Case Study: Blue Peter Harley Cooper – 000720839 CINE 1049 Description Blue Peter is a children’s television show produced and aired by the BBC. It covers a large number of activities for children to be interested in: Local and National News, social and technological relevant based inserts, arts and crafts ‘Make it at home’, cooking demonstrations, live performances and cutaway’s to popular shows. The format is simple. There are three to four presenters that present different aspects of the show. Appearance and Style Blue Peter is famous for it’s promotion of the colour blue and it’s childlike feel. The entirety of the set is covered in the Royal Blue in the modern day version, however, when it was first established the show had more of a nautical theme to it, using yellows and water safety equipment in it’s set design, but the logo has always been the blue ship that is well known by the majority of the British population. The logo is a sign for the maritime signal of the vessel flying it is ready to leave and it was used by the shows creators because of the ‘voyage of adventure’ the show was taking when it was first created. Being one of the longest running magazine shows in Britain it set has evolved over it’s many years on the television taking on a format of equality (two male presenters and two Case Study: Blue Peter Harley Cooper – 000720839 CINE 1049 female presenters) with two studio presenters (who are children friendly and easy on the eyes) and the other two are usually in pre-­‐recorded clips or another location which is relevant to the shows chosen subject of focus for that episode. It uses pre-­‐recorded inserts/live performances and in studio demonstrations/participation as it’s style for presenting. The show uses bold typography and cartoon like colouring to appease their demographic, this combined with the infamous Blue Peter badges it uses a reward system to keep the kids watching. The show is filmed using multi-­‐cameras, which covers the entirety of their studio set, while they use rather simplistic shots, such as: wide, medium close up and close up, they don’t tend to be adventurous which is stereotypical of a magazine show. The only time the show breaks the conventions of a magazine show is when it is something drastic, such as: the helicopter scene in the youtube link below, where they film the presenter arriving at their new studio to provide a daring move to amplify the modernisation of the show and to break away from it’s old, tired traditions. Content Since its creation Blue Peter has branched out from its basic children show into a format of a magazine/entertainment show. It covers a wide range of content: Arts and crafts, local and global news events, public service broadcaster approved social messages, technology based events and items, cooking demonstrations, live performances and much more. To say what Blue Peter’s primary content is impossible other than the fact that it is simply an informative show that focuses on whatever is current and worth knowing. Take for example in the clip below, the show focuses on it’s new based of location with a live large scale helicopter based insert and then goes on to focus on the Apple IPhone craze of ‘App’s’ and how children can start creating applications to be used by themselves and their friends at a young age, while teaching a message about the importance of standing up to bullies and taking care of yourself at the same time. The show thrives of its childlike nature and it’s morals that it is trying to teach them. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4axcL8WDUc Case Study: Blue Peter Harley Cooper – 000720839 CINE 1049 Target Audience Blue Peter’s target audience is children, specifically aged 5-­‐8; however, it is possible that children up to the age of 14 watch the show. This is evident from the shows colour scheme, layout and presentation style. The presenters often come across as simplistic in it’s coverage of news events and the way they present directly to camera is almost as if a child is being read a bed time story. Blue Peter may sometimes find itself stretching to a wider audience because of in its time that it has been on the air. Multiple generations have grown up with the show on their television screens and could find adults also watching alongside their children through nostalgia or responsibility. The show also can elicit national pride due to the fact it is one of the longest running magazine shows ever. Summary To summarise Blue Peter is a great example of a magazine show and the evolution of that format. It was once an informative, demonstrative children’s show that involved into a reflective, entertainment, magazine based children’s show that relies heavily on co-­‐operation between the studio performances and the live/video inserts. It’s target audience is obvious from it’s content, but has the ability to attract a wider audience around the holiday seasons or when children are on their half terms due to parental commitment. Its format is colourful, in your face and bold. It is a very clever magazine show and is one of the best in the world.