CBBC before CBBC

[Arran]

1985 Overview - Before Children's BBC

Children’s programmes commence at 15:50 on Wednesday 2 January. From Monday 1 April a later start at 15:55 following the removal of Play School from the schedule. From Monday 17 June to Friday 6 September a later start at 16:20 due to various sporting events and the Trades Union Congress. Children’s BBC is launched at 15:55 on 9 September.

The schedule begins with Play School, five days a week, until Friday 29 March – the final afternoon episode.

Newsround on Mondays to Thursdays. Starting at 16:50, 16:55 or 17:00.

Newsround Extra on Fridays from 4 January to 8 March and 24 May to 26 July. Starting at 16:45, 16:50 or 16:55.

Late starts at 16:20 have two to four programmes before Newsround.

Overall, the schedule for 1985 is simpler than that for 1984 with most programmes broadcast once a week.

The majority of programme series before Newsround commenced in early January, early April, or throughout June and July. A large batch of 15 new programmes plus a new series of Bananaman, and Laurel and Hardy commenced in April following the removal of Play School from the schedule and the ending of the Jackanory season. All in the first in the first week of April apart from three Friday series which had to wait until 12 April due to Good Friday.

The first series to continue into Children’s BBC after 9 September was Battle of the Planets which commenced on Wednesday 5 June. The second was Heads and Tails which commenced on Tuesday 18 June with the final episode on 10 September.

Dogtanian was broadcast on Thursdays from 3 January to 27 June. It outlasted every series commencing before April. It also outlasted every series commencing in April apart from Whizz. Four series which continued into Children’s BBC commenced in June before Dogtanian had finished!

Disrupted schedules
Friday 5 April – Good Friday
Monday 8 April – Easter Monday
Monday 6 May – Bank Holiday
Monday 27 May – Bank Holiday
Monday 26 August – Bank Holiday

Over on BBC 2
Tuesday 19 March – Budget
Wednesday 1 May – World Cup Football, Romania v England (Film in Scotland)

Regional variations
Grange Hill was broadcast on Mondays and Wednesdays at 17:35 (two episodes a week) from 18 February to 22 April, except in Wales where it was broadcast on Mondays at 18:35 from 18 February to 29 July – skipping three weeks due to Bank Holiday Mondays and International Football. This was to accommodate Wales Today which started at 17:35.

When the series finished with episode 18 on Monday 22 April, episode 8 was broadcast in Wales!

Urdd Eisteddfod was broadcast in Wales on Wednesday 29 May at 17:10 instead of Duncan Dares, and Friday 31 May at 17:05 instead of Fast Forward.

Cartoons and Ceefax before the children’s time slot

Older cartoons were occasionally broadcast after 15:25 in the time slot before the children’s time slot. This would follow with a two minute regional news programme, except on Monday 1 April. These older cartoons were not part of the children’s time slot.

Monday 1 April at 15:25 – Cartoon, Daffy Duck’s Easter Special
Thursday 11 April at 15:40 – Cartoon Double Bill, Billy Boy & ****-a-doodle Dog
Friday 12 April at 15:45, Cartoon, Tom and Jerry

Pages From Ceefax, starting some time after 14:00, were broadcast on numerous days before the children’s time slot.

Schedule for Friday 29 March
15:50 Play School: It's Friday
16:10 The All New Popeye Show: In A Little Spinach Town
16:20 Jackanory: The Magic Pudding
16:35 Secrets Out!!!
17:00 The Secret Garden: Episode 7 Magic

Schedule for Monday 1 April
15:55 Bertha: The Great Painting Job
16:10 Captain Caveman: Cavey's Crazy Car Caper
16:20 Busker
16:35 Dungeons and Dragons: The Girl Who Dreamed Tomorrow
16:55 Newsround
17:05 Blue Peter
17:35 Grange Hill: Episode 13 (Except Wales

[George 1978]

The Terrahawks puppets & Marmalade Atkins also did some CITV links.

Marmalade Atkins did CITV in around 1984, around the earlier part of doing the continuty - I vaugely remember her doing it at the time, but I bet that it was a treat for viewers when she did. She was the only person to do continuuty who probably resembled an average CITV viewer! Danielle Nicholls was also someone who was like that.

Speaking of Marmalade, I have always wondered whether or not Grange Hill's Imelda Davis (and Tracy Beaker for that matter) was loosely based on her as they both had a very similar persona - and no doubt that Paddington Bear would have cannibalised her...

[Arran]

The scheduling was different back in the 1970s compared with the early 1980s - that continued into the CBBC era. Blue Peter was broadcast before 17:00.

Dastardly and Muttley in their Flying Machines was broadcast in October 1970 at 17:20, but not in Wales.

Tuesday 13 October 1970

14:25 Closedown
16:20 Play School
16:40 Jackanory
16:55 Vision On
17:20 Dastardly and Muttley in their Flying Machines (Rest of the UK)
17:44 The Magic Roundabout (Rest of the UK)
17:20 Telewele (Wales)
17:50 National News and Weather

[Arran]

A’ Cheud Turus was the only programme in Scots Gaelic broadcast in the time slot for children's programmes in the afternoon from 1970 to 1999. It was only broadcast in Scotland at 16:50 on the following dates:

Tuesdays
22 November 1983
6 December 1983
20 December 1983

Wednesdays
8 February 1984
15 February 1984
22 February 1984
29 February 1984
7 March 1984

Almost nothing is known about the programme although it’s briefly described as a new adventure series for teenagers in the 1985 BBC Year Book.

https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK...-Book-1985.pdf

It’s probably been wiped from the BBC archive. After all, the BBC wiped several Rentaghost episodes from the 1980s back in 1993.

[Arran]

An interesting three-way regional variation on Friday 3 June 1983

15:55 Play School
16:20 The New Shmoo
16:40 Make’ Em Laugh (England and Northern Ireland)
16:40 Joe & Co (Scotland)
16:40 The Urdd Eisteddfod 1983 (Wales)
17:00 Newsround Extra (except in Wales)
17:10 Hunters Gold

I previously mentioned two 5 minute intervals in Wales at 16:30 in October 1984. Here’s an even more surprising find.

On Friday 9 September 1983 there was a CLOSEDOWN between 16:00 and 16:18, followed by the regional news. Children’s programmes started at 16:20 (with Play School) because it was (the last day of) the summer TV season, but it’s hard to imagine that children had come home from school and were staring at a time clock on BBC 1 whilst CITV was being broadcast over on ITV.

[Arran]

Other interesting programmes before Play School in 1984

An interesting programme was occasionally broadcast after 15:55 during the summer when Play School started at 16:20. This would follow with a two minute regional news programme before Play School started.

Tuesday 10 July at 15:55 – In the Making, Glass blowing
Tuesday 31 July at 15:50 – In the country
Monday 6 August at 16:10 – Diversions
Thursday 16 August at 15:40 – House of Dreams
Monday 20 August at 16:00 – In the Making, Bells
Wednesday 22 August at 15:55 – In the Making, Stained Glass

[Arran]

Cartoons before Play School in 1984

Older cartoons were regularly broadcast after 15:30 in the time slot before Play School. This would follow with a two minute regional news programme before Play School started. These older cartoons were not part of the children’s time slot.

Wednesday 4 January at 15:40 – Cartoon, House-Hunting Mice
Tuesday 10 January at 15:30 – Cartoon, Bugs Bunny
Thursday 12 January at 15:40 – Cartoon, Fair and Wormer
Tuesday 17 January at 15:30 – Cartoon Double Bill, Bird came COD & Life with feathers
Monday 18 January at 15:30 – Cartoon, Bugs Bunny Double Bill
Friday 20 January at 15:35 – Cartoon Double Bill, Dumb Patrol & Easy Peckings
Tuesday 7 February at 15:30 – Cartoon Double Bill
Wednesday 22 February at 15:35 – Cartoon, Bugs Bunny
Tuesday 28 February at 15:35 – Cartoon
Tuesday 6 March at 15:35 – Cartoon, Barnyard Babies
Monday 12 March at 15:35 – Cartoon
Friday 16 March at 15:30 – Cartoon
Monday 19 March at 15:35 – Cartoon
Monday 26 March at 15:40 – Cartoon, Tom and Jerry
Tuesday 27 March at 15:40 – Cartoon, Barney Bear
Friday 23 March at 15:30 – Cartoon
Thursday 29 March at 15:40 – Cartoon, Barney Bear
Friday 30 March at 15:30 – Cartoon
Wednesday 28 March at 15:35 – Cartoon, Tom and Jerry
Monday 2 April at 15:40 – Cartoon Double Bill
Tuesday 3 April at 15:45 – Cartoon
Thursday 5 April at 15:40 – Cartoon Double Bill
Monday 9 April at 15:40 – Cartoon, Tom and Jerry
Tuesday 10 April at 15:45 – Cartoon, Barney Bear
Thursday 12 April at 15:40 – Cartoon Double Bill
Friday 13 April at 15:45 – Cartoon, Barney Bear
Monday 16 April at 15:45 – Cartoon, Barney Bear
Tuesday 17 April at 15:35 – Cartoon, Officer Pooch & Home on the Range
Tuesday 1 May at 15:35 – Cartoon Double Bill, Blue Monday & A Day at the Beach
Monday 14 May at 15:45 – Cartoon, Tom and Jerry
Wednesday 16 May at 15:40 – Cartoon, The Little Mole
Friday 18 May at 15:45 – Cartoon, Little Buck Cheeser
Monday 21 May at 15:40 – Cartoon, Cat Feud & Dog Tales
Tuesday 29 May at 15:45 – Cartoon, Wild, Wild World
Tuesday 5 June at 15:40 – Cartoon, Bugs Bunny Double Bill
Thursday 7 June at 15:40 – Cartoon, Lost Chick
Monday 11 June at 15:40 – Cartoon, The Chinese Nightingale
Tuesday 12 June at 15:40 – Cartoon, Field Mouse
Wednesday 11 July at 16:05 – Cartoon, Goldilocks and the Three Bears
Monday 23 July at 16:05 – Cartoon, Barney Bear Double Bill
Tuesday 24 July at 16:10 – Cartoon, Bottles
Thursday 16 August at 16:10 – Cartoon, Good Little monkeys
Tuesday 21 August at 16:05 – Cartoon Double Bill, Dog Gone Cats and Fin 'n' Catty
Thursday 13 September at 15:35 – Cartoon, Tom and Jerry
Friday 28 September at 15:35 – Cartoon
Friday 12 October 15:30 – Cartoon
Wednesday 7 November at 15:40 – Cartoon
Friday 9 November at 15:35 – Cartoon Double Bill
Thursday 15 November at 15:40 – Cartoon, The Homeless Flea
Friday 16 November at 15:40 – Cartoon, Tom and Jerry
Thursday 22 November at 15:40 – Cartoon, Mama’s New Hat
Tuesday 4 December at 15:30 – Cartoon
Thursday 6 December at 15:40 – Cartoon
Wednesday 12 December at 15:40 – Cartoon
Thursday 13 December at 15:40 – Cartoon
Tuesday 18 December at 15:30 – Cartoon Double Bill, The Flyin' Bear & Little Gravel Voice
Wednesday 19 December at 15:40 – Cartoon, Tom and Jerry
Thursday 20 December at 15:40 – Cartoon, Tom and Jerry

The Amazing Adventures of Morph was broadcast at 15:50 before Play School on all weekdays from Monday 9 January to Friday 27 January.

[George 1978]

Inside Ulster was an occasional news programme. Only broadcast 27 times over a 10 year period.

I thought it was a regular news programme for Northern Ireland back then - probably only used due to The Troubles then?

[Arran]

I remember Andy Crane saying an early goodbye to viewers in Northern Ireland quite often in the late 1980s.

Do you know of any videos of this?

[Richard1978]

I remember Andy Crane saying an early goodbye to viewers in Northern Ireland quite often in the late 1980s.

[Arran]

Inside Ulster was originally broadcast at 17:40 on 22 April 1985. There was no disruption to the children's time slot. On 18 June 1992 it was moved to an earlier 17:35 timeslot instead of Neighbours. It doesn't appear that there was disruption to CBBC because Neighbours also started at 17:35.

Inside Ulster was an occasional news programme. Only broadcast 27 times over a 10 year period.

[George 1978]

I remember Northern Ireland used to finish CBBC early because their local news was before the 6 o'clock news & Neighbours after it.

Yes, it was something like this:

5.35 Inside Ulster
6.00 Six O'Clock News
6.35 Neighbours.

One assues that as the regional news was a prominent piece of the TV schedules that Northern Ireland had to do that. I am not too certain why they had an earlier news programme - something to do with The Trobules back then? I assume so.

Also, I assume that when the moved it back to 6.30 pm to be the same as the other regions and nations (around the time of The Troiubles ending and the Good Friday Agreement, methinks), the changed it to Newsline 6.30. I acutally assumed that the change was not only to accomadate the new time slot but also the change of name was because of the word "Ulster" was also the name of their regional ITV counterparts, although Ulster TV was known as UTV most of the time by then.

[George 1978]

16:20 King Rollo *
16:25 Bric-a-Brac *

They always shared the same 15 minute slot because Rollo was five minutes long and Bric-a-Brac (first time I had ever heard that word when I watched it back in the day) was ten minutes long. Brian Cant was the presenter of the latter.

[George 1978]

I remember that Children's BBC had Friday film specials that showed films from The Children's Film Foundation from the late 1960's and 70's and 80's. I think they started The Friday Film Specials around 1987 and it ended in 1989 I really enjoyed watching those old films when I was a kid. Terry On The Fence, Sammy's Super Tee Shirt etc, etc.

Yes, I did notice that Children's BBC did that on Friday afternoons in the late 1980s, and the TV listings proved that. Great British nostalgia as well.

Sammy's Super T-Shirt was shown in June 1988 according to old TV listings.

[Arran]

I remember Northern Ireland used to finish CBBC early because their local news was before the 6 o'clock news & Neighbours after it.

What year was this? I assumed a completely unified and homogeneous schedule for CBBC because it was presented nationally whereas regional continuity announcers were used in 1984.

I couldn't find any regional variations for Northern Ireland in 1984 so I would be surprised if any existed in later years unless it was a one off special news programme disrupting the schedule.