Child welfare groups have welcomed a range of government proposals aimed at protecting children from inappropriate TV programming.
The Bailey Review contains a number of measures aimed at ensuring that younger viewers aren't over exposed to what is known in the trade as "Middle England Comedy".
Child experts have become increasingly concerned that too repeats of sit coms such as "My Family", "Butterflies" and "Fresh Fields" are shown before the watershed.
Child psychologist Benedicta Lapsley explains :
"Most professionals working in the young persons field have major worries about the detrimental effect that such bland, middle of the road programmes has on children.
It is not helpful for a child's development for them to think that the behaviour and situations exhibited in such comedies accurately reflects anything approaching real life".
Settling for a comfortable, non challenging lifestyle is regarded as the most dangerous message that can be put over by TV to the younger audience as it encourages youngsters to under achieve and accept second best.
"Cardigans, pipes, body warmers and Women's Institute bakeathons should not be the limit of our younger generation's ambitions", Lapsley advised.
