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After 42 years of introducing the world to some of the most memorable kids’ TV shows, CITV is reportedly ending for good.
Since 1980, the ITV programming block, aimed at younger generations, was the home of series including Tots TV, Fraggle Rock, Art Attack and My Parents Are Aliens and made stars of presenters Holly Willoughby, Cat Deeley and Stephen Mulhern.
CITV began life as Watch IT, before being rebranded as Children’s ITV, commonly shortened to CITV. It aired on ITV late afternoons, timed for children arriving home from school.
After its late-afternoon slot was axed in 2006, CITV was given its own channel on Freeview and was also aired by ITV on weekend mornings. The CITV Freeview channel was eventually closed down and replaced by an ITVX Kids hub on ITV’s streaming service in 2023, with the ITV weekend morning block moved to ITV2.
On Friday (3 April), it was claimed by a media account that this ITV2 block will be ending on 10 April, which ‘really means the end of the iconic CITV brand that’s been around for 42 years”.
The account wrote on X/Twitter:“ Farewell CITV, this time for real,” adding that rival kids programming strand CBBC will acquire some of its shows, while the rest will remain on ITVX Kids.
Those who grew up with CITV reacted sadly to the news, with many highlighting the channel was a big part of their childhood.
CITV introduced world to memorable shows including ‘My Parents Are Aliens’ (ITV)
“This channel was my childhood, it will be missed,” one wrote, with many declaring it the “end of an era”.
The Independent has contacted ITV for comment.
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Other shows that aired on CITV included fantasy show Wizadora and Press Gang, which was created by future Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat and starred Julia Sawalha and Dexter Fletcher.
The series, focused on the activities of a children’s newspaper, developed a cult fanbase among older children,
Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids was an anthology show of horror stories that memorably started with a Claymation boy entering a decrepit cinema to watch a series of animated shorts, each one designed to deliver a stern cautionary message.
Another CITV show that left youngsters with nightmares was It’s a Mystery, a magazine show in which Art Attack host Neil Buchanan introduced stories about rumoured strange happenings involving UFOs and ghosts.
‘Press Gang’ aired on CITV throughout the 1990s (CITV)
Meanwhile, ZZZap! started with a giant comic strip, in which the camera would zoom in on a panel featuring a specific character. The show would then air a segment before returning to the comic strip. for another story,
