Blue Peter presenter John Noakes’ ascent of Nelson’s Column has been named as the greatest ever children’s TV moment.
Noakes, known for his stunts, clambered up the towering monument on the children’s show in 1977.
The segment has been named the greatest ever children’s TV moment by magazine TV Years.
Other moments in the top 10 include viewers being told “everything and everybody has to die” on Pipkins, and Rik Mayall reading Roald Dahl’s George’s Marvellous Medicine on Jackanory.
Another moment selected was The Clangers using the joint flag of the USA and USSR as a tablecloth.
But it was Noakes’ climbing stunt which was named the greatest moment for young UK viewers.
TV Years editor Graham Kibble-White said: “Everyone has a favourite memory from children’s TV, so deciding on the top moment was incredibly tough.
“But, ultimately, picking something from the longest-running children’s TV programme in the world, involving its greatest-ever presenter – John Noakes – felt like the right decision.”
1977: Blue Peter: John Noakes on Nelson's Column
#OTD 1977: John Noakes scaled Nelson's Column, on a wobbly ladder… with no safety harness…and no helmet…wearing flares… to clean some pigeon poo. Don't try this. Anywhere. Ever.
Posted by BBC Archive on Wednesday, May 30, 2018
Noakes clambered up the column using nothing but a ladder, which was tilted backwards by the overhang of the monument.
After his laborious climb, he descended in a rickety chair to help clean pigeon droppings from the column.
Secured with thin ropes, Noakes then used another ladder to climb to the very top of the statue of Nelson.
TV Years magazine compiled the 50 greatest children’s TV moments in their new issue, out June 4.
The Top 10 Greatest Children’s TV Moments:
- John Noakes climbs Nelson’s Column (Blue Peter, 1977)
- Paddington Bear recreates the iconic Singin’ In the Rain dance sequence (Paddington, BBC1, 1980)
- Dickie the goldfish dies prompting Johnny to explain ‘everything and everybody has to die’ (Pipkins, ITV, 1977)
- The Boy from Space episode featuring Peep-Peep who speaks in reverse (Look and Read, BBC1, 1980)
- Youngster Mark Johnson publicly challenges Norris McWhirter on the size of the world’s largest diamond (Record Breakers, BBC1 1990)
- Anarchic Rik Mayall reads Roald Dahl’s George’s Marvellous Medicine on Jackanory (Jackanory, BBC1, 1986)
- BBC Newsround’s heart-breaking bulletin: Space Shuttle Challenger explodes 73 seconds after taking off (Newsround, BBC1, 1986)
- The Rentaghost theme song. Composed, written and performed by Michael Staniforth (Rentaghost, BBC1 1976-84)
- An astronaut lands on the moon and plants a flag bearing the stars and stripes and hammer and sickle which the Clangers use as a tablecloth (Clangers, BBC1, 1971)
- Mr ‘Bullet’ Baxter discovers that teacher Mr Hicks is bullying Stewpot and seeking retribution, pulls the teacher out of class and decks him, saying ‘slip on the wet floor, did you?’ (Grange Hill, 1981)
The full Top 50 Greatest Children’s TV Moments appear in TV Years magazine, on sale now.