What Now
| What Now | |
|---|---|
| Created by | Rex Simpson |
| Presented by |
|
| Opening theme | What Now 2013 |
| Country of origin | New Zealand |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | Whitebait Productions |
| Camera setup | Multi-Camera |
| Running time | 120 minutes |
| Release | |
| Original network | |
| Picture format | PAL |
| Original release | 1981 – present |
| External links | |
| Website | |
What Now is a long-running New Zealand children's television program that premiered in 1981. It is filmed before a live studio audience at WhitebaitMedia in Christchurch.
The show airs every Sunday at 8 am on TVNZ 2 and has segments such as Game On, Phone and Away, Super Circuit and Target Ya Teacher. It has no adverts, due to the Broadcasting Act 1989 which states that no advertising can be shown on New Zealand television between 6 am and noon on Sundays.
What Now? was created by Rex Simpson before he left to head up his own production company, Kids TV. It originally screened on Saturday mornings on TV ONE between 7:30 and 10 am. Hosted by Steve Parr, he introduced segments covering morning keep-fit exercises, sketches involving recurring characters such as complaining old man Clive Grumble, simple recipes by Alison Holst, trivia from Frank Flash, law and safety with Constable Keith and Sniff, "Starbound" a nationwide talent quest, interspersed with regular cartoons. The theme song was Get Out of Your Lazy Bed, by Matt Bianco.
When Steve Parr left the show after a couple of years, the format changed to live broadcast. The hosts increased in number, usually to three, beginning with Danny Watson (from Spot On) and Michelle Bracey added, and Frank Flash (Alasdair Kincaid) given a more central comedic manic role. When Michelle left the show, she was succeeded by Michele A'Court. Comedy sketches, interactive phone calls and competitions with the viewing audience, plus magazine-style segments going out and about, all became a more central part of the format.
The style remained this way for many years, as hosts evolved and were replaced, until today where the format now involves live audiences of crowds of children, but still is closely faithful with the core concept established early on.
In 1989 the show moved to TV2 and then in 1996 to Sunday mornings. An after school version of What Now, What Now PM, also ran on TV 2 during the week between 1997 and 2002.
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Wikipedia