Ridgey Didge was a popular Network Ten

Network Ten

Network Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...

 magazine television programme for children in Australia.

The title comes from the Australian slang, ridgey didge, which means honest, true or the real thing.

Format

A long running series of 52 minute programmes. Each studio based episode was intended to be an entertaining voyage of adventure and discovery for the viewers, constantly covering new topics reflecting Australian life and culture. Location segments added to the mix. Of particular note was a feature episode recording the creation of a time capsule to commemorate Australia's bicentennial in 1988 (the capsule was opened in 2001).

Presenters

A team of presenters hosted each programme:

• Jared Robinson
  Jared Robinson
  Jared Robinson is an Australian actor, best known for his role as Craig Maxwell in the television soap opera Sons and Daughters.-External links:...
  
  
• Rebecca Hetherington
• Simon Watt
• Danny Carretti
• Chris Harriott
• Ashley Paskey

They were joined by puppet characters:

• Shaun the Sheep (operated by Danny Carretti), and
• Buzz the Blowfly (operated by Simon Watt).

Other presenters of regular segments:

• Dr. Glenn Singleman (medicine)
• Dean Taylor (art)

Catchphrase

The lyrics in the signature tune repeated the words ridgey didge several times which became a catchphrase amongst the target audience. This was accompanied with a hand gesture. The three middle fingers of the right hand were closed, leaving the thumb and little finger extended; the hand was then twisted from side to side in time with the rhythm of the music.

The competition

• Wombat — Seven Network
  Seven Network
  The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
  
  
• C'mon Kids — Nine Network
  Nine Network
  The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
  
  
• Play School
  Play School (Australian TV series)
  Play School is an Australian educational television show for children produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. It is the longest-running children's show in Australia, and the second longest running childrens show in the world. An estimated 80% of pre-school children under six watch the...
  
   — ABC Television
  ABC Television
  ABC Television is a service of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation launched in 1956. As a public broadcasting broadcaster, the ABC provides four non-commercial channels within Australia, and a partially advertising-funded satellite channel overseas....
  
  

Production crew

Produced by the in-house production department based at the TEN studios in North Ryde, New South Wales

New South Wales

New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...

, Australia:

• Executive producer — Ian Fairweather
• Producer — Penni-Anne Smith
• Production manager — Dawn Aronie
• Writers — Tammy Burnstock, Simon Watt
• Location director — Lou Petho
• Production assistant — Deborah Kingsford
• Production assistant — Michael Carrington
  Michael Carrington
  Michael Carrington is an American comic writer and voice actor best known for his work on the animated series The Simpsons. He co-wrote the episode "Homer's Triple Bypass" with Gary Apple and has provided occasional voicework, most notably as Sideshow Raheem in "I Love Lisa", the black comedian...