Children's programmes returning to BBC Two

If the BBC has to make a choice on which children's channel to axe it will be CBBC. I think if the charter review does not go BBC's way then I think this could be a reality. CBBC would have a few hours on BBC Two and on iPlayer. Which I think would be a shame.

The problem is CBBC is not a strong enough brand. It's not getting children to the channel. The tone of the channel is not working. To childish. The age range should be 6-14 and the way the channel is presented should have a more grown up tone like it did back in 2002. The current brand is quiet childish. I know that sounds silly but it's true. There is also so much reality type of shows and not enough entertaining. The balance is off and it needs to be looked at. As far as I know Wolfblood future has not been decided but CBBC should be making stronger shows like this that a 6 year old and a 12 year old would watch. CBBC need to have a big rethink and look at a digital CBBC as well if it want to grow and hopeful get back that 29% it's lost.

In terms of Saturday mornings it use to see them as the Saturday night version of BBC One it was where the big shows with big names were. I think if this is a step towards that then I am all for it. This series of Friday Download moved to a Saturday so I always wounded if Saturday morning show was on the cards. I am not a fan of Friday Download as it's a bland show but I am not 10. If anyone knows how well Friday Download done this series compared to last I would be interested to see.

CBBC need a complete overhaul if it want to attracts views back. I am not sure how this BBC Two slot will help but it could showcase the best of CBBC to get some views back. But something bigger needs to happen and quick.

I still don't understand why CBBC went the childish route when the competition (Nickelodeon and Disney) has their aim towards aspirational tweens/early teens.

Were the 2002 CBBC bugs well-liked within the BBC? I got the impression they were curtailed at the first opportunity, replaced by the similar but comparatively charmless 3D blob in a blue void (that I think was only meant to be temporary but ended up lasting 2 years?).

I've often wondered why this occurred when the 2002 look seemed incredibly versatile and could've been adapted to suit the change in target audience (although I'm not sure if this aligned with their scrapping or if it came later).

For what it's worth (and from the little I've seen of CBBC since), I thought the 2007 rebrand was well crafted and implemented, a much needed breath of fresh air at the time. But I see they've since changed the formula of the idents completely and nothing seems to fit together any more. The trails appear to be attempting to ape iOS (gaudy gradients and resultant logo colour-clashing ahoy) suggesting an effort to dazzle the older crowd, yet the idents feature ear-piercing, screaming lower end of the age demographic members - surely an instant turn off for older kids?

It's all a bit of a jumble and another BBC brand that seems to have lost its direction, in need of a bigger creative rethink than it ought to be.

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No, it is my real name. I don't think it's a pointer to anything, it's filling a bit of space.

I do know that in Ireland, RTE's kids strand The Den used to have its own channel in the EPG but it was in fact just a simulcast of RTE2 and they only had it in the EPG so it could be in the kids' section. The only way putting kids shows on BBC2 would have any benefit is if BBC2 was then in the kids' section of the EPG - otherwise no kid would notice them.

Of course, just because there's no kids' shows on BBC1 and BBC2 doesn't mean kids don't watch other things on them - just like I didn't like Children's ITV when I was growing up but did watch other things on ITV. Kids still watch things like You've Been Framed and X Factor on ITV, and Doctor Who and Strictly on BBC1. This generation know to watch different channels for different things.

Still the case on UPC for the Den's successors RTEjr and TRTE, though the former is now an independently scheduled channel in its own right. Incidently RTE has been (effectively) refused permission to do away with the RTEjr block on RTE2. (I use the word "effectively" because rather than take a decision (and have to give reasons) the Department basically stonewalled RTE's application until they withdrew it.)

Trim that down to a square with nr in it and it would.

I imagine it's a combination of all these potential reasons…BBC2 seems no worse off with repeats of kids' output rather than random daytime tat on Saturday morning, so if they can pick up a bit of promotion for the channel in the process then why not? As a shop window it's not a bad idea to have it so high up the EPG. Even if children know where to find the channels they're much more likely to chance across it on BBC2 if they're not in the habit of visiting the kids' section.

As for CBBC itself, presentation-wise it does seem to have lost it's way somewhat. As well as the branding issues mentioned above the standard of the office links has nose-dived of late. When they relaunched in 2007 they made a point of using presenters with a background in comedy which worked really well with the style of output they were trying to do. The latest recruits just don't seem to be of the same standard. However I'm way out of the target audience so could be off the mark…!

Yes just noticed the programmes being aired, it's clearly just a cost saving measure Imo. Those factual repeats cost nothing.

Well the trust called out for a return of proper Saturday morning TV and that's not happened and not looking like happening. It really would be the best shop window for CBBC there could be though.

Its actually a shame how Freeview only has POP, CBeebies and CBBC when other platforms have Nick and Disney. Is this what children want? NO.

Kids should be dam grateful there have 3 WHOLE channels to them selves on Freeview. back in day we have 90mins of kids show and thats it!