Review written by and copyright: Paul Lewis (29th June 2009).
The Show
Broadcast between 1968 and 1980 and produced by Thames Television, Magpie was ITVï¿½s challenge to the BBCï¿½s long-running childrenï¿½s show Blue Peter (1958- ). A live magazine-style show, Magpie was originally broadcast once a week but, in 1969, eventually became broadcast on a twice-weekly basis, on Tuesdays and Fridays. Famously, Magpie differentiated itself from its BBC rival by targeting a slightly older audience and including a greater focus on ï¿½hipï¿½ subjects such as pop music. Magpieï¿½s status as a show that aimed to be more in touch with its times was immediately signified through the showï¿½s use of rock-based theme music (by The Spencer Davis Group) over its opening titles.
Featuring a mixture of educational and entertaining content, throughout its lifespan Magpie featured several changes of presenters. The showï¿½s original presenters were Tony Bastable, Peter Brady and Susan Stranks. The first episode in this set, broadcast in 1972, opens with Bastableï¿½s departure; he was replaced by Mick Robertson. In 1971, Brady had been replaced by Douglas Rae; when Rae left in 1977, Tommy Boyd joined the series. Finally, Susan Stranks left the show in 1974; her role as presenter was taken by Jenny Hanley.
Although less than a hundred episodes of the series are believed to be in existence, the episodes that have been selected for this release reveal the diversity of subjects that were covered in Magpie, from dramatised accounts of the Civil War (in which Susan Stranks plays the role of a conflicted daughter of a Royalist) to Douglas Rae and Jenny Hanley investigating the workings of a barge. Elsewhere, Tommy Boyd takes part in a naval exercise, training how to escape from a sinking ship, and Mick Robertson, Douglas Rae and Jenny Hanley take a trip through France.
The series benefits greatly from both its diverse and engaging subject matter and the overall warmth of its presenters. Never patronising its young viewers, the episodes in this set cover a huge variety of topics, both contemporary and historical. Quite simply, revisiting these episodes of Magpie highlights the lack of scope and ambition of much of modern childrenï¿½s television (and, arguably, factual programming in general): Magpieï¿½s factual slots are genuinely informative and, as noted above, do not patronise their viewers. Consequently, features such as the episode focusing on canals are potentially as informative for adults as they are for the showï¿½s intended child audience.
Disc One: