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Smile (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Smile was a British Sunday morning children's programme created by production company Darrall Macqueen Ltd
for CBBC
. It first aired in 2002 and was originally shown on the CBBC Channel
. It was moved to BBC Two
to make way for Dick and Dom in da Bungalow
. Although Dick and Dom finished in 2006, Smile never moved back to the CBBC Channel. The final programme was broadcast on 26 August 2007, from 7:30 until 10:00 on BBC Two.
A number of cartoons and other programme acquisitions have been transmitted during Smile on a rotational basis. Principally these included: Arthur
, Batfink
, BB3B
, Even Stevens
, Jakers, Legend of the Dragon
and The Likeaballs
.
When the show first aired in 2002, it was likened to Saturday morning TV on a Sunday, except without an audience. It had celebrity guests, interviews, performances, games and 'built in' CBBC shows and cartoons.It had a very different feel with Fearne, Reggie and DJ Devstar however once they left the shows style changed and was aimed at the younger end of CBBC audience. Eventually it became rather formulaic. As a result, the programme became more game oriented. To enable the show to evolve, further changes were made. In the revamp, Rochelle Wiseman was lost.
Between 2006 and 2007, Smile began to target the younger audience CBBC wanted to get, and with Barney and Kirsten now the two remaining presenters the show took on a battle of the sexes format. The celebrity guests and some items were dropped, although the cartoons remained, but the main significant change was that children were invited onto the set to take part.
, Reggie Yates
and Devin Griffin
(credited as DJ Devstar). In 2003, Devin left to concentrate on his radio career. Soon after, Fearne and Reggie left in 2004 and were replaced by Barney Harwood
and Rochelle Wiseman
, former S Club 8
singer and a current member of the girl group The Saturdays
. In 2005 Kirsten O'Brien
joined the team. On 26 March 2006, Rochelle Wiseman left the Smile team of presenters.
known as Nev
(Neville), who lives with Barney. Nev is a small, blue bear with patches in places and is missing part of his ear (due to the cat under his bed - Bandit - trying to eat him). Originally, the voice of Nev was prerecorded, and his limited vocabulary played in as appropriate, however, this caused major problems when nev would develop an incredibly bad stutter which was why puppeteer Ross Mullan was recruited to provide the voice live. As a consequence, Nev's voice in the studio sounded distinctly different from that in the many phone-in games used on the programme.
Nev loves sock
s, jam, Duckie
, Barney and Kirsten, calling Kirsten "Krusty" (probably because he can't say "Kirsten"). The little bear often has trouble with pronunciation of certain words, he cannot sing but he can rap
well. Nev likes dressing up and sleeping in, the former he usually gets to do during the programme, the latter he cannot do easily on Sundays because of the programme. His dislikes include baths and scary stories. When scared or intimidated, little Nev has been known to growl, just like a real bear would.
A 26-part sitcom starring Barney and Nev, Bear Behaving Badly
commenced transmission on BBC One
and the CBBC Channel
on 3 September 2007.
The series was brought back for a second lot of 26 episodes in late 2008.
The BBC
then announced that they had recommisioned it for a third series due to air in early 2010.
Within time, Bear Behaving Badly
became one of CBBC
's most popular programmes.
In 2005, the Nev the Bear talking toy hit the shops. The large toy said a number of catchphrases including "Fwightened" and "No no no no". A complaint was made against the toy with regard to the word "Quick", by an individual who believed he had heard the toy saying "prick"instead A smaller version of the soft toy has since been released.
which appeared at the bottom right-hand corner of the screen. Once all the letters were collected, they formed an anagram
of another word which participants need to decipher. The next stage was to draw a picture of or make something representing the word. Competition entrants then sent in their work into the programme.
people (clowns, grannies, pirates, waiters and The Doctor
from Doctor Who
); animals (crabs, frogs, hedgehogs, owls); objects (garden gnomes, trains); food (Christmas puddings) and anything red for Comic Relief Red Nose Day
.
Biscuits.
).
Darrall Macqueen Ltd
Darrall Macqueen Ltd is an entertainment company based in the United Kingdom. They are best known for children's television programmes, most notably Smile and Baby Jake, although they also release web, mobile and enhanced television content...
for CBBC
CBBC
CBBC is one of two brand names used for the BBC's children's television strands. Between 1985 and 2002, CBBC was the name given to all the BBC's programmes on TV for children aged under 14...
. It first aired in 2002 and was originally shown on the CBBC Channel
CBBC Channel
CBBC is a BBC television channel aimed at 6 to 12 year olds. It complements the CBBC programming that continues to air on BBC One and BBC Two. Launched on 11 February 2002, it broadcasts from 7am to 7pm on Freeview, cable, IPTV and digital satellite, occupying the same bandwidth as, but a different...
. It was moved to BBC Two
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
to make way for Dick and Dom in da Bungalow
Dick and Dom in da Bungalow
Dick and Dom in da Bungalow was a CBBC children's entertainment television series presented by the duo Dick and Dom...
. Although Dick and Dom finished in 2006, Smile never moved back to the CBBC Channel. The final programme was broadcast on 26 August 2007, from 7:30 until 10:00 on BBC Two.
Show overview
Primarily a children's magazine programme featuring celebrity guests, Smile also encouraged audience participation through competitions and games. It won an Indie Award for its interactivity, going on later to win two Children's BAFTAs.A number of cartoons and other programme acquisitions have been transmitted during Smile on a rotational basis. Principally these included: Arthur
Arthur (TV series)
Arthur is an American/Canadian animated educational television series for children, created by Cookie Jar Group and WGBH for the Public Broadcasting Service...
, Batfink
Batfink
Batfink is an animated television series, consisting of five-minute shorts, that first aired in September 1967. The 100-episode series was quickly created by Hal Seeger, starting in 1966, to parody the popular Batman and The Green Hornet television series which had premiered the same...
, BB3B
BB3B
BB3B is an animated UK children's television series produced by Tell Tale Productions in 2005. The entire series consists of thirteen episodes of twenty minutes each. It is shown on CBBC in the UK and ABC in Australia...
, Even Stevens
Even Stevens
Even Stevens is an American comedy television series that aired on Disney Channel with a total of three seasons and 65 episodes from June 17, 2000, to June 2, 2003...
, Jakers, Legend of the Dragon
Legend of the Dragon (TV series)
Legend of the Dragon is an animated series consisting of 26 episodes followed by 13 additional episodes for a total of 39 episodes. It is produced by BKN and premiered in October 2006 as part of the Jetix block on Toon Disney...
and The Likeaballs
The Likeaballs
The Likeaballs is a cartoon created by Jim Quick that airs on BBC One and CBBC. It began production in 2006. It was produced by Cosgrove Hall until they were absorbed into ITV plc in 2009 and is now produced and distributed by HIT Entertainment.-Themes:...
.
When the show first aired in 2002, it was likened to Saturday morning TV on a Sunday, except without an audience. It had celebrity guests, interviews, performances, games and 'built in' CBBC shows and cartoons.It had a very different feel with Fearne, Reggie and DJ Devstar however once they left the shows style changed and was aimed at the younger end of CBBC audience. Eventually it became rather formulaic. As a result, the programme became more game oriented. To enable the show to evolve, further changes were made. In the revamp, Rochelle Wiseman was lost.
Between 2006 and 2007, Smile began to target the younger audience CBBC wanted to get, and with Barney and Kirsten now the two remaining presenters the show took on a battle of the sexes format. The celebrity guests and some items were dropped, although the cartoons remained, but the main significant change was that children were invited onto the set to take part.
Presenters
The original presenters were Fearne CottonFearne Cotton
Fearne Cotton is an English television and radio presenter who is known for presenting a number of popular TV programmes such as Top of the Pops and the Red Nose Day telethon. In 2007, she became the first regular female presenter of BBC Radio 1's Chart Show...
, Reggie Yates
Reggie Yates
Reginald "Reggie" Yates is a British actor, television presenter and radio DJ of Ghanaian descent. He went to Central Foundation Boys' School.-Early career:...
and Devin Griffin
Devin Griffin
Devin "Dev" Joseph Jordan Griffin is a British actor, radio presenter and DJ who is most commonly known for currently presenting the weekday early breakfast show on BBC Radio 1.-Early life:...
(credited as DJ Devstar). In 2003, Devin left to concentrate on his radio career. Soon after, Fearne and Reggie left in 2004 and were replaced by Barney Harwood
Barney Harwood
Barney Harwood is an English television presenter and actor, known for his work with CBBC.-Television:For CBBC, he presented Prank Patrol and was a voice-over commentator for The Smokehouse, while on BBC Two, he co-presented Basil's Swap Shop , alongside Basil Brush.Previous work for CBBC included...
and Rochelle Wiseman
Rochelle Wiseman
Rochelle Eulah Eileen Wiseman is an English singer, actress and television presenter. She is best known for her work in pop groups S Club 8 and The Saturdays...
, former S Club 8
S Club 8
S Club 8, previously known as S Club Juniors, was a spin-off of the UK pop group S Club 7. The group's members, Jay Asforis, Daisy Evans, Calvin Goldspink, Stacey McClean, Aaron Renfree, Hannah Richings, Rochelle Wiseman and Frankie Sandford, were all in their early teens or younger when they were...
singer and a current member of the girl group The Saturdays
The Saturdays
The Saturdays are a British and Irish pop girl group based in London, United Kingdom. The group consists of five members Una Healy, Mollie King, Frankie Sandford, Vanessa White and Rochelle Wiseman. In 2007 the band were formed through Fascination Records which gave them an instant record deal with...
. In 2005 Kirsten O'Brien
Kirsten O'Brien
Kirsten 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....
joined the team. On 26 March 2006, Rochelle Wiseman left the Smile team of presenters.
| Presenters | From | To |
|---|---|---|
| Devin Griffin Devin Griffin Devin "Dev" Joseph Jordan Griffin is a British actor, radio presenter and DJ who is most commonly known for currently presenting the weekday early breakfast show on BBC Radio 1.-Early life:... "DJ Devstar" |
2002 | 2003 |
| Reggie Yates Reggie Yates Reginald "Reggie" Yates is a British actor, television presenter and radio DJ of Ghanaian descent. He went to Central Foundation Boys' School.-Early career:... |
2002 | 2004 |
| Fearne Cotton Fearne Cotton Fearne Cotton is an English television and radio presenter who is known for presenting a number of popular TV programmes such as Top of the Pops and the Red Nose Day telethon. In 2007, she became the first regular female presenter of BBC Radio 1's Chart Show... |
2002 | 2004 |
| Barney Harwood Barney Harwood Barney Harwood is an English television presenter and actor, known for his work with CBBC.-Television:For CBBC, he presented Prank Patrol and was a voice-over commentator for The Smokehouse, while on BBC Two, he co-presented Basil's Swap Shop , alongside Basil Brush.Previous work for CBBC included... |
2004 | 2007 |
| Rochelle Wiseman Rochelle Wiseman Rochelle Eulah Eileen Wiseman is an English singer, actress and television presenter. She is best known for her work in pop groups S Club 8 and The Saturdays... |
2004 | 2006 |
| Kirsten O'Brien Kirsten O'Brien Kirsten 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.... |
2005 | 2007 |
| Guest Presenters | From | To |
|---|---|---|
| Stacey Cadman Stacey Cadman Stacey Cadman is a British actress and television presenter. She was born and educated in the West Midlands, England. After leaving John Willmott School in Sutton Coldfield, Stacey studied performing arts and Dance in Birmingham... |
2002 | N/A |
| Mohini Sule | 2003 | 2004 |
| Barney Harwood Barney Harwood Barney Harwood is an English television presenter and actor, known for his work with CBBC.-Television:For CBBC, he presented Prank Patrol and was a voice-over commentator for The Smokehouse, while on BBC Two, he co-presented Basil's Swap Shop , alongside Basil Brush.Previous work for CBBC included... |
2003 | N/A |
| Nigel Clarke | 2007 | N/A |
Nev
The presenters have always been joined by a puppetPuppet
A puppet is an inanimate object or representational figure animated or manipulated by an entertainer, who is called a puppeteer. It is used in puppetry, a play or a presentation that is a very ancient form of theatre....
known as Nev
Nev the bear
Nev The Bear is a small, blue puppet bear that originally appeared in the CBBC television programme Smile. Since 2007, Nev has starred in his own CBBC show Bear Behaving Badly, alongside Barney Harwood. His name was created from the name of his co-star Dev Griffin on Smile. Nev has patches in...
(Neville), who lives with Barney. Nev is a small, blue bear with patches in places and is missing part of his ear (due to the cat under his bed - Bandit - trying to eat him). Originally, the voice of Nev was prerecorded, and his limited vocabulary played in as appropriate, however, this caused major problems when nev would develop an incredibly bad stutter which was why puppeteer Ross Mullan was recruited to provide the voice live. As a consequence, Nev's voice in the studio sounded distinctly different from that in the many phone-in games used on the programme.
Nev loves sock
Sock
A sock is an item of clothing worn on the feet. The foot is among the heaviest producers of sweat in the body, as it is able to produce over of perspiration per day. Socks help to absorb this sweat and draw it to areas where air can evaporate the perspiration. In cold environments, socks decrease...
s, jam, Duckie
Rubber duck
A rubber duck is a toy shaped like a stylised Yellow-billed Duck , and is generally yellow with a flat base. It may be made of rubber or rubber-like material such as vinyl plastic...
, Barney and Kirsten, calling Kirsten "Krusty" (probably because he can't say "Kirsten"). The little bear often has trouble with pronunciation of certain words, he cannot sing but he can rap
Rapping
Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
well. Nev likes dressing up and sleeping in, the former he usually gets to do during the programme, the latter he cannot do easily on Sundays because of the programme. His dislikes include baths and scary stories. When scared or intimidated, little Nev has been known to growl, just like a real bear would.
A 26-part sitcom starring Barney and Nev, Bear Behaving Badly
Bear Behaving Badly
Bear Behaving Badly is a British children's television comedy programme, first broadcast in 2007. Broadcast on BBC One, BBC Two and the CBBC Channel, the programme is centered around the daily adventures of Barney Harwood, his pet bear Nev, his koala friend Crazy Keith and the caretaker of the...
commenced transmission on BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
and the CBBC Channel
CBBC Channel
CBBC is a BBC television channel aimed at 6 to 12 year olds. It complements the CBBC programming that continues to air on BBC One and BBC Two. Launched on 11 February 2002, it broadcasts from 7am to 7pm on Freeview, cable, IPTV and digital satellite, occupying the same bandwidth as, but a different...
on 3 September 2007.
The series was brought back for a second lot of 26 episodes in late 2008.
The BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
then announced that they had recommisioned it for a third series due to air in early 2010.
Within time, Bear Behaving Badly
Bear Behaving Badly
Bear Behaving Badly is a British children's television comedy programme, first broadcast in 2007. Broadcast on BBC One, BBC Two and the CBBC Channel, the programme is centered around the daily adventures of Barney Harwood, his pet bear Nev, his koala friend Crazy Keith and the caretaker of the...
became one of CBBC
CBBC
CBBC is one of two brand names used for the BBC's children's television strands. Between 1985 and 2002, CBBC was the name given to all the BBC's programmes on TV for children aged under 14...
's most popular programmes.
Merchandise
Nev became so popular he has even been made into a cuddly toy and various other merchandise.In 2005, the Nev the Bear talking toy hit the shops. The large toy said a number of catchphrases including "Fwightened" and "No no no no". A complaint was made against the toy with regard to the word "Quick", by an individual who believed he had heard the toy saying "prick"instead A smaller version of the soft toy has since been released.
Nev's quotes
- "Happy EaterHappy EaterHappy Eater was a roadside restaurant chain in the United Kingdom, that ran from 1973 till 1996 and was notable particularly amongst a certain generation for the lego that was inside the restaurant for children to play with, and the imaginatively-shaped playground equipment outside.-History:Happy...
" (instead of "Happy EasterEasterEaster is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
") - "Hello, Ian" (instead of "HalloweenHalloweenHallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
") - "Chrissy-mussy" (Nev's version of "ChristmasChristmasChristmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
") - "Love you, Barney" or "Love you, Krusty."
- "Oh Dear, Oh Dear, Oh Dear!"
- "Duckie!", "Jam!" or "Socks!"
- "No, no, no, no."
- "Tut, girls." Or, "tut, boys."
- "Three, two, one...Jibadeeha" or "Three, two, one...Jam" followed by "Go, go, go, go!"
- "I win!!" (expressed even though he hasn't won anything nor is there anything to win)
- "Bonjour"
- "Oh, la, la."
- "Confused"
- "Fwightened."
- "Can't scare me" or "Can't bathe me."
- "Oops" or "Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear" or "Sorry, Barney" or "Sorry, Krusty."
- "Doggie"
- "Musley sun" (Nev's version of "Music Lesson", which he cannot pronounce)
- "Zibedeah"
- "Piggies"
- "BBBBBB!" (instead of "BB3BBB3BBB3B is an animated UK children's television series produced by Tell Tale Productions in 2005. The entire series consists of thirteen episodes of twenty minutes each. It is shown on CBBC in the UK and ABC in Australia...
") - "Rumble the crumble" (instead of "Rumble the Jumble")
- "No way Jose"
- "Yeah yeah!"
- "Snuggly Ducky Duck Duck" (the name of Nev's cuddly duck toy, shown in "Bear Behaving BadlyBear Behaving BadlyBear Behaving Badly is a British children's television comedy programme, first broadcast in 2007. Broadcast on BBC One, BBC Two and the CBBC Channel, the programme is centered around the daily adventures of Barney Harwood, his pet bear Nev, his koala friend Crazy Keith and the caretaker of the...
") - "Muma-Dabi-Dun" (Medallion)
- "double two! double two!" (when reading out the old Smile phone number)
- "crazi kith!"
- Quick!
Features and games
Throughout the duration of Smile, a number of games were featured, including Bandit Bites, Bath the Bear, Drop Da Beatz, Nev It Up, Nev's Pie Jarmies, Nev's Socks, Rap It Up and What Do You Fink.Games Games Games
This was a series of games that pitted boys against girls, competing for a prize. The losing team had to get into Nev's bath of gunge. The Games were Bear Pairs, Duckey Bounce, Nev's Jam Buster, Bandit Bites and Quick On The Draw.Rumble the Jumble
The object of the game was to write down any lettersLetter (alphabet)
A letter is a grapheme in an alphabetic system of writing, such as the Greek alphabet and its descendants. Letters compose phonemes and each phoneme represents a phone in the spoken form of the language....
which appeared at the bottom right-hand corner of the screen. Once all the letters were collected, they formed an anagram
Anagram
An anagram is a type of word play, the result of rearranging the letters of a word or phrase to produce a new word or phrase, using all the original letters exactly once; e.g., orchestra = carthorse, A decimal point = I'm a dot in place, Tom Marvolo Riddle = I am Lord Voldemort. Someone who...
of another word which participants need to decipher. The next stage was to draw a picture of or make something representing the word. Competition entrants then sent in their work into the programme.
Dressing Up
Around the beginning of the show, Nev dressed up. Viewers were asked send in pictures of themselves dressed up in the same way. Dressing up included the following themes:people (clowns, grannies, pirates, waiters and The Doctor
Doctor (Doctor Who)
The Doctor is the central character in the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who, and has also featured in two cinema feature films, a vast range of spin-off novels, audio dramas and comic strips connected to the series....
from Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
); animals (crabs, frogs, hedgehogs, owls); objects (garden gnomes, trains); food (Christmas puddings) and anything red for Comic Relief Red Nose Day
Red Nose Day 2007
Red Nose Day 2007, was a fund raising event organized by Comic Relief, broadcast live on BBC One and BBC Two from the evening of 16 March 2007 to early the following morning. It was part of "The Big One" campaign...
.
Nev's Little Chefs
Every week on Smile, kids showed Nev how to cook, with recipes including Apple Smiles, Breakfast Feast, Banana Lollies, BlueBeary Muffins, French Bread Pizza Boat, Jelly Beary Sundae, Nev's Biscuits, Nev's Mush, Watermelon Lemonade and World CupFIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
Biscuits.
Nev Sports
Sports and activities featured on the programme included basketball, climbing, cricket, karate and tennis (during WimbledonThe Championships, Wimbledon
The Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors...
).
Digital
From 5 March 2006, digital viewers were able to press the red button to access an enhanced TV service called Smile Backstage which allows them to seamlessly switch between live action in the studio and behind-the scenes, using the left and right buttons on their TV remote control. Most of the action backstage is one of the presenters hanging out with Smiles special guests and doing additional challenges, playing games and chatting. Smile Backstage was the first time that an interactive TV stream-switching application had been used on a live broadcast at the BBC. Previously, viewers could also watch an extra seven minutes of programme content after the end of the main show. Smile won the Interactive Award at the Children's BAFTAs in November 2005.External links
- Production company website
- Official Nev the bear Merchandise Website
- Smile's original website 1 week before closure on The Way Back Machine