Xchange (TV series)

Xchange

Show Logo
Format Childrens, Entertainment
Created by BBC
Presented by Michael "Abs" Absalom
Ade Adepitan
Jean Anderson
Angellica Bell
Dave Chapman
Tony Craig
Abbie Eastwood
Joe Challands
Ortis Deley
Jez Edwards
Sarra Elgan
David "Duff" Eynon
Erica Harvey
Gemma Hunt
Rani Khanijau
Anna Kumble
Steve Wilson
Rhodri Owen
Holly Willoughby
Country of origin United Kingdom
No. of episodes 2012
Production
Running time 60 mins &
2 x 30 mins
Broadcast
Original channel CBBC Channel
Original run 1998 – 31 March 2006

Xchange was a factual entertainment BBC television programme for children. It was broadcast initially on BBC Two and later the CBBC Channel. The programme was (mostly) transmitted live from studio TC2 at BBC Television Centre. Towards the end of the show, it was recorded the day before broadcasting.

The first era of the programme came in 1998 when it was designed as a programme shown on BBC Two in the summer holidays. This format was repeated annually until the launch of the CBBC Channel in 2002. As a result, 1,040 episodes over two years were initially ordered. At that time, it was the BBC's biggest ever single in-house commission.[1] On the CBBC Channel, it was a continuous, daily, hour-long format broadcast from 7:30am. Although, by the time the programme ended in March 2006, it was being broadcast twice daily in thirty minute durations.

The show featured a website where users can sign-up to collect points, and also could gain points for being a caller on the show. People who obtained 1000 points could enter a draw to appear on the show and be a "Gold X-IDer" in the studio. In a later series, the 1000 points could also be traded in to have a presenter host a part of the show from an X-IDer's house for a week.

Xchange featured celebrities, music performances, comedy and games. Featured celebrities included Girls Aloud, Daniel Bedingfield, Hilary Duff and Verbalicious . A weekly discussion point, branded sequentially as "The Big One" / "Backchat" / "Sticky Situations", was where viewers gave their thoughts and opinions on a topic. The "Xperts" item featured viewers who reviewed new movies, games, books and music. The "Dream On" strand endeavoured to make the dreams or ambitions of some of the programme's viewers come true.

The last edition of Xchange was broadcast on 31st March 2006 ending with Vinnie J Ferret's (the "J" initial was also revealed to be "Jebadiah") own version of classic song "My Way" as "Our Way" with a little vocal help from the presenters of the show. Michael "Abs" Absalom, Ade Adepitan, Ortis Deley, Jez Edwards, Gemma Hunt and puppet "Vinnie" the ferret (Dave Chapman) were the show's last presenters. The programme was replaced by Sam and Mark's Level Up.

Contents

Games

Snot Me - two people go gead to head picking hairs out of a gunge filled nose. The loser would get gunged if the trigger hair was pulled.

Merchandise

In 2001, three books published by BBC Education Publishing under the Xchange banner went on sale: Head Strong, Microbe Makes and Team Spirit.[2]

When children appeared on the show, the presenters of that show would sign a photo of themselves and personalise it to the child.

Also, the main game that would appear on the show would have the prize of an Xchange-branded alarm clock and a few more goodies were given away behind the scenes such as messenger bags, mousemats and keyrings.

References

  1. ^ Deans, Jason (20 November 2001). "BBC christens children's digital channels". Media Guardian (London). http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2001/nov/20/broadcasting.bbc. Retrieved 12 November 2007. 
  2. ^ Xchange books on amazon.co.uk Retrieved 4 January 2008

External links