Your Chairman with presenters (left to right) Simon, Zoë and Matt

Sorry this is a little late but TV has a reputation for being unreliable. Last Tuesday I spent a whole day at the BBC in the Blue Peter studios acting as a magical adviser to two of our best performers. Each of them was appearing in a different episode of the programme. Here's what happened.

By now you may have seen Jonathan Shotton on Blue Peter this Tuesday. This was transmitted live at 6:30pm (later than scheduled) on CBBC digital channel 30. This was repeated on BBC1 the next day at 5:00pm. Jonathan opened the show with part of his stage act to illustrate the sense of sight. The programme theme was the five senses.

Earlier that morning I had been in the Blue Peter studio with Steve Dela. I had been asked by the company handling the TV promotion of the Royal Mail Centenary Stamps to provide a young magician to "do some tricks". In the end following several rehearsals (for lighting, camera angles etc) Steve opened the programme with a move from a linking ring routine. He was later interviewed and asked to perform more magic. He did a series of quick card tricks which, despite the best efforts of the editor to miss the best shots, came over pretty well. Next, presenter Zoë announced that Steve was going to teach her to perform a magic trick but off camera so as not to break the rules of The Magic Circle! After an item showing the new Centenary stamps, Zoë performed her trick (supplied by yours truly) to great acclaim. Viewers were told that if they wanted to learn how it was done they should go to the Blue Peter website, (link - http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/bluepeter/show/whatwason/factsheet_2005_03_10.shtml).

They then have the opportunity to follow a link to another page where they can answer a question which if they get it right takes them to the explanation. This was my solution to the problem of exposure but at the same time keeping the BBC happy by having something that the viewers could do for themselves. The whole thing was being recorded for later transmission. It went out today at 6:30pm (again later than scheduled) on CBBC but will be repeated (presumably) tomorrow on the 5:00pm show on BBC1.

Both our members did themselves and the YMC proud performing perfectly on every rehearsal and on the live takes. Steve, from Shropshire, was accompanied by his mother and father who were staying at a hotel nearby (at the BBC's expense) and Jonathan was accompanied by his father who drove both of them up from West Malling for the day.

Although I tried at every opportunity to get the YMC mentioned, it was left out of the script. I am trying to get a link to our website on the Blue Peter website but it looks unlikely as they are very fussy about links to other sites (just as we are with our site).

I hope everyone thinks we did a good job. We had a great day out, it was good experience for Jonathan and Steve in particular (it was his first TV appearance I think, certainly on national TV) and the BBC and Blue Peter staff were really nice and helpful (as always).

11 March 2005 12:49

«Previous» «More News» «Next»