The BBC have announced a new children’s show, provisionally titled Election in which Jonathan Dimbleby goes looking for a natural leader among the country’s 11 to 14-year-olds.

The format, in fact, sounds great. Have a look at the BBC press release for more.

Well done Phil Redmond who got in a pre-emptive bitch about the series a couple of weeks back “Mortar boards”, though? Been reading too much Bash Street Kids, Phil?

Even if you haven’t watched Blue Peter for decades, you’ll know the format of the traditional Christmas show - lighting the final candle on the advent crown, cards from viewers, presents for the pets (although the tradition of giving the presenters presents too seemed to die out sometime in the ’70, soon after Peter Purves received some Whistle Testcassettes), a last-minute make, the Christmas crib and the unforgettable climax with the team joined by hundreds of kids and the Chalk Farm band of the Salvation Army to croon a carol. Predictable, maybe, but always delivered with such affection and sparkle that – certainly for me – it’s a top piece of life-affirming family telly to really kick off the festive season.

This was especially the case during the show’s imperial phase earlier this decade, and was testament to Blue Peter‘s ability to stick with the show’s traditions but make them relevant and enjoyable for new generations.

There’s been a lot of changes to the programme this year, some of them for obvious reasons, but also due to a CBBC policy to aim purely at the under-12s with teenagers directed towards the new BBC Switch. The relaunch in September was a rather radical affair which certainly in the first few weeks had some teething problems, but with familiar staples such as the expedition and the appeal remaining in place, I’d assumed, and hoped, the Christmas show, which went out yesterday, would remain broadly similar.

But no. In fact, all the familiar Christmas traditions were junked to make way for a new format. The edition instead was a Christmas party for some of the young carers the appeal would be helping. It wasn’t a bad show by any means – it was nice to see BP on a large scale in TV Centre Studio 1 again after months of squatting on a tiny fixed set, the kids seemed to enjoy it, and it helped promote the appeal further – but it wasn’t the Christmas show. Hence, to round it off, rather than the Salvation Army, the musical item was Santa Claus is Coming to Town performed by… Booty Luv.

Before the Daily Mail gets wind of this, the reason for the change was not “political correctness”, as with cracker-pulling contests and Konnie visiting a Christmas tree farm, it was packed with Christmassy stuff. But not the traditional Christmas fare, and I find that hugely disappointing. Of course they have to move with the times, but to completely abandon a much-loved format after nearly 50 years seems rather unnecessary, as it was still massively enjoyable. 

Biddy Baxter famously demanded the programme be “a rock” in viewers’ lives, always familiar during turbulent times, so I don’t know how children react to these bewildering and, really, largely pointless changes.

To use a crap analogy, I wouldn’t like it if you gave me pizza for Christmas dinner rather than turkey. Christmas has been officially ruined.

Just finished watching the first two episodes of The Sarah Jane Adventures (now confirmed for Monday 24 September at 5pm on BBC1), and I feel a little bit exhilarated. With 25 minute episodes this does indeed feel rather like old schoolWho. Not a huge deal of plot, but lots of exciting moments and archetypical flourishes (unseen baddies monitoring our heroes via CCTV and cackling evilly). And it moves like the clappers. 

It’s no surprise to say the Slitheen are back (the thing’s called “Revenge of the Slitheen”) and they fit in very well – fart gags and fatties playing nicely before Neighbours. 

Performances all round are generally great, with Ms Sladen zestfully bouncing between shouty and vulnerable moments to ace effect. New character Clyde is lots of fun, but the real kudos has to go to the corpulent cast members – all operatic rolling eyes and flab.

Bits for the Who hardcore roll along in episode two, including a glimpse of a Jagaroth spaceship design on SJ’s wall (for some reason), “Love to the Brig” and – if I’m not mistaken – a Crackerjack reference (Maria’s mum referring to our heroine as “Sally Ann”). 

Plus, the trailer for episode three looks absolutely fantastic – some business with “the Gorgon” …

Lime Pictures’ most recent run of Grange Hill never actually made it to BBC1, after a screening on the CBBC Channel back in January. That’s the first in 30 years. Does it matter, though? I kind of think so. The show always felt like the heart of BBC1′s children’s programming, a dollop of grit and production prowess that off-set more frivilous fare. But, with the Corporation declaring programmes for younger viewers now really does mean younger viewers, I guess GH is outside that demographic. 

Surprised there hasn’t been a protest though – and I think the portents aren’t great for more series once the current agreement between the BBC and Lime expires. 

There is some better news, though.

“When the programme-makers first contacted me,” said Elisabeth Sladen in interview recently, “I thought they were calling me about Torchwood. ‘Ooh,’ I said, ‘I’m going to be in the 9pm slot for once! I’m going to be grown up!’.”

But, from the excerpt I’ve seen, this is absolutely, deafeningly a kids’ show, with a lot of the action told from the point of view of the juvenile lead, Maria. Sarah is very much portrayed as “the other”, a fantastic, mysterious person who chats to aliens (one of whom has, fittingly, dropped in from Torchwood) on her back lawn. The baddy – Samantha Bond – is just this side of a cartoon, and that’s how it should be.

Word of mouth about this show is already good. Unsurprisingly, I’m excited.