The Sooty Show
Encyclopedia
The Sooty Show is a British children's television series
that aired on the BBC
from 1955 to 1967 when the BBC eventually cancelled The Sooty Show after Paul Fox, the controller of BBC1 at the time, cleared out some of the long running shows. After it was cancelled from the BBC that year, The Sooty Show swiftly moved to ITV
shortly after the launch of Thames Television
. It features the glove puppet characters Sooty
, Sweep
(who appeared in 1957) and Soo
(appeared in 1964), and follows them in their many mischievous adventures. The show was presented from the 1955 to 1975 by Harry Corbett
, and from 1976 to 1992 by his son, Matthew
as he bought the rights for Sooty for £35,000 from his father, and acted as the token human being. The Sooty Show concluded its final series, after Thames Television lost its franchise as part of the ITV network in 1992. In 1993, the show was replaced by Sooty & Co.
, also presented by Matthew Corbett and was made by Granada
.
Also, in January 2008, a promotional DVD containing 5 early 80s episodes was distributed by The Times newspaper, for Fremantle Media. The episodes featured were: Bob a Job!; Safety First; Sherlock Sooty; Connie Comes to Tea!; Christmas Panto 1981.
Children's television series
Children's television series, are commercial television programs designed for, and marketed to children, normally scheduled for broadcast during the morning and afternoon when children are awake. They can sometimes run in the early evening, for the children that go to school...
that aired on 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...
from 1955 to 1967 when the BBC eventually cancelled The Sooty Show after Paul Fox, the controller of BBC1 at the time, cleared out some of the long running shows. After it was cancelled from the BBC that year, The Sooty Show swiftly moved to ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
shortly after the launch of Thames Television
Thames Television
Thames Television was a licensee of the British ITV television network, covering London and parts of the surrounding counties on weekdays from 30 July 1968 until 31 December 1992....
. It features the glove puppet characters Sooty
Sooty
Sooty is a British glove puppet bear and TV character popular in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and other countries. The children's television show which bears his name has continued in various forms since the 1950s and, according to the Guinness Book of Records, is the...
, Sweep
Sweep (puppet)
Sweep is a British puppet and TV character popular in the United Kingdom, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand and other countries.Sweep is a grey, glove puppet dog with long black ears who joined The Sooty Show in 1957, as a friend to fellow puppet Sooty...
(who appeared in 1957) and Soo
Soo (puppet)
Soo is a British puppet and TV character popular in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and other countries. Soo was first featured on The Sooty Show as the girlfriend of the main puppet character Sooty in 1964....
(appeared in 1964), and follows them in their many mischievous adventures. The show was presented from the 1955 to 1975 by Harry Corbett
Harry Corbett
Harry Corbett OBE was a British puppeteer, known as the creator in 1948 of the long running 'Sooty' glove puppet character.He was born in Bradford to coal miner James W...
, and from 1976 to 1992 by his son, Matthew
Matthew Corbett
Matthew Corbett is an English television personality best known for The Sooty Show and laterly Sooty and Co. He is the son of Harry Corbett...
as he bought the rights for Sooty for £35,000 from his father, and acted as the token human being. The Sooty Show concluded its final series, after Thames Television lost its franchise as part of the ITV network in 1992. In 1993, the show was replaced by Sooty & Co.
Sooty & Co.
Sooty & Co is a British children's television series that was aired on ITV from 1993 to 1998 for six series, replacing the 37 year old Sooty Show. The programme centres on Matthew Corbett, and puppets Sooty, Sweep, Soo and Scampi, as they try to run a shop in Manchester. In 1998 Matthew Corbett...
, also presented by Matthew Corbett and was made by Granada
Granada Television
Granada Television is the ITV contractor for North West England. Based in Manchester since its inception, it is the only surviving original ITA franchisee from 1954 and is ITV's most successful....
.
Characters
- SootySootySooty is a British glove puppet bear and TV character popular in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and other countries. The children's television show which bears his name has continued in various forms since the 1950s and, according to the Guinness Book of Records, is the...
- A mute yellow bear who is the protagonistProtagonistA protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
of the show. He owns a magic wand whose power is invoked using the words "Izzy wizzy, let's get busy!". - SweepSweep (puppet)Sweep is a British puppet and TV character popular in the United Kingdom, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand and other countries.Sweep is a grey, glove puppet dog with long black ears who joined The Sooty Show in 1957, as a friend to fellow puppet Sooty...
- A grey dog with a penchant for bones and sausages. He wears red wellingtons and communicates using bizarre squeaks. - SooSoo (puppet)Soo is a British puppet and TV character popular in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and other countries. Soo was first featured on The Sooty Show as the girlfriend of the main puppet character Sooty in 1964....
- A calm and collected female pandaPandaPanda or Panda bear most often refers to:*Giant panda, an animal in the Bear familyPanda may also refer to:*Red panda, the only living member in the Ailuridae family-In biology:* Species related to the Giant panda...
who acts as the foilFoil (literature)In fiction, a foil is a character who contrasts with another character in order to highlight particular qualities of another character....
for both Sooty and Sweep. Usually wears a red skirt. Originally voiced by Harry Corbett's wife Marjorie Corbett from 1964–1981 and later voiced by Brenda Longman from 1981 to the present day. - Butch - A black dog, similar to Sweep but able to talk. Introduced by Harry Corbett in the early 1970s, but withdrawn by Matthew in 1980 returning to play the part of a villain.
- Little Cousin Scampi - Sooty's cousin, also mute like Sooty. Introduced in an episode of the same title in 1990 and became a regular character from 1991.
- Muffin the Mule
- Snuffles the Rabbit
UK VHS & DVD Releases
| VHS Title | Release Date | Episodes |
|---|---|---|
| The Adventures of Sooty | 1986 | Sherlock Sooty, Snuffles the Rabbit Comes to Stay!, The Magic Show, Sooty Christmas Panto |
| Sooty & Superdog | 1986 | Plumbing, Dance Lessons, Superdog |
| Sooty - Out and About! | 1987 | Out and About!, Rabbit in a Trap, Football Mad! |
| Sooty and Co & Sooty's House | 1987 | Marathon, On the Piste, Down Dog, Perfume, White Lies, Bad Luck! |
| Sooty - The Big Surprise | 1988 | The Big Surprise!, Return of Superdog!, Overnight Away |
| Sooty - Sooty's Time Capsule/Ventriloquism | 1988 | Time Capsule, Ventriloquism |
| The Sooty Christmas Show! | 1988 | Sooty Christmas Special, Hidden Talent |
| Children's Favourites | 1988 | Burglar Box (Compilation VHS with 'Rainbow' and 'Button Moon'.) |
| Sooty's School Trip | 1989 | School Trip, Tap Time, Moving House |
| Children's Favourites: Bedtime Stories | 1989 | Star Gazing (Compilation VHS with 'Rainbow' and 'Button Moon'.) |
| Sooty's Restaurant | 1989 | Restaurant, Health Food |
| Sooty's Stately Home and Other Stories | 1989 | Stately Home, Ancestors, Millionaire |
| Sooty's Magic Lamp and Other Stories | 1989 | Sooty's Magic Lamp, Cuddly Toys, Make and Do! |
| Children's Favourites Vol. 3 | 1989 | Amateur Dramatics (Compilation VHS with 'Rainbow' and 'Button Moon'.) |
| Sooty's Christmas Party and Other Stories | 1989 | The Sooty Christmas Show, Royalty, Get Your Skates On! |
| Children's Summer Stories | 1989 | Messing About in Boats (Compilation VHS with 'Rainbow' and 'Button Moon'.) |
| Children's Club: Children's Favourites | 1989 | When I Was a Lad... (Compilation VHS with 'Rainbow' and 'Button Moon'.) |
| Little Cousin Scampi and Other Stories | 1990 | Little Cousin Scampi, Sticky Situation, Gardeners for Hire |
| The Good, The Bad and The Furry! | 1990 | The Good, The Bad and The Furry! (Compilation VHS with 'Rainbow'.) |
| Sooty Wants a Pet! | 1990 | Sooty Wants a Pet!, The Unreal Ghostbusters, In Camera |
| Children's Holiday Favourites | 1990 | A Very Special Day! (Compilation VHS with 'Rainbow' and 'Rod, Jane and Freddy'.) |
| Sooty's Golf Crazy Golf | 1990 | Sooty's Crazy Golf, Down Under, Grin and Bear It! |
| Sooty's Bumper Special | 1990 | Inventors, Fat and 40, Stay Awake!, Nothing Ever Happens!, Bowled Over! |
| Sooty - Sooty's Favourite Stories | 1990 | Radio Control Car, Honking Nose, Sweep's Family |
| Sooty Video Fun Pack | 1990 | Izzy Wizzy, Love a Duck |
| Sooty - Sooty's Big Time Video! | 1991 | Just Not Cricket, Bangers and Smash, Water Sports, Dyb, Dyb Disaster! |
| Sooty - Matt Robot and Other Stories | 1991 | Matt Robot, Return of Scampi!, Car Boot Sale |
| Sooty - Hair Today and Other Stories | 1991 | Hair Today, Derek's Back!, Any 5-Year-Old Can Do It! |
| Sooty - Only Joking! and Other Stories | 1991 | Only Joking!, Boarding House, Bored Games |
| Sooty - Three Men in a Boat and Other Stories | 1991 | Three Men in a Boat, Swinging the Lead!, Cars, Trains, Boats and Planes |
| Sooty - What a Load of Rubbish! & Collecting | 1992 | What a Load of Rubbish!, Collecting |
| The Christmas Collection | 1992 | Early Christmas (Compilation with 'Rainbow and 'Wind in the Willows'.) |
| My Bumper Christmas Sooty | 1997 | A Summertime Christmas, Little Terrors, Sooty's Christmas Party, Sooty's Busy Christmas! |
| Sooty - Biggest Party Video! | 1998 | Happy Birthday, Sooty!, Back to Front, Soo's Party Problem, Sweep's Family, Bored Games |
| Sooty - Wet & Wild Water Fun! | 2000 | A Very Special Day!, Three Men in a Boat, Water Sports |
| Sweep Superdog | 2001 | Superdog and the Comedian, Bouncers, Hot Stuff, Sweep's Family, Honking Nose, Swinging the Lead! |
| DVD Title | Release Date | Episodes |
|---|---|---|
| The Sooty Show - Izzy Wizzy, Let's Get Busy! | 2003/2007 | Edited versions of a stage show from 1982 recorded in front of an audience of children (Abbey Home Media). |
| Cult Kids Classics 2 | 2001 | Compilation DVD, which includes: 'Superdog' (with Geoff Capes). |
| Sweep Superdog | 2001 | Superdog and the Comedian, Bouncers, Hot Stuff, Sweep's Family, Honking Nose, Swinging the Lead! |
| Classic Kids Hits: from School Disco | 2003 | Compilation DVD, which includes: 'Super Star' (with Alvin Stardust). |
| Sooty - Wet & Wild Water Fun! | 2007 | A Very Special Day!, Three Men in a Boat, Water Sports |
| The Sooty Show - Izzy Wizzy | 2008 | Izzy Wizzy, Little Terrors, Sooty's Magic Lamp |
| The Sooty Show - Happy Birthday, Sooty! | 2008 | Happy Birthday, Sooty!, Sooty Wants a Pet!, Honking Nose |
| Sooty - The Big Surprise! | 2010 | The Big Surprise!, Hidden Talent, Sticky Situation, Little Cousin Scampi, Fanatical Fun! |
Also, in January 2008, a promotional DVD containing 5 early 80s episodes was distributed by The Times newspaper, for Fremantle Media. The episodes featured were: Bob a Job!; Safety First; Sherlock Sooty; Connie Comes to Tea!; Christmas Panto 1981.
Other Sooty-based shows
Below is a list of other Sooty-based shows, after The Sooty Show.| Title | original run |
|---|---|
The Sooty Show The Sooty Show is a British children's television series that aired on the BBC from 1955 to 1967 when the BBC eventually cancelled The Sooty Show after Paul Fox, the controller of BBC1 at the time, cleared out some of the long running shows. After it was cancelled from the BBC that year, The Sooty... |
|
Learn With Sooty (TV series) Learn with Sooty! is part of a British children's television series The Sooty Show promoting educational videos for children to learn from 1989 to 1991. It features the glove puppet characters Sooty, Sweep and Soo , and follows them in their many mischievous adventures... |
|
Sooty & Co. Sooty & Co is a British children's television series that was aired on ITV from 1993 to 1998 for six series, replacing the 37 year old Sooty Show. The programme centres on Matthew Corbett, and puppets Sooty, Sweep, Soo and Scampi, as they try to run a shop in Manchester. In 1998 Matthew Corbett... |
|
Sooty Heights Sooty Heights is a British children's television series that aired on ITV from 27 September 27 1999 until 11 December 2000. It replaced Sooty & Co that was presented by Mathew Corbett from 1993–1998... |
|
Sooty (TV series) Sooty is a British children's television series that aired on ITV from 5 November 2001 - 6 January 2004 for three series. It replaces Sooty Heights, although the setting is much the same... |
|
Sooty (2011 TV series) Sooty is a 2011 British children's television series that airs on CITV. It is the first new series to feature Sooty since the last series ended in 2004, and the first since Richard Cadell bought the rights to the brand in 2008... |