The weekend started pretty much with waking up to reports from various weekend newspapers that the long running children's tv program, Blue Peter will cease to make live programs from its studio at Salford, Lancashire and instead be entirely pre-recorded.
Shockingly last Friday's show was actually the last live one although neither presenters, the children taking part or us the viewers actually knew as none of us were informed.
It remains unclear as to what exactly the role of all three presenters, Abby, Joel and Shini will be beyond being in any pre-recorded clip as each will need to be "anchored" to form a cohesive program whither or not it is shown first on iPlayer online or transmitted on a traditional 'linear' tv channel.
It is understood that the BBC is planning on axing the BBC CBBC channel for 6 to 12 year olds and going digital only at some future point, a channel that was first established in 2002 and the movement of all children's programming to it in 2012 after the "digital switchover"
It's not as if Blue Peter has never had pre-recorded segments shot on film or tape from the 1960's onwards as those of us can recall things like John Noakes climbing Nelson's Column, the many summer expeditions that of necessity had to be or trips to various places but being live gave it an edge, the sense o f not knowing what was going to happen next.
It made for memorable interviews on set, the possibility of a fluffed line or a animal misbehaving that as children we just laughed out loud at.
One memorable live show had people on from GirlGuiding in December 1970 where a camp fire was light as brownies and girl guides all sang around as nobody noticed until it was a bit late the campfire was getting out of control right next to them!
Things like "The Big Badge Wall" that celebrates achievements from posted art and details of challenges undertaken take on more as presenter show the weeks outstanding recipients as children cheer as they do for an artist performing or a live presenter challenge.
That is very stuff that will be lost from now on, the edge of the seat feel we get and which as children we so compared to a continuity linked series of pre-recorded items.
As ever the groan ups show their lack of understanding of what makes great tv even though we all know the world has changed since we first started watching not least how we do but we all saw saw things at the same time for very first time live.
Anyone who reads the BP Fan Club pages knows seeing and chatting about these live bits gets them so excited and happy. Many adults love live shows too for similar reasons but middle age preduces seem to think glorified podcasts are all we want.
This is a very retrograde step.
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