WOW! (TV series)
Encyclopedia
WOW! was a children's entertainment magazine programme, broadcast in 1996 on the UK's ITV
television network (under the CITV
branding
). It aired for 16 weeks from 31 August to 14 December 1996, preceded by the Summer 1996 run of Scratchy & Co.
and followed by the spring 1997 run of the same show.
The presenters of WOW! were Simeon Courtie (previously of CBBC
) and Sophie Aldred
(a former Doctor Who
star). The programme was broadcast from The Maidstone Studios
in Kent
, also home over the years to shows such as No. 73
, Motormouth
, and Holly & Stephen's Saturday Showdown
. (On one occasion, a power issue in the studio meant that part of the episode was an outside broadcast from the studio car park.) The programme was produced by The Media Merchants
for ITV.
The show was a live, anarchic, entertainment magazine similar to Tiswas
or Motormouth
. It featured imported cartoons, guest interviews and music performances, games and competitions, and comedy. Comic characters featured within the show included the 'Tea Ladies' - played by male actors Peter Cocks and Woody Taylor - supposedly 'interrupting' the show to provide banter and bicker with the guests; and Syd the Spider
, a puppet
arachnid voiced by Phil Cornwell.
The show was dropped after a single run, and the following autumn, ITV
aired the series Tricky
.
network in the autumn of 1996. It aired between 11.00am and 11.30am on Saturdays and sat between WOW! and The Chart Show
in the schedule. Like The Chart Show, it was focused on music; however, whereas The Chart Show was based principally on videos, The Noise featured live in-studio performances, interviews and features.
It was presented and produced by Andi Peters
, who had recently left CBBC
and been put in charge of music and youth programming at LWT. The show was made by LWT from a studio in London, and featured a variety of guests from across the musical spectrum.
It performed poorly in the ratings and did not continue beyond its sole series; however, two years later, ITV
would go on to replace The Chart Show
with a studio-based music performance series, CD:UK
, to significantly greater success. Andi Peters
later left LWT to join Channel 4
, where he developed the T4
youth strand.
The week before both WOW! and The Noise began on CITV, Andi Peters appeared on the last episode of Series 2 of Scratchy & Co.
to promote The Noise starting the following week (with no mention about WOW!).
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...
television network (under the CITV
CITV
CITV is a British television channel from ITV Digital Channels Ltd, a division of ITV plc. It broadcasts content from the CITV archive, as well as commissions and acquisitions. CITV itself is the programming block on the main ITV Network .The CITV channel broadcasts from 06:00 to 18:00...
branding
Brand
The American Marketing Association defines a brand as a "Name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller's good or service as distinct from those of other sellers."...
). It aired for 16 weeks from 31 August to 14 December 1996, preceded by the Summer 1996 run of Scratchy & Co.
Scratchy & Co.
Scratchy and Co was a CITV show, which was broadcast at certain periods from 6 May 1995 to 25 April 1998, which replaced What's Up Doc? as the Saturday morning ITV show.-Premise:...
and followed by the spring 1997 run of the same show.
The presenters of WOW! were Simeon Courtie (previously 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...
) and Sophie Aldred
Sophie Aldred
Sophie Aldred is an English actress and television presenter, best known for her portrayal of The Doctor's companion Ace in the television series Doctor Who during the late 1980s.-Early life:...
(a former 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...
star). The programme was broadcast from The Maidstone Studios
The Maidstone Studios
The Maidstone Studios, formerly called TVS Television Centre is a television studio complex with radio studio facilities based at Vinters Park in Maidstone, Kent UK...
in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, also home over the years to shows such as No. 73
No. 73
No 73, later re-titled 7T3, was a British 1980s children's TV show produced by Television South for the ITV network. It was broadcast live on Saturday mornings and ran from 1982 to 1988...
, Motormouth
Motormouth
Motormouth was a Saturday morning children's television series that was produced by Television South and aired across the ITV network for four series, running between 3 September 1988 and 4 April 1992...
, and Holly & Stephen's Saturday Showdown
Holly & Stephen's Saturday Showdown
The Ministry of Mayhem was a CITV show which broadcast on the ITV Network from January 2004. As of January 2006, the onscreen name was Holly & Stephen's Saturday Showdown. It was the last regular studio-based Saturday morning show on ITV....
. (On one occasion, a power issue in the studio meant that part of the episode was an outside broadcast from the studio car park.) The programme was produced by The Media Merchants
The Media Merchants
The Media Merchants Television Company Ltd. was an independent television production company specialising in children's programmes, run by Neil Buchanan and Tim Edmunds.-History:...
for ITV.
The show was a live, anarchic, entertainment magazine similar to Tiswas
Tiswas
Tiswas was a Saturday morning children's British television series which ran from 5 January 1974 to 3 April 1982 and was produced for the ITV network by ATV Network Limited....
or Motormouth
Motormouth
Motormouth was a Saturday morning children's television series that was produced by Television South and aired across the ITV network for four series, running between 3 September 1988 and 4 April 1992...
. It featured imported cartoons, guest interviews and music performances, games and competitions, and comedy. Comic characters featured within the show included the 'Tea Ladies' - played by male actors Peter Cocks and Woody Taylor - supposedly 'interrupting' the show to provide banter and bicker with the guests; and Syd the Spider
Spider
Spiders are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, and chelicerae with fangs that inject venom. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species diversity among all other groups of organisms...
, a puppet
Puppet
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....
arachnid voiced by Phil Cornwell.
The show was dropped after a single run, and the following autumn, 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...
aired the series Tricky
Tricky (TV series)
Tricky was a British children's animated television programme that aired in the ITV Network's children's strand CITV on Saturday mornings from 30 August to 20 December 1997. It was the first live children's show hosted by an animated character - a talking dragon named Tricky...
.
The Noise
The Noise was a half-hour music magazine broadcast on the ITVITV
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...
network in the autumn of 1996. It aired between 11.00am and 11.30am on Saturdays and sat between WOW! and The Chart Show
The Chart Show
The Chart Show is a music video programme which ran in the UK on Channel 4 between 1986 and 1988, then on ITV between 1989 and 1998. The production company was Video Visuals, and was credited as "A Yorkshire Television Presentation" from 1993 and 1998...
in the schedule. Like The Chart Show, it was focused on music; however, whereas The Chart Show was based principally on videos, The Noise featured live in-studio performances, interviews and features.
It was presented and produced by Andi Peters
Andi Peters
Andi Eleazu Peters is an English television presenter and television producer.-Education:Peters was educated at Emanuel School, a co-educational independent school in Battersea, in south-west London.-Life and career:...
, who had recently left 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...
and been put in charge of music and youth programming at LWT. The show was made by LWT from a studio in London, and featured a variety of guests from across the musical spectrum.
It performed poorly in the ratings and did not continue beyond its sole series; however, two years later, 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...
would go on to replace The Chart Show
The Chart Show
The Chart Show is a music video programme which ran in the UK on Channel 4 between 1986 and 1988, then on ITV between 1989 and 1998. The production company was Video Visuals, and was credited as "A Yorkshire Television Presentation" from 1993 and 1998...
with a studio-based music performance series, CD:UK
CD:UK
CD:UK was a British music television programme. Originally run in conjunction with SMTV Live, the programme was first aired on ITV on 29 August 1998 to rival the BBC's Live & Kicking and was the replacement for The Chart Show, which had been airing on the network for nine and a half years.In...
, to significantly greater success. Andi Peters
Andi Peters
Andi Eleazu Peters is an English television presenter and television producer.-Education:Peters was educated at Emanuel School, a co-educational independent school in Battersea, in south-west London.-Life and career:...
later left LWT to join Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
, where he developed the T4
T4 (Channel 4)
T4 is a scheduling slot on Channel 4 from about 09:00 until 14:00 on Saturdays and 17:00 on Sundays. It also airs on weekdays in the school holidays. The slot has a separate station identification on screen graphic from Channel 4 and E4. The logo of T4 is noticeably the top right segment of the...
youth strand.
The week before both WOW! and The Noise began on CITV, Andi Peters appeared on the last episode of Series 2 of Scratchy & Co.
Scratchy & Co.
Scratchy and Co was a CITV show, which was broadcast at certain periods from 6 May 1995 to 25 April 1998, which replaced What's Up Doc? as the Saturday morning ITV show.-Premise:...
to promote The Noise starting the following week (with no mention about WOW!).