Wizbit
| Wizbit | |
|---|---|
| Created by | Barry Murray Paul Daniels |
| Starring | Paul Daniels Debbie McGee |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| No. of seasons | 3 |
| No. of episodes | 27 |
| Production | |
| Production locations | Ewart Television Studios (Series 1) IDC Stonebridge Studios (Series 2) Cannon Elstree Studios (Series 3) |
| Running time | 12 x 25mins, 15 x 10mins |
| Production companies | White Magic Productions World Audio Visual Entertainment plc. |
| Original release | |
| Network | BBC1 |
| Release | 8 January 1986 – 10 February 1988 |
Wizbit is a 1980s BBC children's television show about an alien magician, Wizbit. It starred the established TV and stage magician Paul Daniels and his assistant Debbie McGee.[1][2]
The series is set in Puzzleopolis, a town inhabited by walking, talking sponge-balls, dice, magic wands, playing cards and rabbits, where the protagonists must solve puzzles. Wizbit's year-and-a-day mission is to find out all about planet Earth.
The show is partly educational, with the (often lateral thinking) puzzles Wizbit is set often being presented to the audience at home, with the solutions being revealed towards the end of the episode. Wizbit's magic word was "Ostagazuzulum", and he came from the planet WOW, an acronym for "World of Wizards".[3]
The show was created by Barry Murray, who had formerly been Mungo Jerry's record producer, with assistance from Daniels. Its theme tune is based on a song by Lead Belly, named "Ha-Ha This A Way", sung by Daniels. All rights to characters and designs were retained by Daniels, and the music rights by Murray.
Production for the series started in 1985.
During the show's cancellation in 1988, re-runs continued to air until 24 July 1989. A CGI revival of the series was announced in 2009 with a movie set for Summer 2010 with the production of the reboot was ready to being made in 2007 but they were both cancelled and the production of the Wizbit revival stopped. Books based on said revival have been released however.
The show has also aired overseas being shown in Singapore, Ireland and Malaysia as well as on British forces television in Germany and Cyprus.[citation needed]
Characters
[edit]- Wizbit, a large yellow cone-shaped wizard's hat, voiced by Paul Daniels and played by Tony Friel
- Wooly, an 8-foot-tall (2.4 m) white rabbit, best friend of Wizbit, also voiced by Paul Daniels
- Wilbur, Wooly's younger brother
- Squidgy Bog, a purple swamp monster, voiced by Martin Daniels
- Professor Doom, a moustachioed evil genius and arch-villain who lives in a castle, which sits atop a giant stone fist in the sky. Played by Rob Inglis
- Jinx, Professor Doom's cat
- Badbit, an evil version of Wizbit generated by Professor Doom
- The Gatekeeper, a woman who guarded the gates to Puzzleopolis by refusing to let anyone in until they had solved a riddle, played by Vicky Licorish
- Madame Martinka, a fortune teller who owned the magic shop in Puzzleopolis
- Grocer Green, a greengrocer with green hair
- Pierre Oe, a mime artist
- Spoof & Bluff
- Paul Daniels (playing himself) who owned the theatre in Puzzleopolis
- Various townsfolk shaped like magician's props - spongeballs, dice, wands and so forth
- Troll, a hideous and vicious purple-haired hag.
References
[edit]- ^ "Paul Daniels' Wizbit returns to children's TV". The Daily Telegraph. 27 May 2009. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
- ^ "Magician Paul Daniels diagnosed with incurable brain tumour". Sunday Post. 20 February 2016. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
- ^ "Is Wizbit the worst kids' TV programme ever?". Den of Geek. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
External links
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- 1986 British television series debuts
- 1988 British television series endings
- 1980s British children's television series
- BBC children's television shows
- Television shows shot at EMI-Elstree Studios
- Fictional characters who use magic
- British children's fantasy television series
- British television shows featuring puppetry
- British television magic series
- British English-language television shows
- BBC Television show stubs
- British children's television show stubs