DV
Think you've answered your own question. It's not that unique enough to compete with other national institutions. The content really is too UK centric, it wouldn't really travel now. It might conceivably have done to post colonial countries in the 1960's but I even doubt that.
national British institution
Think you've answered your own question. It's not that unique enough to compete with other national institutions. The content really is too UK centric, it wouldn't really travel now. It might conceivably have done to post colonial countries in the 1960's but I even doubt that.
NJ
Neil Jones
Founding member
It's a magazine format, simply a collection of VT, live links, a segment on how to make something with a washing-up bottle and some sticky back plastic, occasionally followed up with some music and signing off.
This is nothing that any other network can do under a different name. It's not a gameshow or a package that can be sold. The difference with TOTP was that had a format to sell, which was adaptable to the local market and content wise it drove itself - run down the top 20, get some artists or their videos in based on that top 20, get live performance, get an audience in to dance and Bob's your uncle.
Blue Peter is essentially British in its format, and while it has had to reinvent itself and move with the times, it has been threatened with the axe many times over the years, plus its had own share of controversy as well. I believe it may be struggling ratings wise on the CBBC Channel too and has been since it was moved from BBC One.
A Blue Peter type format on an American network such as Nickelodeon wouldn't work. You've presumably seen modern day Nickelodeon live action shows where a bunch of weird characters don't talk, they just shout at each other on some garish set in equally garish clothes working on some strange story against a surreal plot... Even archive Nick stuff is more of the same, just not in widescreen/HD.
This is nothing that any other network can do under a different name. It's not a gameshow or a package that can be sold. The difference with TOTP was that had a format to sell, which was adaptable to the local market and content wise it drove itself - run down the top 20, get some artists or their videos in based on that top 20, get live performance, get an audience in to dance and Bob's your uncle.
Blue Peter is essentially British in its format, and while it has had to reinvent itself and move with the times, it has been threatened with the axe many times over the years, plus its had own share of controversy as well. I believe it may be struggling ratings wise on the CBBC Channel too and has been since it was moved from BBC One.
A Blue Peter type format on an American network such as Nickelodeon wouldn't work. You've presumably seen modern day Nickelodeon live action shows where a bunch of weird characters don't talk, they just shout at each other on some garish set in equally garish clothes working on some strange story against a surreal plot... Even archive Nick stuff is more of the same, just not in widescreen/HD.
LL
London Lite
Founding member
The modern Blue Peter does it's job of ticking some important PSB boxes for the BBC, but as a viable revenue earning format?
In any case, BP was never the cool show to watch as a child. It was seen as the middle class kids show parents expected you to watch, even though I enjoyed elements of the programme.
Sadly the modern day child will watch the tripe on the American skewed kids channels than watch worthy shows on CBBC, unless it's a Dr. Who spin-off.
In any case, BP was never the cool show to watch as a child. It was seen as the middle class kids show parents expected you to watch, even though I enjoyed elements of the programme.
Sadly the modern day child will watch the tripe on the American skewed kids channels than watch worthy shows on CBBC, unless it's a Dr. Who spin-off.
SP
The fact that Thames had already basically ripped off the format with Magpie probably had something to do with the BBC's view of how saleable the format was too.
DC
Sadly the modern day child will watch the tripe on the American skewed kids channels than watch worthy shows on CBBC, unless it's a Dr. Who spin-off.
That's not the case seeing as CBBC and CBeebies pretty much always get higher ratings than CN, Nick or Disney in the UK.
Sadly the modern day child will watch the tripe on the American skewed kids channels than watch worthy shows on CBBC, unless it's a Dr. Who spin-off.
That's not the case seeing as CBBC and CBeebies pretty much always get higher ratings than CN, Nick or Disney in the UK.
BR
Probably for similar reasons the Americans have never sold the electoral college system of electing their president to other countries. Trump win the election but Clinton wins the popular vote.
Irrelevent but we essentially have the same system of electing people who have an allegence to their party leader to support them in their mission to form a government.
As for selling Blue Peter Neil Jones hit the nail on the head though there are clearly shows where a format has been sold which IMO didn't need to be acquired to make the show they made - i.e. when US networks remake crime dramas, changing key characters, the location and overall plot.
the national British institution
Probably for similar reasons the Americans have never sold the electoral college system of electing their president to other countries. Trump win the election but Clinton wins the popular vote.
Irrelevent but we essentially have the same system of electing people who have an allegence to their party leader to support them in their mission to form a government.
As for selling Blue Peter Neil Jones hit the nail on the head though there are clearly shows where a format has been sold which IMO didn't need to be acquired to make the show they made - i.e. when US networks remake crime dramas, changing key characters, the location and overall plot.
NG
noggin
Founding member
I'm not sure Blue Peter is that distinctive as a format to be a commercial propostion in format sales terms. It's really a studio-based kids magazine show with recorded inserts, so in format terms, nothing really unique enough to justify purchase of the format by other broadcasters.
SW
It's doing perfectly fine on the CBBC Channel. The other difference between this and Top of the Pops is that when they sold Pops abroad it wasn't just the name and the format (which clearly wasn't that distinctive because The Roxy and CDUK did virtually the same thing) but all the performances as well, which could be reused and swapped among the nations - so the Italian version could make use of performances from the British version, and vice versa (I remember Pops using a number of performances from the German version when the artists couldn't make it to Britain).
It was the same when they sold Play School abroad, they had a huge collection of films, stories and songs that could be supplied as well - the films of course had no presenters or narration so they could be shown in any language. Blue Peter doesn't have anything like that as all the films are presenter-led. That's the value when selling these formats abroad.
Besides, there are plenty of equivalents of Blue Peter in other countries - RTE's Echo Island was virtually identical.
This is nothing that any other network can do under a different name. It's not a gameshow or a package that can be sold. The difference with TOTP was that had a format to sell, which was adaptable to the local market and content wise it drove itself - run down the top 20, get some artists or their videos in based on that top 20, get live performance, get an audience in to dance and Bob's your uncle.
Blue Peter is essentially British in its format, and while it has had to reinvent itself and move with the times, it has been threatened with the axe many times over the years, plus its had own share of controversy as well. I believe it may be struggling ratings wise on the CBBC Channel too and has been since it was moved from BBC One.
Blue Peter is essentially British in its format, and while it has had to reinvent itself and move with the times, it has been threatened with the axe many times over the years, plus its had own share of controversy as well. I believe it may be struggling ratings wise on the CBBC Channel too and has been since it was moved from BBC One.
It's doing perfectly fine on the CBBC Channel. The other difference between this and Top of the Pops is that when they sold Pops abroad it wasn't just the name and the format (which clearly wasn't that distinctive because The Roxy and CDUK did virtually the same thing) but all the performances as well, which could be reused and swapped among the nations - so the Italian version could make use of performances from the British version, and vice versa (I remember Pops using a number of performances from the German version when the artists couldn't make it to Britain).
It was the same when they sold Play School abroad, they had a huge collection of films, stories and songs that could be supplied as well - the films of course had no presenters or narration so they could be shown in any language. Blue Peter doesn't have anything like that as all the films are presenter-led. That's the value when selling these formats abroad.
Besides, there are plenty of equivalents of Blue Peter in other countries - RTE's Echo Island was virtually identical.
LL
I do wonder how often the Googlebox producers feel compelled to fling lawsuits. I've seen influences of it in adverts and even that stupid Watchdog anniversary programme. Gold are teasing a new show that seems to involve actors and comedians sitting down and watching/discussing Christmas TV specials. Unless it just so happens to be the same producers, surely they're cooking with gas.
Where is the line drawn when it comes to 'copyrighting' the format of a TV programme so that a similar programme by another producer requires licensing?
I do wonder how often the Googlebox producers feel compelled to fling lawsuits. I've seen influences of it in adverts and even that stupid Watchdog anniversary programme. Gold are teasing a new show that seems to involve actors and comedians sitting down and watching/discussing Christmas TV specials. Unless it just so happens to be the same producers, surely they're cooking with gas.
JO
I do wonder how often the Googlebox producers feel compelled to fling lawsuits. I've seen influences of it in adverts and even that stupid Watchdog anniversary programme. Gold are teasing a new show that seems to involve actors and comedians sitting down and watching/discussing Christmas TV specials. Unless it just so happens to be the same producers, surely they're cooking with gas.
Whilst I would agree on your point of the TV adverts, I don't agree about this Gold show. Talking head programmes have been around for years and years, especially on the digital channels and especially at Christmas.
I should point out that I've not seen this trailered myself.
Where is the line drawn when it comes to 'copyrighting' the format of a TV programme so that a similar programme by another producer requires licensing?
I do wonder how often the Googlebox producers feel compelled to fling lawsuits. I've seen influences of it in adverts and even that stupid Watchdog anniversary programme. Gold are teasing a new show that seems to involve actors and comedians sitting down and watching/discussing Christmas TV specials. Unless it just so happens to be the same producers, surely they're cooking with gas.
Whilst I would agree on your point of the TV adverts, I don't agree about this Gold show. Talking head programmes have been around for years and years, especially on the digital channels and especially at Christmas.
I should point out that I've not seen this trailered myself.