Wizadora

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Wizadora
Cover of one of the Wizadora video releases, showing Tatty Bogle and Wizadora
Starring	Wendy van der Plank Steven Ryde (1995 onwards) Brian Murphy Tessa Hatts Joe Greco(1993 - 1994)
Production
Producer(s)	Janie Grace
Running time	8 minutes
Broadcast
Original channel	CITV on ITV1
Original run	September 1, 1993 – September 1, 1997

Wizadora was a children's television programme broadcast on ITV in the United Kingdom from 1993 to 1997. The series was created by Don Arioli and Caroline Cullum.^{[citation needed]} It starred Wendy van der Plank as 'Wizadora'. The show was filmed by Meridian Broadcasting (the same people who created Zzzap! which started the same year as Wizadora).

The episodes all took place in Wizadora's cottage. A trainee wizard, Wizadora is always trying to solve problems using magic.

1 Characters
2 Other information
3 Episodes
4 Home Video and DVD
5 Related Shows
6 References

[edit] Characters

Wizadora's companions included -

Tatty Bogle - a dim-witted scarecrow that lives in Wizadora's back garden, played by actors Joe Greco (1993, 1994) and Steven Ryde (1995-1997)
Stan the Shopkeeper, who regularly takes delivery of new magical catalogue items, played by Brian Murphy
Pippa the Postwoman, played by Tessa Hatts
Top/Sticky/Bottom - three talking drawer people (sock puppets)
Phoebe - a talking telephone
Philbert - a squeaking vegetable and a trainee wizared that does spells as well as Wizadora. Philbert is also regularly seen gardening. Philbert also has one half-brother whose name is Tarquin.
Dog Doormat - a barking doormat
Hangle - a purple coat hanger with a yellow rain coat, glasses and a purple moustache, always talking curmudgeonly
Very Old Fish - a cryptic talking fish
Poot - Wizadora's computer
Nigel the Snail - Very Old Fish's friend
The Crows - Two crows which caused mayhem for Tatty Bogle in the garden
Roxy - a quite friendly talking spider

Puppeteers Phil Eason, Francis Wright, Michael Bayliss, Sue Dacre, Don Austen, Brian Herring, Neil Sterenberg, Debbie Cumming, & Sheila Clark worked on the series.

[edit] Other information

The series was made for Meridian Broadcasting by production companies Workhouse and North Pole Productions at The Fountain Studios in New Malden and directed by David Crozier. The theme music was composed by Dave Hutton who was also the Senior Cameraman on the first four series of the show. The theme tune was recorded at Gordon Thrussell's studios at Ashford in Kent and the credits show music by 'Hutt and Thrust'. This was because the director, David Crozier, did not want the same name for two different credits on the programme (ie: Snr Cameraman and Music). The other cameramen were Roger Backhouse and Angus McMillan and sometimes Steve Leach. The vision mixer was Julie Miller. Wizadora Was seen on Living's Morning Children's slot Tiny Living until the Tiny Living Was Replaced by Living2.

Jill Golick wrote several episodes.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Episodes

The programme ran for five series. The very first episode, The Magic Parcel, was broadcast on Wednesday 8 September 1993, and the final episode, Goodbye Wizadora, was broadcast on Monday 1 September 1997. During Wendy van Plankk's maternity leave, another actress played her ^[1]