Wizadora
| Wizadora | |
|---|---|
 Cover of one of the Wizadora video releases, showing Tatty Bogle and Wizadora | |
| Created by |
Don Arioli Carolyne Cullum |
| Starring |
Cathy Lawday (1991–92) Wendy van der Plank (1993–96,98) Lizzie Mcphee (1997) Steven Ryde (1994–98) Brian Murphy Tessa Hatts Joe Greco (1993–94) |
| No. of series | 7 PLUS 1 OXFED SERIES (1991) |
| No. of episodes | 204 (18x15mins, 186x9min.) |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | Janie Grace |
| Running time | 9 or 15 minutes |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | ITV Network (CITV) |
| Original run | 5 January 1993 – Early 1 September 1998 |
Wizadora is a children's television programme broadcast on ITV in the United Kingdom from 1993 to 1998. However, it was first used as a language teaching tool for children to learn the English language, by Oxford University Press in 1991.[1] The series was created by Don Arioli and Carolyne Cullum.[citation needed] It starred Wendy van der Plank as 'Wizadora' between 1993 and 1996. From 1997, Lizzie McPhee took over the role, as Wendy was away. Wendy came back for the last set of episodes from 1998 up to the end of the show's run. The show was filmed by Meridian Broadcasting. The episodes all took place in or around Wizadora's cottage. Wizadora, a trainee wizard, is always trying to solve problems using magic.
One episode of Wizadora was broadcast on CITV on Saturday, 5 January 2013 (the show's 20th anniversary) as part of a CITV anniversary special. [2] This was the first time the show has been broadcast in the UK since it was shown on Living TV in the early 2000s.
Characters
- Wizadora - the title character, a trainee wizard who receives her magic wand in the pilot episode, but she initially has problems with getting her spells right. Some of the things in Wizadora's kitchen are able to talk due to stray spells. Wizadora often breaks the fourth wall and talks to the viewers, and usually asks for their help when casting her spells. Wizadora's catchphrases include, "Oh, botheration!" and "Time for a bit of wizification".
Wizadora's companions included –
- Tatty Bogle – a dim-witted scarecrow who lives in Wizadora's back garden and continully gets words muddled up. Played by Joe Greco (1993–1994) and Steven Ryde (1995–1998)
- 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. Once described as "a real nuisance" by Wizadora, they are very naughty, usually teasing Hangle, and are always attempting to steal food or getting up to some kind of mischief whenever Wizadora's back is turned. Wizadora usually zaps them back into their drawers with her wand.
- Phoebe – a talking telephone. Early in the series, Phoebe was pink with a yellow headset, but later on, she's orange while her headset turns red. Phoebe answers calls, takes messages, and speaks lots of different languages.
- Filbert – a squeaking vegetable and a fellow trainee wizard. He is also regularly seen gardening. He loves to water the plants. He also talks in gibberish and English.
- Dog Doormat – a barking doormat
- Hangle – a purple coat hanger (but who insists on calling himself a cloak hanger) with a yellow rain coat, glasses and a purple moustache, with a crude sense of humour.
- Very Old Fish – a cryptic talking male fish
- Poot – Wizadora's computer
- Nigel the Snail
- The Crows – Two crows which cause mayhem for Tatty Bogle in the garden
- Roxy – a quite friendly talking spider
- Dusty – A creature who lives under the fridge, he has a very loud operatic voice and is usually sleeping.
Puppeteers Phil Eason, Francis Wright, Michael Bayliss, Sue Dacre, Don Austen, Brian Herring, Neil Sterenberg, Rebecca Nagan, Debbie Cumming, and Sheila Clark worked on the series.
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 (i.e.: Snr Cameraman and Music). The other cameramen were Roger Backhouse and Angus Macmillan and sometimes Steve Leach. The vision mixer was Julie Miller.
Jill Golick wrote several episodes.[citation needed]
The second actor to play Tatty Bogle, Steven Ryde, was the voice-over announcer between programmes for the CITV service during the same period.
Episodes
The programme ran for seven series. The very first episode, The Magic Parcel, was broadcast on Tuesday 5 January 1993, and the final episode was shown some time in 1998.
Season 1 (1993)
1. The Magic Parcel (5 January 1993)
2. Time For Tidying
3. Hello Filbert
4. A Colourful Day
5. Lovely Weather
6. Picnic Problems
7. The Purple Powder
8. Wellingtons & Snails
9. Tea Troubles
10. Mops & Bicycles
11. Hangle In Charge
12. A Very Special Day
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Season 2 (1993)
1. Poot Saves The Day - 4 September 1993
2. A Change for Filbert - 5 September 1993
3. Somethings Old, Somethings New - 6 September 1993
4. Five Carrot Pie - 7 September 1993
5. The Number Spell - 9 September 1993
6. "She's So Wizadorable" - 14 September 1993
7. Music Band - 16 September 1993
8. Lemonade, Ginger Beer and Rhubarb - 21 September 1993
9. Tea Troubles - 23 September 1993
10. Round and Round the Garden
11. A Super Wand
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30. Christmas Day
Season 3 (1994)
1. A Message from Max (6 September 1994)
2. Pips and Plants - 8 September 1994
3. Sneezeberries - 13 September 1994
4. Too Big, Too Small - 15 September 1994
5. Bubble Trouble - 20 September 1994
6. A Sing Song For Stan - 22 September 1994
7. Sixies and Nines - 27 September 1994
8. All Together Now - 29 September 1994
9. I Smell a Lie - 4 October 1994
10. Pippa's Surprise - 6 October 1994
11. Cheer Up, Filbert! - 11 October 1994
12. Let's Dance! - 13 October 1994
13. The Shopping List - 18 October 1994
14. Tatty's Tablecloth - 20 October 1994
15. The Tantrum Spell - 25 October 1994
16. The Great Flood - 27 October 1994
17. Buttons and Holes - 1 November 1994
18. The Litter Spell - 3 November 1994
19. Fun With Books - 8 November 1994
20. No Time for Tea Time - 10 November 1994
21. Hard, Soft, Smooth & Rough - 15 November 1994
22. The Grabber - 17 November 1994
23. Pedal Power - 22 November 1994
24. The Mud Monster - 24 November 1994
25. Wool Trouble - 29 November 1994
26. Pots and Spells - 1 December 1994
27. That's What Friends Are For - 6 December 1994
28. A Stuck Sticky - 8 December 1994
29. Use Your Imagination - 13 December 1994
30. Beginnings and Endings - 15 December 1994
Season 4 (1995)
1. Beside the Seaside - 5 September 1995
2. Sounds Brilliant - 7 September 1995
3. Bless You! - 12 September 1995
4. You Can Count on Poot - 14 September 1995
5. Follow That Track! - 19 September 1995
6. Here's One We Made Earlier - 21 September 1995
7. Who's Afraid of the Dark? - 26 September 1995
8. Good Winners and Bad Losers - 28 September 1995
9. Communication Break Down - 3 October 1995
10. Snow in July - 5 October 1995
11. Making Pippa Strong - 10 October 1995
12. Glad Rags - 12 October 1995
13. Shape Up - 17 October 1995
14. Tatty's New Boots - 19 October 1995
15. Mirror, Mirror - 24 October 1995
16. Hangle Takes a Trip - 26 October 1995
17. Inside Out - 31 October 1995
18. Stan's the Man - 2 November 1995
19. I Spy With My Little Eye - 7 November 1995
20. Filbert's New House - 9 November 1995
21. Top of the List - 14 November 1995
22. It's a Good Job - 16 November 1995
23. Shadow Monsters - 21 November 1995
24. Boots, Beads and Beards - 23 November 1995
25. Watch Out Below - 28 November 1995
26. Sharing Magic - 30 November 1995
27. Big 'Uns and Little 'Uns - 5 December 1995
28. Sticky Moments - 7 December 1995
29. Too Full - 12 December 1995
30. Making and Breaking - 14 December 1995
31. First Things First - 19 December 1995
32. Fish Alive - 21 December 1995
Season 5 (1996)
1. Tatty Town
2. Wizadora Plays Football
3. Drawer People Behaving Badly
4. Aunt Dora's Parcel
5. Bottom Gets Lost
6. There's No Place like Home
7. The Music Spell
8. Something Fishy
9. Take Care
10. Wizadora's Bad Dream
11. Sentimental Journey
12. I'm in Charge
13. What's Yours is Mine
14. What about Me?
15. Hurry Up!
16. Jungle Fever
17. Roxy's Web
18. What Did You Say?
19. Old Habits Die Hard
20. A Moving Story
21. Safety Last
22. Stan's Difficult Day
23. Bending the Rules
24. The Crows
25. You Are What You Are
26. A Rainy Day
27. Hangle's Big Day
28. Bubble Trouble
29. Knit Twits
30. The Jealous Queen
Season 6 (1997)
1. No Doughnuts For Breakfast
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Season 7 (1997–1998)
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32. Who is important?
1997 Special
Wizadora - Wizadora's Christmas Carol - Tuesday 16 December 1997
Home video and DVD
The earliest version of the show has been on DVD (oxford press). However, this is not the UK version which was shown on television, and is instead an educational package for teaching English as a foreign language which was aired on German television.
Some VHS cassettes were released in the mid-1990s with episodes from series one and series three are on The Video Collection International.
1. Wizadora – The Magic Parcel (29 February 1993) Includes: The Magic Parcel, Time For Tidying, and Hello Filbert.
2. Wizadora – A Colourful Day (13 July 1993) Includes: A Colourful Day, Lovely Weather and Picnic Problems.
3. Wizadora – Wellingtons and Snails (23 August 1993) Wellingtons and Snails, The Purple Powder and Tea Time Troubles.
4. Wizadora – Mops and Bicycles (13 August 1993) Mops and Bicycles, Hangle In Charge and A Very Special Day.
5. My Little Wizadora – The Magic Parcel/Time For Tidying (1993)
6. My Little Wizadora – Hello Filbert/A Colourful Day (1993)
7. My Little Wizadora – Lovely Weather / Picnic Problems (1993)
8. My Little Wizadora – Mops and Bicycles/Hangle In Charge (1993)
9. Wizadora - A Message from Max (18 December 1994) Includes: A Message of Max, And More
10. Wizadora – Sneezeberries (9 January 1995) Sneezeberries and 5 other stories
11. Wizadora - Too Big, Too Small (18 August 1995) Too Big, Too Small and 4 other stories
US VHS and DVD Releases
Some Videos are from April 1993 to February 1999.
Transmission guide
- Running time Series 1: 15 minutes, Series 2 onwards 9 minutes.
- Series 1: 18 editions from 5 January 1993 – 4 May 1993
- Series 2: 30 editions from 6 September 1993 – 24 August 1994
- Series 3: 30 editions from 6 September 1994 – 6 December 1994
- Series 4: 32 editions from 30 August 1995 – 14 December 1995
- Series 5: 30 editions from 5 September 1996 – 17 December 1996
- Series 6: 32 editions from 7 January 1997 – 12 August 1997
- Series 7: 32 editions from Autumn 1997 – 18 August 1998
- Series 8: 32 editions from Autumn 1998 – Early 1999
References
- ↑ "The Original Wizadora".
- ↑ http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/news/a446221/sooty-show-fun-house-press-gang-return-for-citv-30th-birthday.html