Art Attack

Art Attack
Genre Art & Crafts
Created by Neil Buchanan
Tim Edmunds
Written by Nic Ayling
Neil Buchanan
Tim Edmunds
Helen Evans
Driana Jones
Louise Lamb
Andy Prendergast
Directed by Nick Bigsby
Jeremy Cross
Tim Edmunds
Peter Eyre
Claire Michel
Richard Bradley
Jeremy Swan
Fernando Berreta
Presented by Neil Buchanan (1990–2007; Series 1–20)
Jassa Ahluwalia (2011; Series 21)
Lloyd Warbey (2012–; Series 22–)[1]
Theme music composer Mr Miller & Mr Porter
Opening theme "Art Attack"
Ending theme "Art Attack"
Country of origin United Kingdom
Original language(s) English
No. of series 20 (ITV)
3 (Disney Junior)
No. of episodes 291 (+ 'Scrapbooks' & 'Mini Makes')
Production
Executive producer(s) Nigel Pickard
Sandy Ross
Elizabeth Partyka
Neil Buchanan
Tim Edmunds
Adrian Edwards
Producer(s) Tim Edmunds
Neil Buchanan
Helen Dawson
Helen Evans
Nic Ayling
Louise Lamb
Location(s) Maidstone, Kent (ITV)
Southampton (ITV)
Buenos Aires (Disney Junior)
Running time 20–30 minutes
(inc. adverts)
Production company(s) Television South (TVS)
(1990–1992)
The Media Merchants
(1993–2007, 2011–present) & STV Productions
(1993–2007)
The Walt Disney Company
(2011–present)
Release
Original network ITV Network (CITV)
(1990–2007)
Disney Junior UK and Ireland
(2011–present)
Picture format 4:3, 16:9
First shown in UK, 1990–2007 (Series 1–20)
Original release Original series
15 June 1990 (1990-06-15) – 26 May 2007 (2007-05-26)
Revived series
6 June 2011 (2011-06-06) – present
Chronology
Related shows SMart

Art Attack is a British children's television series revolving around art hosted by Lloyd Warbey on Disney Junior. The original series was one of CITV's longest running programmes, running from 1990 to 2007, and was presented throughout by Neil Buchanan.

The new series launched on Disney Junior (UK & Ireland) on 6 June 2011 and was presented by Jassa Ahluwalia. Each show involved Ahluwalia voicing-over footage of an artist producing three works of art, taking the viewer through the various stages of production step by step.

History

The programme was originally a TVS production, devised by two TVS employees, Neil Buchanan and Tim Edmunds. Buchanan and Edmunds met each other at Southern Television in 1978, and worked together on No. 73 and Do It!.

The first Art Attacks were a strand within No. 73, and this segment proved so popular, Nigel Pickard the executive producer of children's programming at TVS green lit the pilot. The Art Attack pilot was shot on location at a disused swimming pool in Gillingham, Kent in 1989, and the series began the following year.

When TVS lost its franchise, Edmunds and Buchanan bought the rights to the show and produced Art Attack through their company, The Media Merchants. The Media Merchants used STV Productions (then known as "SMG Productions"), as the ITV company to get the series on to network. This was partly down to the fact Nigel Pickard moved to Scottish television. The rights to the STV shows have since reverted to the copyright holder.

In 1993 another ex-TVS employee, Peter Urie set up a production management company, Television Support Services. Television Support Services managed all of the Media Merchants productions. The show was filmed from The Maidstone Studios, Maidstone, Kent. In 1998, the series began airing on the Disney Channel. However, the programme still runs on TVO in Canada and has since 1995. Since the programme's demise, many of the production team have transferred to Finger Tips and Mister Maker (both recorded at The Maidstone Studios).

ITV announced the cancellation of the series in July 2007.[2] As of August 2013, the show is still regularly repeated on CITV each year, usually on weekend afternoons.

In 2010, Disney announced a new version of the series would air on Disney Junior in Mexico and the UK. The first series of the new version was presented by Jassa Ahluwalia.

In 2012, Buchanan was featured in a segment dedicated to the programme's original run in the one-off documentary special 30 Years of CITV, a 1992 episode was broadcast on the CITV channel shortly after the above was broadcast, as part of its Old Skool Weekend marathon.

Characters

The Head

The Head, was a puppet stone bust who humorously recaps the steps needed to produce the last art piece made. After doing this, he would usually show his creation of the previous art attack, most times however getting it hilariously wrong and usually bursting into tears. However, on one occasion, by accidentally doing part of the instructions incorrectly, he creates a similar effect than desired and is proud of his work. He can sometimes tell jokes after the Big Art Attacks. In series one, 'The Head' was played by Jim Sweeney, in series 2, Andrew O'Connor; and from series 3, having been redesigned as a puppet, he was voiced and operated by Francis Wright. 'The Head' did not appear in series 12 or 13 and from series 17 to 19.

Vincent Van Coconut

In the revived series, The Head was replaced by a talking palm tree called Vincent Van Coconut, voiced by Tim Hibber. His name, Vincent van Coconut is a parody of the famous Post-Impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh.

Series guide

Original series

Series Episodes Start Date End Date Length
1 7 15 June 1990 27 July 1990 15'
2 7 4 April 1991 16 May 1991 15'
3 7 16 March 1992 11 May 1992 15'
4 7 10 September 1992 22 October 1992 15'
5 7 10 May 1993 28 June 1993 15'
6 10 10 January 1994 14 March 1994 15'
7 10 9 January 1995 13 March 1995 20'
8 10 8 January 1996 19 February 1996 20'
9 12 6 January 1997 17 March 1997 20'
10 13 5 January 1998 30 March 1998 20'
11 16 7 September 1998 14 December 1998 20'
12 30 6 September 1999 15 December 1999 15'
13 30 4 September 2000 13 December 2000 15'
14 20 5 November 2001 30 November 2001 20'
15 15 6 September 2002 13 December 2002 20'
16 15 10 September 2003 17 December 2003 20'
17 18 12 August 2004 14 December 2004 20'
18 26 7 September 2005 21 December 2005 20'
19 26 3 March 2006 5 May 2006 20'
20 15 17 February 2007 26 May 2007 20'

Note: two episodes aired each week during series 12 and 13. Five episodes each week during series 14.

Christmas specials

Entitle Aired Length
Xmas special 1 13 December 1994 20'
Xmas special 2 12 December 1995 20'
Xmas special 3 18 December 1996 20'
Xmas special 4 17 December 1997 20'
Xmas special 5 22 December 2003 20'

Other

Series Episodes Start Date End Date Length
Best of Art Attack 2 23 August 1996 30 August 1996 20'
Art Attack: Scrapbooks 8 22 October 1997 10 December 1997 20'
Art Attack: Mini Makes 15 31 August 2003 Late 2003 5'

Revived series

Series Episodes Start Date End Date Length
1 26 6 June 2011 28 November 2011 23:30'
2 21 2 June 2012 20 October 2012 23:30'
3 24 29 June 2013 17 December 2014 23:30'

(Source: ITV/Hit Entertainment/BFI/Disney)

Video releases

VHS video title Year of release Company Video specials
Art Attack: Over 30 Great Art and Craft Ideas 1992 Future Video Neil shows his favourite craft ideas for art attacks on the first series.
Art Attack with Neil Buchanan 1993 Video Class Neil shows his 16 favourite art attacks presented by him.
Art Attack: Most Wanted 1996 Contender Entertainment Group Neil shows his video about everyone's most requested favourites. Including The Head was seen on the video.
Art Attack: Crazy Cartoons and Dazzling Drawings 1996 Neil shows his drawings and cartoon comic strip and dazzles.
Art Attack Let's Party! 1996 Neil shows his celebrations of parties, Christmas and wrapping up presents.
Art Attack: Top 20 1997 Neil shows his 20 favourite art attacks he had put together a gallery.
Art Attack: Scrapbook 1997 Neil shows his scrapbook with all the best art attacks.
Art Attack: 10 of the Best 1998 Neil is celebrating the 10th of the best art attacks from the last 10 series.
Art Attack: Christmas Cracker 1998 Neil shows his Christmas art attacks to make n do from the Christmas Specials.
Art Attack: Greatest Tips and Tricks 1999 Neil shows how he put together some of the best tips and tricks.
Art Attack: How to Draw 2000 Neil shows how to do some drawing on papers the Art Attack way!
Art Attack: How to Paint 2000 Neil shows how to concentrate on painting the Art Attack way!
Art Attack: Make 'n' Do 2001 Neil shows how to make things made out of old rubbish.
Art Attack Monsters and other Scary Stuff 2002 Video Collection International Neil shows his Art Attack Monster video of how to make n do or drawing to spook people.

No DVD releases have been issued, except DVDs that come with Art Attack books and DVDs which come free with newspapers; including an Art Attack episode taken from CITV Favourites VHS (released in 1999).

However, in India, Art Attack was released in three volumes by Disney DVD in 2010. It is unknown whether there are any plans to release the volumes in the UK.

Many Art Attack books were also released by Dorling Kindersley.

International release

Middle East

Latin America

Southeast Asia

North America

Europe

Australia

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://www.disney.co.uk/disney-junior/art-attack/show-facts/presenter-profile/
  2. ↑ Oatts, Joanne (13 July 2007). "Art Attack axed after 18 years". Digital Spy. Retrieved 13 July 2007.

External links

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