'Horizon - Life Blood'
(BBC 2, 9 to 9.50pm)
This edition of the science series looks at the science behind a pioneering treatment for leukaemia and follows a group of children with the blood disease as they undergo a procedure hoped to save their lives.
14 October
'Fetch the Vet - Fetch the Babysitter'
(ITV 1, 10.10 to 10.30am)
In this episode of the children's animated series about Tom Fetch, animal champion and all-round good guy, he offers to babysit a parrot for a friend. Although he is confident about doing it, the evening becomes a nightmare when the parrot won't go to sleep.
'The Ark - The Story of Guru Nanak
(ITV 1, 10.30 to 11am)
Owl and his trusty crew learn about the Sikh faith when the Ark visits India and the Golden Temple of Amritsar. They watch traditional Sikh bracelets, combs and knives being made before hearing the story of Guru Nanak.
'In the Psychiatrist's Chair - Claire Rayner'
(BBC Radio 4, 11.15 to 12 noon)
Professor Anthony Clare recalls the most controversial edition in the 20-year history of the programme in 1988, when agony aunt and children's champion Claire Rayner broke down in tears while talking about her childhood. She has agreed to return to the programme and talk to Professor Clare about her feelings then and now.
15 October
'The Wind in the Willows'
(BBC Radio 4, 3.45 to 4pm)
The children's classic The Wind in the Willows, a book about character and human foibles, is re-interpreted using a mixture of old and new material from the BBC archive by taking on different aspects of the story and juxtaposing readings from the story with features about those topics. This first programme hears from a woman who is very homesick for her former life on the Cook Islands and compares her experience with Mole's when he looks for his home.
'Blue Peter'
(BBC 1, 5 to 5.25pm)
It's a big Happy Birthday to the world's longest-running children's television programme as 'Blue Peter' celebrates its 43rd birthday and 3,500th edition. Presenters Konnie Huq, Simon Thomas, Matt Baker and Liz Barker team up with former presenters including Valerie Singleton and Peter Duncan, and the studio is full of 'Blue Peter' collectibles which demonstrate that amassing souvenirs and memorabilia can prove to be quite an investment. Viewers will also have a chance to vote for their all-time favourite 'Blue Peter' moment.
'A Child's World - State of Independence'
(Channel 4, 8.30 to 9pm)
The final programme in this six-part series on cognitive development looks at young children's struggle to break free from their parents and gain autonomy as individuals in their own right. It shows how children having tantrums, showing off or being reticent towards their parents, are all part of the process by which they become independent beings who are capable of making their own decisions.
