Children’s TV Books There's one thing that Jedisparadise hasn't done before is review books about children’s TV. Maybe this is an oversight, but its one that we are now rectifying. Blue Peter’s 50th Anniversary Book Now I have to say that some of the Blue Peter annuals that I've read have tended to be quite boring (even though they gave you instructions on how to build Tracy Island). But the Blue Peter 50th Anniversary Book is different. This book charts the rise of Blue Peter over the years, with unprecedented details from behind the scenes. Biddy Baxter the driving force behind the show for many years, has even written the forward to the book. But its another editor of Blue Peter that deserves gratitude for writing this book. Using his contacts and knowledge of the show, Richard Marson has pieced together this fascinating inside story of the show from the last 50 years. Little did we know that John Noakes didn't start well on the show and was nearly dropped. He had to slip back into his Yorkshire accent (which he lost at drama school) and act the clown, which wasn't the real John Noakes. Also that Leslie Judd was nearly dropped because of her messy divorce from Derek Fowlds (star of Basil Brush & Heartbeat). Lets not forget Biddy Baxter, who kept a tight control over the show, and her various run ins with people. My, it sounds like a soap opera, maybe we should put it forward as an alternative to EastEnders or Coronation Street. Still, the book covers many subjects, the animals of the show, the Blue Peter Garden, the Blue Peter Appeals, even the different types of Blue Peter badges you could collect. At a 192 pages long, its a monster of a book that has certainly kept me entertained. © JedisParadise.com Toys & Gifts T-Shirts Bargain DVDs