GLORIOUS SHOWS THAT MADE TV A JOY FOR KIDS

ForMer Blue Peter host Konnie Huq is thankful she wasn’t making children’s tV in the early days.

‘Some of it looks so dangerous!’ she gasps. ‘I get goosebumps watching John Noakes climbing Nelson’s Column without a harness in 1977. that couldn’t happen now.’ but her documentary marking the bbC’s centenary, Kids’ TV: The Surprising Story, features a clip that shows how she didn’t get off scot-free when it came to performing stunts on camera – once, when sliding down a zip wire on a military assault course, her hands slip and she’s left hanging upside-down. the programme explores a more serious side too. ‘Up to about seven, children are creating the blueprints for their adulthood,’ says Konnie (below). ‘everything you see at that age could influence you for life.’

Many classic kids’ shows were intent on educating as well as entertaining. art programme Vision On used sign language to make it accessible for deaf children, and was a launchpad for the animators who created clay man Morph and founded aardman, home of Wallace and Gromit. Johnny ball’s show Think Of A Number helped kids with maths and science. In the documentary he illustrates his influence with an anecdote. ‘two guys came up to me at the races one day. one said, “I’m a nuclear physicist because of you.” and his mate said, “You influenced me too: I’m a bookmaker!”.’

It’s odds-on you’ll enjoy this slice of tV nostalgia.

Kids’ TV: The Surprising Story, Wednesday, 9pm, BBC1.