CBBC at 30: The 'Broom Cupboard'

I've just finished watching Hackers Birthday Bash - 30 years of Children's BBC on iplayer and it brought back soo many memories of presenters from the past.  I didn't recognise all of them, my prime CBBC years being probably 1987 to 1997 but these ones certainly shaped my past.

Before 1985 the BBC did show many many programmes fir children but these were shown independently with an voice-over in between, at 3.55pm on 9 September 1985 Phillip Schofield entered the 'Broom Cupboard' and the format changed.  Now there were live presenters doing the continuity links for the programmes.  The presenters sat behind a large control desk in a very small room, nicknamed the 'Broom Cupboard' where they talked to callers, read letters and birthday cards and filled the gaps when a programme didn't run to plan.

Here's my run down of the presenters that shaped my childhood...

Here's One We Made Earlier .... a history of Children's BBC @The Lowry

As my #FlashbackFriday posts will hopefully have shown you I love living in the past.  I am convinced that children's TV past is far better then it is today, but perhaps that's my age as when I sit the boys down with some of the old programmes they find them boring (eeek how dare they!!).  So when I was told about the 'Here's One We Made Earlier' exhibition at The Lowry in Manchester I was counting down the days until I could take the boys.

This exhibition explores the story of over 90 years of BBC Children's broadcasting, from 1922, when the BBC launched Children's Hour, right up to the present multi-media moment with plenty of interactive exhibits along the way. This is something you need to keep an eye on, whilst some of the things are touchable a lot are not, however you have to spot a tiny sign before your excited children do which is not always easy.

Flashback Friday - Incredible Games

What do you get when you mix The Crystal Maze, David Walliams, Tinky Winky and CBBC??  The Incredible Games of course!!

Incredible Games was a children's game show that lasted only 2 seasons between January 1994 and March 1995.

The show was set in a fictional skyscraper with a talking lift (David Walliams for the first series and Gary Parker in the second).

Flashback Friday - Playdays, Playbus, Playschool

Playdays (Playbus, Play School)

Where does it go? Where does it stop? Watch for the sign on the lollipop.....


I grew up with Playdays, but those a bit older will have known it as Playbus or Play School.   There was a slightly different format between Play School and Playdays/ Playbus but the overall aim was the same.... to create a fun educational pre-school programme for BBC.

Flashback Friday - Greenclaws

"In the Greenhouse

Greenclaws' Greenhouse

Greenclaws grows them ............

........... amazing plants"

You had to be quick to catch this series as it only ran for 1 year, 1988-1989.  During this time CBBC made 26, 15 minute episodes. Aimed at pre-schoolers it was usually shown around lunchtime on BBC2.  It has been repeated since but the last time I remember was 2000.