Jim'll Fix It

Jim'll Fix It is a long-running British television show, broadcast by the BBC between May 1975 and June 1994. It was devised and presented by Jimmy Savile and produced by Roger Ordish and encouraged children to write in to have their wishes granted.^[1]

The show is hosted by Savile, who would "fix it" for the wishes of several viewers (usually children) to come true each week. The producer throughout the show's run was Roger Ordish, always referred to by Savile as "Doctor Magic". The standard format was that the viewer's letter, which described their wish, would be shown on the screen and read out aloud, initially by Savile, but in later series by the viewer himself as a voice-over. Savile would then introduce the Fix, which would either have been pre-filmed on location or take place "live" in the studio. At the end, the viewer would join Savile to be congratulated and presented with a large medal with the words "Jim Fixed It For Me" engraved on it. Occasionally, other people featured in the "Fix It" (actors from well known series, for example), might also give the viewer an extra gift somehow relating to the Fix. Savile himself played no part in the filming or recording of the "fix-its", unless specifically requested as part of the letter writer's wish. Some children apparently thought that Savile's first name was "Jim'll", so some letters shown on the programme started "Dear Jim'll".

Early series saw Savile distributing medals from a "magic chair" which concealed the medals in a variety of compartments. The "magic chair" was invented by Tony Novissimo and was built for the BBC by him at his workshops in Shepherd's Bush. The chair had first appeared on Savile's earlier Saturday night TV series, Clunk, Click. The chair was later replaced by a new computer-controlled robotic "magic chair", the brainchild of Kevin Warwick, built for the BBC by his team at the University of Reading. The arm for the chair was an RTX, designed by Roy Levell at Universal Machine Intelligence in Wandsworth around 1985.^[2]

Internally, the BBC were concerned that the show was providing excessive product placement for corporations. Eighteen years after the show ceased airing allegations of child sex abuse were made against Savile, who by then had died, including claims that special episodes of Jim'll Fix It were devised by Savile in order to gain access to victims.^[3]

Well known "Fix-its"

A group of Cub Scouts from the 2nd Sutton St Mary’s troop, who wrote to the programme asking to have a meal in an unusual place. The show opted to send them, complete with packed lunch, to ride the Revolution rollercoaster at Blackpool Pleasure Beach — the result, thanks to the force of gravity and momentum, being lots of little faces full of food and drink. This was repeated with the same former Cubs in 2007 for Jim'll Fix It Strikes Again, with similar results.

The Fourth Doctor, Tom Baker, appeared in the second episode, where he tore off and handed away the frayed ends of his scarf to girls visiting the studio. Ten years later, a young Doctor Who fan, Gareth Jenkins, was able to take part in a short adventure titled A Fix with Sontarans with Colin Baker and Janet Fielding.

Veteran actor Peter Cushing wrote to the show in 1986 to ask if a variety of rose could be named after his late wife; the 'Helen Cushing Rose' was the result.

In the 1980s a young girl wrote to ask if she could "accidentally" drop and smash a seemingly valuable vase on an edition of Antiques Roadshow. This was broadcast as part of a regular edition of Antiques Roadshow (as well as in the Jim'll Fix It episode), with many of the crowd at the Roadshow looking on, horrified, until the antiques expert explained the ruse.

In the 1980s a young boy called Dom Lawson, who now works for Kerrang! and Metal Hammer magazines, got his wish to be Iron Maiden's tech for the day and meet the band. The incident was described in Iron Maiden's A Matter of Life and Death tour book, where Dom Lawson speaks about Iron Maiden and his history on the band.^[4][5]

In 1976 Muhammad Ali was on a world tour to promote his book, The Greatest. Landing in London, catching the BBC by surprise, and with no time to bring the thousands of hopeful letter writers to a meeting with the legend, the TV company nipped next door "borrowing" three schoolboy boxers from the school (Christopher Wren). Vince, Andly and Nigel were whisked off to meet Ali.

When Savile was knighted, the accompanying book for the 1991 series of A Bit of Fry & Laurie carried a statement that in future Jim'll Fix It would be known as: Sir James will bring his influence to bear in arranging matters to your satisfaction.^[6]

2007 revival (Jim'll Fix It Strikes Again)

This new series saw the return of Savile and began on 5 April 2007 on UKTV Gold, and was titled Jim'll Fix It Strikes Again. The series set out to show classic moments from the original shows, 're-fix' it for some of the original participants, and make dreams come true for a number of new people.

2011 special

The BBC announced on 14 November 2011, following Savile's death, that the show would return for a one-time Christmas special on 26 December 2011, featuring Shane Richie as the programme's host. Only letters for 'fix-its' from children under 14 were eligible for the revived format.^[7] Lewis Hamilton guest-starred in this episode, as well as Girls Aloud member Kimberley Walsh.

Theme song

The theme song was sung by voice-over artist Lynda Hayes.^[8] The closing theme was sung by the group Good Looks (featuring Lavinia & Lewis Rodgers, siblings of Clodagh Rodgers) who competed in the 1982 A Song for Europe competition. Savile "fixed it" for a young viewer to perform the song with the group on an edition of the show.

Sexual abuse scandal

Claims surfaced in 2012 that some of the children who took part in Jim'll Fix It were sexually abused by Savile.^[9][10] Ordish said: "I didn't see anything and nothing was reported to me", but added that he knew Savile had a "predilection for younger females".^[11]

Transmission guide

Specials

Compilations

• Series 2 Compilation: 17 April 1976
• Series 3 Compilation: 26 February 1977
• Series 4 Compilation: 25 March 1978
• Series 5 Compilation: 24 March 1979
• Series 6 Compilation: 22 March 1980
• Children in Need Compilation: 23 November 1984
• Series 13 Compilation: 27 August 1988
• Series 14 Compilation: 28 August 1989
• Series 15 Compilation: 25 August 1990
• Series 16 Compilation: 24 August 1991
• Series 17 Compilation: 29 August 1992
• Series 18 Compilation: 5 September 1993

References