The Saturday Show (ITV TV series)

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This article is about the ITV television series. For the BBC television series, see The Saturday Show (BBC TV series).

The Saturday Show was Birmingham-based Central Television's flagship Saturday morning kids TV show which replaced their previous success Tiswas. It ran on ITV for two series between 1982 and 1984. It was originally planned that popular wrestler Big Daddy would star and that it would be called "Big Daddy's Saturday Show". A pilot show was recorded with Big Daddy presenting, assisted by Isla St Clair and short films were shot with Big Daddy to insert in the upcoming series; a trailer for "Big Daddy's Saturday Show", complete with logo was shown on ITV the Saturday morning before the show was due to air. It was then announced during the week that Big Daddy was dropping out and that Isla St Clair would now take the lead, with ex-Magpie host Tommy Boyd assisting and with Jeremy Beadle being used as an occasional "stand in" host. The late actor David Rappaport was also a fixture playing the character "Shades", as was soccer legend, Jimmy Greaves.

It was never made publicly clear why Big Daddy dropped out so close to transmission; no settlement was ever reached between him and Central.

The programme was shown on all ITV stations except TSW, which made its own Saturday morning programme, also confusingly called "The Saturday Show". TSW's show was later renamed "Freeze Frame".

More information can be found here: Saturday Show