Bitsa

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Bitsa
Bitsa book, released in 1992 to accompany the tv series
Genre	Art, Children's, Craft
Creator(s)	Paul Goddard
Developer(s)	Paul Goddard
Starring	Caitlin Easterby Simon Pascoe
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Language(s)	English
Production
Running time	30 mins
Broadcast
Original channel	BBC One

Bitsa was a British television programme broadcast in the 1990s on BBC 1. It involved creative arts and "makes" very much like later show SMart. It was repeated for a time on the now defunct digital channel BBC Choice. The original run of the show was six years.

The show featured two presenters, Simon Pascoe and Caitlin Easterby, who would create craft projects from household junk and craft materials. Sometimes the items created were quite complex and advanced, but were always presented with instructions for viewers to follow. The show also featured a 'challenge' section, in which school children would shout three numbers corresponding to a selection of numbered boxes, each containing a different material, for example cardboard tubes, sticks or fabric. The presenters would then have three minutes to create something using only these materials. Much fervent use of a glue gun often ensued.

Other items featured on the show included clips of children presenting craft projects they had made themselves, and footage of the presenters travelling around the country in their van visiting local schools. There was also a robotic puppet (made from glued together craft materials) named 'Hands' who would quickly make a small item, often mechanical in nature, from small items such as pieces of card, elastic bands or matchboxes, who would hum as he worked, then present the completed item with a flourish.

Bitsa was devised and written by Paul Goddard, who himself operated the character of Hands. He later went on to work on other BBC children's shows, including the Fimbles. Two books have been produced accompanying the series, which are now only to be found on eBay.

The theme tune of the show was as follows:

Bitsa this, Bitsa that, Put 'em all together and what have you got? Bits and pieces, bits and bobs, Put 'em all together, what a lovely job!

With strings and things and buckets of glue, You can do whatever you want to do... Bitsa this, Bitsa that, Bitsa, Bitsa, Bitsa, Bitsa pieces!