SMarteenies
Encyclopedia
SMarteenies was a spin-off
of the children's art programme SMart
designed for pre-school viewers. It was shown on the CBeebies
channel daily until its suspension in January 2008, following the death of presenter Mark Speight
's fiancée Natasha Collins
, and his subsequent suicide
.
The programme started with the four presenters determining who was to do the first piece (with the rhyme: "Eeny, meeny, miny, moe
, Smarteenies guess who'll have a go"). After each piece, the programme returned to this screen to select the next presenter.
:
Until its suspension Speight and O'Brien were the only remaining presenters of the principal show SMart, as Burridge and Botham had left.
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
of the children's art programme SMart
SMart
SMart was a British CBBC television programme based on the subject of art, which began in 1994. The programme was recorded at BBC Television Centre in London, previously it had been recorded in Studio A at BBC Pebble Mill in Birmingham. The format is similar to the Tony Hart programmes Take Hart...
designed for pre-school viewers. It was shown on the CBeebies
CBeebies
CBeebies is the brand used by the BBC for programming aimed at children 6 years and under. It is used as a themed strand in the UK on terrestrial television, as a separate free-to-air domestic British channel and used for international varients supported by advertising, subscription or both...
channel daily until its suspension in January 2008, following the death of presenter Mark Speight
Mark Speight
Mark Warwick Fordham Speight was an English television presenter, best known as the host of children's art programme SMart. Speight grew up in Tettenhall, Wolverhampton, and left school at 16 to become a cartoonist...
's fiancée Natasha Collins
Natasha Collins
Natasha Louise Collins was an English actress and model.-Career:Educated at St. Michael's Catholic Grammar School in Finchley, north London, she initially worked as a model, and was still represented by Ugly Rage Models at the time of her death...
, and his subsequent suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
.
The programme started with the four presenters determining who was to do the first piece (with the rhyme: "Eeny, meeny, miny, moe
Eeny, meeny, miny, moe
"Eeny, meeny, miny, moe", which can be spelled a number of ways, is a children's counting rhyme, used to select a person to be "it" for games and similar purposes such as counting out a child that has to be stood down from a group of children as part of a playground game...
, Smarteenies guess who'll have a go"). After each piece, the programme returned to this screen to select the next presenter.
Presenters
The presenters were the same as those who presented the original show, SMartSMart
SMart was a British CBBC television programme based on the subject of art, which began in 1994. The programme was recorded at BBC Television Centre in London, previously it had been recorded in Studio A at BBC Pebble Mill in Birmingham. The format is similar to the Tony Hart programmes Take Hart...
:
- Mark SpeightMark SpeightMark Warwick Fordham Speight was an English television presenter, best known as the host of children's art programme SMart. Speight grew up in Tettenhall, Wolverhampton, and left school at 16 to become a cartoonist...
- who often simultaneously produced a normal-sized and large-scale version of the same scene (e.g. using mops instead of paint-brushes for the large version). He also presented another segment where he created art using cut-out shapes from his 'Shape Store'. Speight died in April 2008. - Jay BurridgeJay BurridgeJay Jay Burridge also known as Jay Burridge is an artist and former television presenter. He fronted the BBC children's art programme SMart from 1994 until 2003, when he left and became a graphic designer and snowboard inventor...
- Burridge often appeared as 'Man of Letters', wearing a postman-style cap and carrying a messenger bag covered with cut-out letters. This contains items all starting with a particular letter which he then uses to produce a piece of art. He also presented another segment where he demonstrates effective methods to make pictures like coloured pencils, wax crayons and so on. - Kirsten O'BrienKirsten O'BrienKirsten O'Brien is an English television presenter and stand-up comic.She is known for presenting SMart, and presented Smile and Totally Doctor Who alongside Barney Harwood on CBBC....
- who appeared with a puppet dog called Doogy. Doogy normally has to go out in his car to get things for O'Brien. She also presented a segment called Pattern Palace, where she uses different art media to create fun and colourful patterns. - Lizi Botham (Bizi Lizi) - who either made pictures using thumbprints on the screen or visits a group of children to make something.
Until its suspension Speight and O'Brien were the only remaining presenters of the principal show SMart, as Burridge and Botham had left.