Children's Newsreel

Children's Newsreel was introduced on 23 April 1950 as a lighter counterpart to the regular Television Newsreel, although suitable material culled from the main newsreel films was used. The lead story of the first edition was titled Brumas the Bear, about the first polar bear cub born and raised at London Zoo, which was a celebrated attraction at the time. The film showed the crowds as well as Brumas.

The title sequence of Children's Newsreel featured the transmitter at Alexandra Palace, but it was amongst the first programmes to be made at Lime Grove. The producer was Donald Smith and the main commentators were Mary Malcolm and Stephen Grenfell. One of the early films featured a look behind the scenes at the studios.

Other stories featured in the first weeks included: Cleaning Railway Coaches; The Miniature Railway at Alexandra Park; Making Humbugs; If You Lost Your Dog; Making Cricket Bats; Princess Margaret Inspects Sea Rangers at Portsmouth.

Children's Newsreel ended in 1961 but many of the films were later recycled and used in Play School. Current affairs programming for children resumed in 1972 with John Craven's Newsround, - now just Newsround - which explained the background to the news of the day.