Hartbeat

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Tony Hart presented the CBBC show Hartbeat which was preceded by Take Hart which taught children how to design art features and use everyday objects to make objects. The show featured Hart and the animated Plasticine character Morph.

Hartbeat continued these factors but was a deliberate attempt to update the image of the show. A more modern theme tune was introduced as were several young female co-presenters, initially alternating between Margot Wilson, Joanna Kirk, Gabrielle Bradshaw and Liza Brown. A storyline was featured in each episode to keep casual viewers interested revolving around a broken computer or Tony's birthday or the like, but lovers of Take Hart felt that this was upstaging the premise of the show.

Colin Bennett continued playing the role of Mr Bennett the bumbling caretaker from Take Hart, but after a few years the character was replaced with dotty tea lady Elvira Muckett played by Amanda Swift. Elvira could generally be heard calling "Te-ea!" and would annoying refer to Tony and the co-presenter of the day as Mr and Mrs Hartbeat. Her first appearance featured her humming the original Take Hart theme Left Bank Two to appeal to longer term viewers. Elvira was replaced again by a character called Alison, but Hartbeat was felt to have become a shadow of its former self and the series was discontinued in 1996.