From the Archive Ep 15: Blue Peter

From the Archive: A British Television Podcast

Blue Peter was such a facet of BBC television for so many years. Although still on CBBC, the good ol’ days come from when it was on BBC1. We wanted to celebrate the golden era of Blue Peter and talk to some folks involved with the programme!

Peter Purves was a presenter Blue Peter from 1967-1978. His love and knowledge of the program is immense. We decided not to talk about Doctor Who but focus on his time on Blue Peter, talk about the good times and also the times that were frustrating. In another interview with speak with Gethin Jones. Gethin had been a Blue Peter presenter from 2005-2007. These two gentlemen did the same role at very different times. Peter was a presenter during the glorious 70’s while Gethin was a presenter just as the series made a very serious change that would forever change the lineage of the program!

What holds these two interviews together is Richard Marson. Richard had been working on the show for years with finally taking over the show in 2003. He knows Peter very well as well as Gethin, being that he hired Gethin! Richard is the one who interviews these brilliant men but also parts of Richard’s story is weaved into the narrative too. Listening to Gethin’s loves and respect to the legacy of Blue Peter is incredible just as it is heartbreaking to hear what happened to the show once Richard left.

This episode has some downs but a lot of ups as we celebrate on of the greatest series the BBC ever made!

If you have feedback or questions you would like to have read on the podcast or general inquiries, please contact us at [e-mail]. We would love to hear from you! This podcast is a co-production between From the Archive: A British Television Blog and Kaleidoscope. Thank you for listening.