ZZZap!
Encyclopedia
Zzzap was a British
children's television comedy programme
. The concept of the show was a giant comic that has been brought to life. The show ran from 8 January 1993 until 21 September 2001, and was produced by The Media Merchants
and Meridian Broadcasting
. A spin-off
titled 'Cuthbert's Diary' was also produced.
. The series was more recently broadcast on the CITV Channel in 2006, 2007 and 2009. ITV currently have no plans for any future repeats, as of 2011.
The Smart Arty elements and The Handymen were repeated in the USA as part of It's Itsy Bitsy Time on Fox Family
, as Art Arty and The Handymen respectably, from 1999 until 2001.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
children's television comedy programme
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
. The concept of the show was a giant comic that has been brought to life. The show ran from 8 January 1993 until 21 September 2001, and 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:...
and Meridian Broadcasting
Meridian Broadcasting
Meridian Broadcasting is the holder of the ITV franchise for the South and South East of England. The station is owned and operated by ITV plc, under the licensee of ITV Broadcasting Limited....
. A spin-off
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...
titled 'Cuthbert's Diary' was also produced.
Format
The programme follows the same format throughout its run. A Title Intro is shown consisting of a couple of short clips for Each character from the season. It is then followed by a series of short two or three minute long segments, followed by the credits. Each segment is introduced by the camera zooming in on a corresponding panel on a giant comic, shot in reverse (e.g: The Camera starting at the Panel, and pulling back) and then played in reverse. This giant comic has a set of nine frames on it, some of which contain a character representing their segments.Episodes
| Season | Eps. | Year | Originally aired | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 | 1993 | 8th January - 12th March | |
| 2 | 10 | 1994 | 7th January - 11th March | |
| 3 | 10 | 1995 | 6th January - 10th March | |
| 4 | 16 | 1996 | 5th January - 14th May | |
| 5 | 15 | 1997 | 4th January - 12th May | |
| 6 | 16 | 1998 | 10th January - 26th April | |
| 7 | 16 | 1998 | 1st September - 14th December | |
| 8 | 13 | 1999 | 7th September - 30th November | |
| 9 | 13 | 2000 | 9th September - 3rd December | |
| 10 | 15 | 2001 | 3rd September - 21st September | |
Syndication
The series was repeated throughout 2002-2003 on the CITV on ITV1ITV1
ITV1 is a generic brand that is used by twelve franchises of the British ITV Network in the English regions, Wales, southern Scotland , the Isle of Man and the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey. The ITV1 brand was introduced by Carlton and Granada in 2001, alongside the regional identities of their...
. The series was more recently broadcast on the CITV Channel in 2006, 2007 and 2009. ITV currently have no plans for any future repeats, as of 2011.
The Smart Arty elements and The Handymen were repeated in the USA as part of It's Itsy Bitsy Time on Fox Family
Fox Family
Fox Family may refer to:* The Fox Family, a 2006 South Korean film* Fox Family, a former name of American television cable network ABC Family...
, as Art Arty and The Handymen respectably, from 1999 until 2001.
Main
| Actor(s) | Character | Series |
|---|---|---|
| Richard Waites (actor) Richard Waites is a British actor who is most famous for appearing as Cuthbert Lilly in all 131 episodes of the popular CITV show ZZZap!.-Career:... |
|
|
| Neil Buchanan Neil Buchanan is an English television presenter best known for his work on the CITV programme Art Attack, a television programme that he presented during its run from 1990 to 2007... |
|
|
| Sarah Pickthall Sarah Pickthall is a British actress best known for her role of The Handymen on the ITV children's TV show Zzzap! from 1993-2001. This was one of her main roles from the start, until when the series ended, in children's TV.-External links:... |
|
|
| Deborah McCallum Deborah McCallum is a Scottish actress best known for her role as the original Daisy Dares in the CITV show Zzzap!.She has also played the character of Jude Burnett in ITV Drama Take the high road for a few months in 1998.... Claire Macaulay |
|
|
| 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:... |
|
|
Recurring
| Actor(s) | Character | Series |
|---|---|---|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
Background Voices
| Actor(s) | Character | Series |
|---|---|---|
| Richard Waites (actor) Richard Waites is a British actor who is most famous for appearing as Cuthbert Lilly in all 131 episodes of the popular CITV show ZZZap!.-Career:... |
|
|
| Neil Buchanan Neil Buchanan is an English television presenter best known for his work on the CITV programme Art Attack, a television programme that he presented during its run from 1990 to 2007... |
|
|
| |
|
|
| 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:... |
|
|
Crew
| Job | Crew Member |
|---|---|
| |
Neil Buchanan Neil Buchanan is an English television presenter best known for his work on the CITV programme Art Attack, a television programme that he presented during its run from 1990 to 2007... Tim Edmunds |
| |
|
| |
Janie Grace |
| |
|
| |
Adrian Hedley Simon Pearce Ian Bolt |
| |
Simon Cruse Jim Lownie Chris Jackson |
| |
|
Media Releases
- ZZZap! The Bumper Video Comic (VHSVHSThe Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
). - ZZZap! Vol. 2 - Holiday Special (VHS).
- ZZZap! Vol. 3 - Goes Bonkers (VHS).
- ZZZap! Vol. 4 - Goes Completely Crazy (VHS).
- The Wildest Ever ZZZap! Video (VHS).