Jamie Oliver is to an extent to blame for the state of children's TV. In his good cause of healthy eating for kids he got the ban on junk food during kids programmes. The ban affected the revenue channels could make from children's programming, thus less keen to produce new programmes as they're making less money.
Although undoubtedly a factor, I don't think it's a deciding factor myself as most kids TV is filled with adverts for toys etc. rather than "junk food" - it's just the broadcasters using it as an excuse.
Jungle Run came top of CITV Channels top 10 shows list last week with over 200k viewers and Grizzly Tales takes a few places in that list too. I don't understand those 2 being axed
Well thats the end of that then. Grade is sounding very Charles Allen-eque at the moment. First axing regional programmes, then hinting to axing regions themselves, and now axing CITV. What next, Men & Motors? Will there be anything left before long?
Grade realises that ITV is b*ggered. Years of incompetent management have taken their toll. The tragedy is that rather than cutting the umbilical cord (ITV's privileged status, the only thing that is keeping them afloat), Ofcom are happy to unravel 50 years of PSB that has made Britain the envy of the world in order to keep this lame white elephant alive for a few more years.
Put it out of its misery and start over.
:-(
A former member
I told you lot about Art Attack Getting the Bucket Late Last Year! Remember
Normally I'd say it's silly to talk about how much people think kids TV is rubbish compared to 'their day', as it's always compared to whatever year they were about 10 in. But I think this is really the first time when people have a point.
Kids TV in 2005 was no better or worse than kids TV in 2000, or 1995, or 1990, or 1985, or any other year. But certainly over the last year or so it does seem to be a big case of 'let's give up', and what worries me is what the situation will be like in five years time. We could have absolutely no kids shows on BBC1/2 or ITV1 at all and they could be confined to the digital channels.
Normally I'd say it's silly to talk about how much people think kids TV is rubbish compared to 'their day', as it's always compared to whatever year they were about 10 in. But I think this is really the first time when people have a point.
Kids TV in 2005 was no better or worse than kids TV in 2000, or 1995, or 1990, or 1985, or any other year. But certainly over the last year or so it does seem to be a big case of 'let's give up', and what worries me is what the situation will be like in five years time. We could have absolutely no kids shows on BBC1/2 or ITV1 at all and they could be confined to the digital channels.
I think they should have made their own british adaptation of power rangers because power rangers is an adaptation of super sentai.
Funny you should say that...the latest Pink Ranger, I believe, is played by British actress Rhoda Montemayor, whose previous credits include Kerching!. And her big sister Renee spent three years playing Briony in Grange Hill...both shows had the same producer
Kids TV in 2005 was no better or worse than kids TV in 2000, or 1995, or 1990, or 1985, or any other year. But certainly over the last year or so it does seem to be a big case of 'let's give up', and what worries me is what the situation will be like in five years time. We could have absolutely no kids shows on BBC1/2 or ITV1 at all and they could be confined to the digital channels.
Further more to this, the downside is that should they go to the digital channels then the spending for those channels will be less than on BBC1 and 2.
Jamie Oliver is to an extent to blame for the state of children's TV. In his good cause of healthy eating for kids he got the ban on junk food during kids programmes. The ban affected the revenue channels could make from children's programming, thus less keen to produce new programmes as they're making less money. The end result can be seen in CiTV, where it's gone from its traditional weekday slot on ITV1 and is now being cut back at the weekends on its own channel.
It wouldn't surprise me if the junk food ban sees the nail on the coffin for a couple of children's channels.
To quote that mum from Rotherham, Jamie Oliver should have kept his nose out. Junk food has always been there and we've all eaten it, yet today it is being used as a convenient scapegoat for the obesity crisis - the real cause of which, as everyone knows, is reduced PE time in schools, the compensation culture, parents unwilling to let their children play out and insisting on driving their offspring to school, even if it is in practical walking distance. But of course, Nanny New Labour won't entertain the idea that they are causing the problem so they find someone to blame - namely the fast food industry.
I actually supported Jamie Oliver's original campaign before the government hijacked it. At the time, some schools really were serving up food you wouldn't give a pig and that needed to be addressed. But the results of enforced healthy eating in schools have been all too predictable - the inevitable drop-out rate from school dinners in favour of takeaways. When you're working your guts off with GCSEs and A-levels, you look forward to breaktime and that can of Coke to restore your sugar and concentration levels. Now you can't have it because Nanny Brown says no. The junk food ad ban is all too painful a reminder that Ofcom does not think for itself and merely does what the government tells it to - and in this case, jump on whatever bandwagon it's told to.
Personally, I think CITV went down in 2000 with the (unnecessary) axing of Children's Ward and the failure to provide an adequate replacement. 24:Seven was an absolute joke; not surprising that it appealed more to Stateside viewers with its false, glamourous world. That's not to say that Children's Ward didn't need a kick up the backside at the time; CITV then was on a "younger audience" kick similar to what CBBC is doing now, and CW was not then able to cover issues like rape and ecstasy that characterised the show under Russell T. Davies' spell as a writer.
No doubt it's the end of regular ITV1 slots which sealed Art Attack's fate. ITV1 insists ending afternoon CITV has revitalised ratings but I'm voting with my feet and boycotting the channel at teatimes in protest.
