Wacaday
| Wacaday | |
|---|---|
| Starring | Timmy Mallet |
| Country of origin | U.K |
| No. of episodes | c. 455 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 25 min. |
| Release | |
| Original network | TV-am (ITV) |
| Original release | 1985 – 1992 |
Wacaday was a children's television series in the United Kingdom that ran in TV-am's school-holidays slot from October 1985 until 1992, in an 8:50-9:25 a.m. slot, and was hosted by Timmy Mallett.
Wacaday was introduced when Roland Rat, the puppet host of TV-am's previous weekday morning slot during school holidays, transferred to the BBC. With only a week until October half term was due to start, it was decided to produce a spin-off of the existing and successful Saturday morning programme, Wide Awake Club. Timmy Mallett, the best-known presenter of Wide Awake Club, was chosen to front the new show. The "wac" of the title took the initials of Wide Awake Club.
The initial 1985 run consisted of basic features and competitions, but from its second run in 1986, the format quickly began to develop, with Mallett's Mallet being introduced. Michaela Strachan co-presented the show with Timmy for two spells, in during the summer of 1987 and 1989.
The programme was similar in style to Wide Awake Club, which was also broadcast live and featured items such as the word-association game 'Mallett's Mallet' and 'Drop Your Toast', where Timmy would read out a viewer's name in the hope that they would be so shocked that they would drop their toast. From 1987, every series (there were six a year - one for each school holiday) would be themed around a different country that Timmy had visited. Pre-recorded reports from these countries would educate viewers about the country's culture, customs and history (though in a humorous way, including Timmy often acting out famous scenes from that country's past). In later series, the studio set was also decorated in the particular country's theme.
Other regular features included a narrated story about the adventures of Magic, Timmy's cockatiel, various phone-in quizzes (typically at the end of the programme) where a selected viewer would compete in some gunge-related competition, and a short five-minute cartoon, such as Batfink or Dick Tracy. Although some minor items appeared and were retired over the years, the overall structure of the series remained the same throughout the show's life.
...
Wikipedia