ITV's children's channel CITV has officially ceased broadcasting after 42 years, marking the end of a beloved British institution. Originally launched in the early 1980s as Watch It!, the channel was later rebranded as Children's ITV (CITV) and became home to iconic shows such as My Parents are Aliens, Tots TV, Horrid Henry, and Art Attack.
The final blow came when the CITV programming block on ITV2 ended on 10th April. This followed the closure of the standalone CITV Freeview channel in 2023 and the earlier removal of its afternoon slot on ITV in 2006. The brand's content will now be available on ITVX Kids, a streaming hub, and some shows will be picked up by CBBC.
Fans expressed sadness on social media, with one user calling it 'the final nail in the coffin for linear kids TV'. The closure comes amid a broader decline in children's linear channels; POP and Tiny Pop also shut down in early 2025. Industry observers have voiced concerns over a lack of investment in children's programming.
CITV was a launchpad for many careers, including presenters Stephen Mulhern, Cat Deeley, and Holly Willoughby. It also featured early writing work from Succession creator Jesse Armstrong and his partner Sam Bain on My Parents are Aliens.
