Wizadora

Wizadora
Cover of one of the Wizadora video releases, showing Tatty Bogle and Wizadora
Created by	Don Arioli Carolyne Cullum
Starring	Cathy Lawday (1991–92) Wendy van der Plank (1993–96,98) Lizzie McPhee (1997) Steven Ryde (1994–98) Brian Murphy Tessa Hatts Joe Greco (1993–94)
No. of series	8
No. of episodes	204 (18x15mins, 186x9min.)
Production
Producer(s)	Janie Grace
Running time	9 (15 minutes for first ITV Series)
Release
Original network	SWR (1991) ITV Network (CITV) (1993-1998)
Original release	15 September 1991 - 3 November 1991 (Oxford series) 5 January 1993 – 29 January 1998 (CITV)

Wizadora is a children's television programme originally broadcast on SWR in 1991 and then ITV in the United Kingdom from 5 January 1993 to 29 January 1998. The series was created by Don Arioli and Carolyne Cullum. The title character, Wizadora, is a trainee wizard who is always trying to solve problems using magic. The episodes all took place in or around Wizadora's cottage.

Originally wizadora was used as an English language tool for non English speakers. The title role of wizadora was initially played by Connie Booth for an un aired pilot before Cathy Lawday was commissioned for the series. Wendy van der Plank then took over as 'Wizadora' when the series was picked up by ITV Two years later between 1993 and 1996. From 1997, Lizzie McPhee took over the role, as Wendy was away on maternity leave. Wendy came back for the last set of episodes from 29 January 1998 up to the end of the show's run.

A pilot show starred Fawlty Towers writer and actress Connie Booth, who had been alerted to the character by John Cleese who had taken an interest in the production. The pilot was never broadcast.

The concept was then developed into a language teaching tool for children to learn the English language published by Oxford University Press in 1991. Cathy Lawday starred as the title character in the 1991 series.

Two years later it was taken up by ITV.

Wizadora's companions included –

Puppeteers Phil Eason, Francis Wright, Michael Bayliss, Sue Dacre, Don Austen, Brian Herring, Neil Sterenberg, Rebecca Nagan, Debbie Cumming, and Sheila Clark worked on the series.

The series was made for Meridian Broadcasting by production companies Workhouse and North Pole Productions at The Fountain Studios in New Malden and directed by David Crozier. Fifteen episodes of Series 3 were directed by Wendy J. Dyer. The theme music was composed by Dave Hutton who was also the Senior Cameraman on the first four series of the show. The theme tune was recorded at Gordon Thrussell's studios at Ashford in Kent and the credits show music by 'Hutt and Thrust'. This was because the director, David Crozier, did not want the same name for two different credits on the programme (i.e.: Snr Cameraman and Music). The other cameramen were Roger Backhouse and Angus Macmillan and sometimes Steve Leach. The vision mixer was Julie Miller.