Biddy Baxter: The Woman Who Made Blue Peter

Hello there Boys and Girls!

Christmas is over as the tree has been taken down together with the nativity scene and the cards as we've passed the twelve days of Christmas getting set for the New Year but somethings don't always just go and that applies to this.

I sometimes sound rather like a stuck record but the one tv show that for my whole life has towered over others is the Children's BBC magazine show Blue Peter currently in its sixty-fifth year so not surprisingly there are things connected with the show I've had over the years such as my original books (many call them annuals but that was never the original term) from Book 4 published in 1967 to the early 1990's my regular and Gold Badge, a number of special assignments series books to books about the program some of which I have written about.

For Christmas I had "The Woman That Made Blue Peter: Biddy Baxter" written by Richard Marston  who work on the show as well as a number of other BBC Children's shows who interviewed past presenters, people in the various BBC units she worked with apart from herself fo this biography.

From 1962 to the Summer of 1988, Biddy was the editor of the show that came in in the very early days and set the tone of the show not just while she was in charge but for subsequent producers when it came to relentless dedication to making the best possible program, never talking down to children covering historical events, popular science, arts, adventure and lost of makes showcasing creativity.

This book is very much about how she got to be that person and looks into how the show was put together such as differert sorts of people who worked in the studio and behind the scenes, the way the BBC worked internally as they affected the show.

It tells of her childhood and education in Leicestershire in the East Midlands.

These tended to include battles for studio room, budgets, internal reorganizations, technical staff and some of the on set issues given as brilliant as Biddy was, she wasn't terribly tactful driven by her desire to make the best show come what may.

I found it a very interesting book, knowing of good number of the presenters from that period and some of the BBC  key people running things in that era, showing just how she made that show a must see children's show even when faced from ITV's very  me too Magpie competition for twelve years.

What she achieved enabled the show to continue without a break, adjusting a little as times changed  but remaining what she set it out to be.

The last few weeks on the show have been reviews of Twenty-twenty three on the show looking at challenges, visits to places, competitions such as the Dr Who one and guests.

In the more modern era interactivity has been extended to include an online fan club with games, extra bits of programming and the BP V.I.P.  scheme where people apply stating why they wish to go behind the scenes and meet their heroes.

They then spend a day with them which is filmed and televised within one weeks show.