[Stooky Bill]

There was a small opt out at 7.30 for a couple of minutes.

I said it was slick these days, but looking back on iPlayer, I can't see where the opt out was at all. What was it before/after?

[RhysJR]

Interesting that there is a 'Children in Need' broadcast on Radios Orkney and Shetland this evening, AND that is airing longer than the network television broadcast until midnight.

[VMPhil]

How old are those looping Pudsey animations on the screens now, 15+ years?

[Stooky Bill]

A big change from the late 80s, 90s and 00s, when viewers in Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland opted out entirely from the network from around 7.30pm until 1am, with viewers there seeing their own local content, with those three regions placing some network comedy routines, musical numbers etc into their own schedule and not airing it at the same time as London. 

In fact BBC One Northern Ireland used to drop a lot of network content, with BBC One Northern Ireland viewers missing out on some key specials. One instance was a Paul McKenna Celebrity Hypnosis Special for 1996, viewers in Northern Ireland never saw it, as they had their own regional thing going on and they chose not to air it. When BBC One Northern Ireland handed back to London at around 1.20am, viewers were surprised in the "Highlights" of the night, that they missed out on a lot!

Yes, people have a very rose tinted view of old CiN. I've seen the some of an 80s North East  CiN where they opt out for the entire end of the programme and they're just sitting on sofas rabbiting on for ages. All very self indulgent. 

But in those days the regions were a bit more autonomous and could do more themselves. More importantly they could get away with anything as their output wasnt seen outside their region, not even within the BBC

[Gary Baldy]

A big change from the late 80s, 90s and 00s, when viewers in Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland opted out entirely from the network from around 7.30pm until 1am, with viewers there seeing their own local content, with those three regions placing some network comedy routines, musical numbers etc into their own schedule and not airing it at the same time as London. 

In fact BBC One Northern Ireland used to drop a lot of network content, with BBC One Northern Ireland viewers missing out on some key specials. One instance was a Paul McKenna Celebrity Hypnosis Special for 1996, viewers in Northern Ireland never saw it, as they had their own regional thing going on and they chose not to air it. When BBC One Northern Ireland handed back to London at around 1.20am, viewers were surprised in the "Highlights" of the night, that they missed out on a lot!

---

The problem is no one else wants to host it. It is a telethon which is really a shadow of it's former self, in the same way Comic Relief has turned out, just Comic Relief feels that it still has a tiny tiny edge to it. 

It is also a show which some people find annoying, the begging bowl coming out each year and also the critics argue it is simply an advertising plan for big stores to get their name on BBC One like Asda did earlier this evening. Free advertising for them whilst fundraising of course.

Comic Relief and Children in Need are the same in all but name these days.

[Keith]

Nice to see some original material this year. A Race Across Yorkshire sketch (in two parts) which included a few cameos, and a Doctor Who scene written specifically for the show.

[TheGregmeister]

Children In Need has been a shadow of its former self since Sir Terence Wogan passed away. They really do NOT need 6 prestenters for what is now only broadcast 7-10pm and nothing after the 10pm news. Especially when they always managed with just 2 presenters when it all used to finish at about 1am. Seriously BBC, the pandemic is over!

The Doctor Who skit was good as a prequel to one of the best known Dalek based stories from the Classic era from when Tom Baker played The Doctor.

As for Graham Norton Big Red Chair segment ... seriously, who names their child after one of most evil terrorist organisations of recent years?!?

[Nobby]

An orchestra just played The One Show theme but the subtitles said "THEY PLAY THE CHILDREN IN NEED THEME". Crap.

[fanoftv]

An orchestra just played The One Show theme but the subtitles said "THEY PLAY THE CHILDREN IN NEED THEME". Crap.

Nostalgic thought again, I do miss the orchestra and the old children in need theme. Maybe I yearn for my childhood.

[Stooky Bill]

Are there any regional Opt In's this year or the choir live link up? Or is that all dead still

They still do a choir, but it's a pre-recorded. Never a highlight for me, but it's much better. 

The live round the regions choir was very complicated and took a lot of resources and technical co-ordination. I don't think many people involved in it miss it