded a gold badge on his last programme which has started a trend in which Liz Barker and Matt Baker were also given them when they departed. Valerie Singleton was awarded a gold badge during a studio interview recorded for the 1990 video release "The Best of Blue Peter, the 60's and 70's". Her her fellow presenters John Noakes and Peter Purves were given gold badges on the first programme in 2000 when the box for the year 2000 was dug up. The most recent former presenter to be given a gold badge was Peter Duncan in February 2007, whilst appearing on the programme as a guest.
• The Competition badge was previously a round metal disc in white, with the blue ship, printed with the words 'Blue Peter Competition Winner'. However, after more than 40 years, it has recently been redesigned to look similar to the other badges, and is now an orange shield with a white ship. These badges are awarded to all winners and runners-up of Blue Peter competitions - with the new look badges being introduced in September 2006.
• The new Team Player's badge (a purple shield with white ship print), which was introduced in September 2006, will be given to 12 children every month, who have ideas for the show; these children will also win the chance to spend a day working with the Blue Peter team. This was the first new badge to be introduced since 1988.
• The limited edition Birthday Badge (very similar to blue badge but has a raised moulding of the Millennium bubble ship used between 1999-2004, and is made out of rubber) was awarded in the year of the 45th Birthday, in place, or with a blue badge. It is a rare edition.
• Blue Peter Badges are only awarded one at a time.

Another Blue Peter custom is that new presenters first appear on the programme with no badge on before it is clarified to the audience that they are the new presenter, for example, Zoe Salmon appeared as a customer on the show before one week later being introduced as a presenter. Simon Groom first appeared during a filming assignment at a disco where he was a DJ.

Tributes and honours

In a list of the 100 Greatest British Television Programmes drawn up by the British Film Institute in 2000, voted for by industry professionals, Blue Peter was placed 6th.

Asteroid 16197 Bluepeter is named in its honour. The asteroid was discovered on 7 January 2000, the day that the Blue Peter time capsules from 1971 and 1984 were unearthed.

The signature tune

The Blue Peter opening theme was composed by Ashworth Hope (1880-1962), who was a successful solicitor as well as a composer.

The following is a list of all the musicians who have recorded a version of the Blue Peter signature tune:

• Sidney Torch & The New Century Orchestra: October 1958 to January 1979 — Blue Peter Theme Tune from 1958
• Mike Oldfield: January 1979 to June 1989 — Blue Peter Theme from 1979
• Simon Brint: September 1989 to September 1992 — Blue Peter Theme from 1990
• Simon Brint: September 1992 to Septemer 1994 — Blue Peter Theme from 1992
• The Yes/No People: September 1994 to August 1999 — Blue Peter Theme from 1996
• David Arnold and the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra: September 1999 to June 2004 — Blue Peter Theme from 2002
• Nial Brown: September 2004 to December 2006 — Blue Peter Theme from 2005
• Murray Gold: 2006 unused — Video of the Blue Peter Theme being recorded from 2006
• Dave Cooke re-arrangement of Murray Gold: 2007

Traditionally, the debut of a new version of the famous theme tune "Barnacle Bill" is accompanied with an introduction by the presenters at the time explaining the reasons behind the new rendition. Mike Oldfield appeared on the programme in the late 1970s, and his version of the theme tune was so popular with viewers that the producers decided to record it for use as a permanent theme.

Despite a new rendition of the theme music being introduced in 2004, a new version was arranged by Murray Gold and recorded in 2006, as part of a viewers' competition, with prize winners taking part in the final orchestral recording. Viewers were told that this new version of the theme 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 the opening bars removed. In January 2007, Dave Cooke, husband of former presenter Tina Heath, re-arranged Murray Gold's version of the signature tune, once again omitting the opening bars, and this has been broadcast regularly since, although the Nial Brown arrangement is still heard during promotional trailers on Children's BBC. Both Nial Brown and Dave Cooke's version of the opening signature tune have introduced a ship's whistle and used a slightly quieter drum roll to precede the theme. The Blue Peter website in a frequently answered questions section, states that "Q. Why aren't you using the new theme tune from Blue Peter Music Makers yet? A. We share your frustrations, but unfortunately Murray Gold has been insanely busy. He is so busy on Dr Who and working on a film in America that we need time to get it exactly right. Bear with us, we hope to get it ready for you to hear soon. "

Nearly as famous as the opening music is the closing theme, which has been re-arranged in line with the various versions of the opening signature tune. However during the period 1999–2004, a shorter version of the opening tune was used to close the programme. The editor at the time, Steve Hocking, said that he was happy for the same tune to be used at the beginning and end of each broadcast, but in recent years the traditional finale tune has returned, with Nial Brown rearranging the closing tune from 2004 to 2006, and Dave Cooke doing so as of January 2007.

Opening Titles

1958-1989: Traditionally, Blue Peter's titles sequence consisted of little more than film footage of the day's filming assignment or introductory studio setting footage of that day's edition accompanied by the theme music and the superimposing of the "Blue Peter" name and presenter credits. The theme music would either play out in full, or fade out appropriately depending on the programme's content.

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 was 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. 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 be preceded by a “coming up” sequence or occasionally clips of the edition’s filming assignment. The original version used from 2004-2005 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 sequences' 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-present: 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 Zoe 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.

General notes: Traditionally, the opening titles of every programme feature 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 (since 1995 and the introduction of the fourth presenter it is unusual to have all four presenters in the studio at the same time, save for special programmes). The only time this rule is 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. Since September 2004, the opening titles have only featured their first names, perhaps in a move to make the presenters appear more accessible to the audience.

Closing credits

1958-1989: Traditionally, the Blue Peter closing credits were always flashed up 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 a rather plain shot of the Blue Peter ship, the editor's name (who for the majority of this period was Biddy Baxter) and the BBC copyright blurb.

1989-2003: 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 being that the text was now scrolled along the bottom third of the screen from right to left, usually overlaid on a graphical bar themed around the style of the opening titles of the time. 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. same graphics and background etc. but the typeface would always change to the same 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-present: 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 has remained in use since. This adaptation shows the same 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, is shown above. One of the presenters' voices is 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 will run 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.

General notes: The exceptions to the above are during the annual Christmas programme, when the credits still scroll from right to left, often with Christmassy themed drawings separating each crew member. The Christmas programme traditionally 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.

When a "make" is featured in the programme, the creator of the item (invariably the retired Margaret Parnell or Gillian Shearing) is credited first. An example of this would be "Dolls House make by Margaret Parnell".

Blue Peter Books

In 1964, the very first Blue Peter Book was published. 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 has, at a point in the mid-1980s and between 1992-1998, been a break in the publication of the books, and the publisher has, in recent years, appeared to change almost annually! However, since Pedigree took over the books in 2004, there has been a noticeable step up in quality. The books are now bigger than ever before, with a far greater number of pages, a testament to their enduring popularity and viability. Traditionally, 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, it is interesting to note that, as of Book 34 in 2004, the cover makes reference to it as 'Annual XXXX' and the spine marking it as 'Book XX'.

A lucrative collectors' market has developed, as a result of the Blue Peter Books, 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 '80s and later '90s tend to be more expensive and rarer, as people realised the value of keeping hold of them.

Blue Peter presenters

	Name	Started	Ended	Tenure
1.	Christopher Trace	16 October 1958	24 July 1967	8 years, 9 months
2.	Leila Williams	16 October 1958	8 January 1962	3 years, 3 months
3.	Anita West	7 May 1962	3 September 1962	0 years, 4 months
4.	Valerie Singleton	3 September 1962	3 July 1972	9 years, 10 months
5.	John Noakes	30 December 1965	26 June 1978	12 years, 6 months
6.	Peter Purves	16 November 1967	23 March 1978	10 years, 4 months
7.	Lesley Judd	5 May 1972	12 April 1979	6 years, 11 months
8.	Simon Groom	15 May 1978	23 June 1986	8 years, 1 month
9.	Christopher Wenner	14 September 1978	23 June 1980	1 year, 9 months
10.	Tina Heath	5 April 1979	23 June 1980	1 year, 2 months
11.	Sarah Greene	19 May 1980	27 June 1983	3 years, 1 month
12.	Peter Duncan	11 September 1980	18 June 1984	3 years, 9 months
		9 September 1985	27 November 1986	1 year, 2 months
13.	Janet Ellis	28 April 1983	29 June 1987	4 years, 2 months
14.	Michael Sundin	13 September 1984	24 June 1985	0 years, 9 months
15.	Mark Curry	23 June 1986	26 June 1989	3 years, 0 months
16.	Caron Keating	13 November 1986	22 January 1990	3 years, 2 months
17.	Yvette Fielding	29 June 1987	29 June 1992	5 years, 0 months
18.	John Leslie	20 April 1989	20 January 1994	4 years, 9 months
19.	Diane-Louise Jordan	25 January 1990	26 February 1996	6 years, 1 month
20.	Anthea Turner	14 September 1992	27 June 1994	1 year, 9 months
21.	Tim Vincent	16 December 1993	24 January 1997	3 years, 1 month
22.	Stuart Miles	27 June 1994	21 June 1999	5 years, 0 months
23.	Katy Hill	23 June 1995	19 June 2000	5 years, 0 months
24.	Romana D'Annunzio	1 March 1996	20 February 1998	1 year, 11 months
25.	Richard Bacon	21 February 1997	19 October 1998	1 year, 8 months
26.	Konnie Huq	1 December 1997	present	9 years, 4 months
27.	Simon Thomas	8 January 1999	25 April 2005	6 years, 3 months
28.	Matt Baker	25 June 1999	26 June 2006	7 years, 0 months
29.	Liz Barker	23 June 2000	10 April 2006	5 years, 10 months
30.	Zöe Salmon	23 December 2004	present	2 years, 3 months
31.	Gethin Jones	27 April 2005	present	1 years, 11 months
32.	Andy Akinwolere	28 June 2006	present	0 years, 9 months

For many years, Anita West was not officially recognised as a Blue Peter presenter, having stood in for several months between Leila Williams leaving the show and a full-time replacement being found. West was finally added to the official list of presenters at the time of the show's 40th anniversary celebrations in 1998.

Of the 32 presenters who have fronted the programme during its lifetime, one or two have failed to live up to the 'squeaky-clean' image required of them. The most infamous scandal involving a presenter occurred in 1998, when Richard Bacon had his contract terminated, after publicly confessing to having taken cocaine; the BBC's Head of Children's Programming, Lorraine Heggessey, addressed viewers on-air before the first edition of the programme following his sacking to explain to the audience why he had been asked to leave and to apologise for his actions (Heggessey explained to viewers that Bacon had admitting to "taking an illegal drug"). Ironically, Bacon became a successful broadcaster because of the scandal, rather than despite it. It was a common conception that, due to such disgrace, Bacon would never work for the BBC again, yet a number of his subsequent appearances have been with the corporation.

The programme maintains friendly links with most of its former presenters, many of whom have made further appearances on the show after leaving, particularly in the show's Christmas specials.

Other people who have played roles on the show include the zoologist George Cansdale, who was the programme's first on-screen vet, and Percy Thrower who was the show's resident gardening expert from the 1960s until shortly before his death in 1988. He was followed briefly by Chris Crowder, and then Clare Bradley, who was replaced by the current incumbent, Chris Collins.

Another contributor, though rarely seen on screen, was Margaret Parnell, who created almost all of the show's 'makes' from the early 1960s until her retirement in 2001. Her role is now filled by Gillian Shearing, though Parnell's name still appears in the credits from time to time when a classic 'make' is re-used.

Controversy

It was revealed by the BBC that a phone-in competition supporting the Unicef "Shoe Biz Appeal", held in November 2006, was rigged. The caller, Ali Zahoor who appeared to be calling in the competition, was actually a child 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 with receiving the calls.

Former editor Biddy Baxter, described as still being influential with the programme today, described 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.

Trivia

• The programme is often broadcast live. Former editor Biddy Baxter did not encourage presenters' ad-libs, and Simon Groom would infuriate her and test his fellow presenters by making ad-libbed double-entendres with a straight face.

• The two most famous phrases associated with Blue Peter — 'And now for something completely different' (later made synonymous with Monty Python) and 'Here's one I made earlier' — were both coined by one of its first presenters, Christopher Trace.

• Tony Hart originally asked for his design fee for the Blue Peter badges to be paid as a royalty of 1p for each badge made, but was offered a flat fee of £100 (equivalent to around £1,600 at 2006 rates).

• Petra, the first Blue Peter pet, was a mongrel dog introduced in 1962. She gave birth to eight puppies in 1965, one of which, Patch, became John Noakes' pet when he began presenting in 1965.

• Petra was not actually who she seemed: the first dog, Petra, died after the first programme, and was secretly replaced by an identical dog, also named Petra, so as not to upset the viewers. The facts surrounding Petra II were not revealed until after her death in 1977.

• Queen Elizabeth II visited the studio as part of her Golden Jubilee. There she was presented with a Gold badge, which, somewhat ironically, allowed her free entrance into places such as the Tower of London and the public sections of her own house, Buckingham Palace.

• Blue Peter is referenced in the Half Man-Half Biscuit song "99% of Gargoyles Look Like Bob Todd" in the following manner: "They've been cooking on Blue Peter, now they're sampling the dishes/'I don't normally like tomatoes, John, but this is delicious!'"

• Yvette Fielding was the youngest presenter on Blue Peter, starting at the age of 18.

• On 3 December 2007, Konnie Huq will overtake Valerie Singleton as the longest-serving female (third longest overall) presenter of all time, and would also become the first female (third overall) presenter to serve for a full ten years.