The Sooty Show

The Sooty Show
Format Children's
Country of origin United Kingdom
Production
Running time 20 minutes
Production company(s) BBC (1955-1967)
Thames Television
(1968-1992)
Broadcast
Original channel BBC/ITV
Original run 24 July 1955 (1955-07-24) – 30 November 1992 (1992-11-30)
Chronology
Followed by Sooty & Co. (1993–1998)

The Sooty Show was a British children's television series that aired on the BBC from 1955 to 1967 when the BBC eventually cancelled The Sooty Show after Paul Fox, the then controller of BBC One at the time, cleared out some of the long running shows. After it was cancelled from the BBC that year, The Sooty Show swiftly moved to ITV shortly after the launch of Thames Television.

It features the glove puppet characters Sooty, Sweep (who appeared in 1957) and Soo (appeared in 1964), and follows them in their many mischievous adventures. The show was presented from the 1955 to 1975 by Harry Corbett, and from 1976 to 1992 by his son, Matthew as he bought the rights for Sooty for £35,000 from his father, and acted as the token human being.

The Sooty Show concluded its final series, after Thames Television lost its franchise as part of the ITV network in 1992. In 1993, the show was replaced/succeeded by Sooty & Co., also presented by Matthew Corbett and was made by Granada in Manchester, North-West of England.

Contents

Characters

Episodes

UK VHS & DVD Releases

VHS Title Release Date Episodes
The Adventures of Sooty 1986 Sherlock Sooty, Snuffles the Rabbit Comes to Stay!, The Magic Show, Sooty Christmas Panto
Sooty & Superdog 1986 Plumbing, Dance Lessons, Superdog
Sooty - Out and About! 1987 Out and About!, Rabbit in a Trap, Football Mad!
Sooty and Co & Sooty's House 1987 Marathon, On the Piste, Down Dog, Perfume, White Lies, Bad Luck!
Sooty - The Big Surprise 1988 The Big Surprise!, Return of Superdog!, Overnight Away
Sooty - Sooty's Time Capsule/Ventriloquism 1988 Time Capsule, Ventriloquism
The Sooty Christmas Show! 1988 Sooty Christmas Special, Hidden Talent
Children's Favourites 1988 Burglar Box (Compilation VHS with 'Rainbow' and 'Button Moon'.)
Sooty's School Trip 1989 School Trip, Tap Time, Moving House
Children's Favourites: Bedtime Stories 1989 Star Gazing (Compilation VHS with 'Rainbow' and 'Button Moon'.)
Sooty's Restaurant 1989 Restaurant, Health Food
Sooty's Stately Home and Other Stories 1989 Stately Home, Ancestors, Millionaire
Sooty's Magic Lamp and Other Stories 1989 Sooty's Magic Lamp, Cuddly Toys, Make and Do!
Children's Favourites Vol. 3 1989 Amateur Dramatics (Compilation VHS with 'Rainbow' and 'Button Moon'.)
Sooty's Christmas Party and Other Stories 1989 The Sooty Christmas Show, Royalty, Get Your Skates On!
Children's Summer Stories 1989 Messing About in Boats (Compilation VHS with 'Rainbow' and 'Button Moon'.)
Children's Club: Children's Favourites 1989 When I Was a Lad... (Compilation VHS with 'Rainbow' and 'Button Moon'.)
Little Cousin Scampi and Other Stories 1990 Little Cousin Scampi, Sticky Situation, Gardeners for Hire
The Good, The Bad and The Furry! 1990 The Good, The Bad and The Furry! (Compilation VHS with 'Rainbow'.)
Sooty Wants a Pet! 1990 Sooty Wants a Pet!, The Unreal Ghostbusters, In Camera
Children's Holiday Favourites 1990 A Very Special Day! (Compilation VHS with 'Rainbow' and 'Rod, Jane and Freddy'.)
Sooty's Golf Crazy Golf 1990 Sooty's Crazy Golf, Down Under, Grin and Bear It!
Sooty's Bumper Special 1990 Inventors, Fat and 40, Stay Awake!, Nothing Ever Happens!, Bowled Over!
Sooty - Sooty's Favourite Stories 1990 Radio Control Car, Honking Nose, Sweep's Family
Sooty Video Fun Pack 1990 Izzy Wizzy, Love a Duck!
Sooty - Sooty's Big Time Video! 1991 Just Not Cricket, Bangers and Smash, Water Sports, Dyb, Dyb Disaster!
Sooty - Matt Robot and Other Stories 1991 Matt Robot, Return of Scampi!, Car Boot Sale
Sooty - Hair Today and Other Stories 1991 Hair Today, Derek's Back!, Any 5-Year-Old Can Do It!
Sooty - Only Joking! and Other Stories 1991 Only Joking!, Boarding House, Bored Games
Sooty - Three Men in a Boat and Other Stories 1991 Three Men in a Boat, Swinging the Lead!, Cars, Trains, Boats and Planes
Sooty - What a Load of Rubbish! & Collecting 1992 What a Load of Rubbish!, Collecting
The Christmas Collection 1992 Early Christmas (Compilation with 'Rainbow and 'Wind in the Willows'.)
My Bumper Christmas Sooty 1997 A Summertime Christmas, Little Terrors, Sooty's Christmas Party, Sooty's Busy Christmas!
Sooty - Biggest Party Video! 1998 Happy Birthday, Sooty!, Back to Front, Soo's Party Problem, Sweep's Family, Bored Games
Sooty - Wet & Wild Water Fun! 2000 A Very Special Day!, Three Men in a Boat, Water Sports
Sweep Superdog 2001 Superdog and the Comedian, Bouncers, Hot Stuff, Sweep's Family, Honking Nose, Swinging the Lead!
DVD Title Release Date Episodes
The Sooty Show - Izzy Wizzy, Let's Get Busy! 2003/2007 Edited versions of a stage show from 1982 recorded in front of an audience of children (Abbey Home Media).
Cult Kids Classics 2 2001 Compilation DVD, which includes: 'Superdog' (with Geoff Capes).
Sweep Superdog 2001 Superdog and the Comedian, Bouncers, Hot Stuff, Sweep's Family, Honking Nose, Swinging the Lead!
Classic Kids Hits: from School Disco 2003 Compilation DVD, which includes: 'Super Star' (with Alvin Stardust).
Sooty - Wet & Wild Water Fun! 2007 A Very Special Day!, Three Men in a Boat, Water Sports
The Sooty Show - Izzy Wizzy 2008 Izzy Wizzy, Little Terrors, Sooty's Magic Lamp
The Sooty Show - Happy Birthday, Sooty! 2008 Happy Birthday, Sooty!, Sooty Wants a Pet!, Honking Nose
Sooty - The Big Surprise! 2010 The Big Surprise!, Hidden Talent, Sticky Situation, Little Cousin Scampi, Fanatical Fun!

Also, in January 2008, a promotional DVD containing 5 early 80s episodes was distributed by The Times newspaper, for Fremantle Media. The episodes featured were: Bob a Job!; Safety First; Sherlock Sooty; Connie Comes to Tea! and Christmas Panto 1981.

Other Sooty-based shows

Below is a list of other Sooty-based shows, after The Sooty Show.

Title original run
The Sooty Show
1955–1992
Learn with Sooty!
1989-1991
Sooty & Co.
1993–1998
Sooty's Amazing Adventures!
1996-1997
Sooty Heights
1999–2000
Sooty's Magic Show!
2000-2002
Sooty
2001–2004
Sooty
2011-present