Wacaday
Encyclopedia
Wacaday was a children's television series
in the UK
that ran in TV-am
's school-holidays slot from 1985 until 1992, in an 8:50-9:25 a.m. slot, and was hosted by Timmy Mallett
.
Wacaday was introduced because Roland Rat
, the puppet
host of TV-am's previous holidays slot, had been sold to the BBC
to ease the troubled station's financial difficulties. With only one week until the new show was due to start, it was decided to produce a spin-off of the already 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.
Each day, Timmy would be joined by two children in the studio, who would compete in Mallett's Mallet and help throughout the show. As it was a last-minute replacement for Roland Rat, the initial 1985 run consisted of basic features and competitions, basically being an extension of Wide Awake Club. However, from its second run in 1986, things quickly began to develop.
The programme was similar in style to Wide Awake Club, being live and featuring 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 Tracey
. Although there were various minor items that appeared and were retired over the years, the overall structure of the series remained the same throughout the show's life.
The self-proclaimed 'show your telly was made for' was even more successful than Wide Awake Club and is the programme for which Timmy Mallett is best remembered. In fact, many of Timmy's trademarks, such as his giant pink mallet, Magic, Pinky Punky
(introduced in 1990) and Timmy's 'bleugh!' catchphrase originated on Wacaday. The "bleugh" saying actually originated from the rules of Mallet's Mallet, where Timmy would hurriedly repeat the rules every day. On one occasion early in the feature's life, he fluffed the lines and came out with "bleugh" - and from there, the catchphrase was born.
Michaela Strachan
co-presented the show with Timmy for two spells, in 1987 and 1989.
Later on in Wacadays run, Mallett's infamous routine of hitting people over the head with his giant foam mallet was changed slightly, particularly in the Mallett's Mallet game, where he would instead hit large buttons on a machine to keep score, as the producers feared that young viewers at home might try and copy the routine by hitting people over the head with heavy objects.
The programme outlived its parent by two years, but ended in 1992 when TV-am lost its franchise.
The last episode was broadcast on 31 December 1992, the final day of TV-am's broadcast - GMTV
took over on 1 January 1993.
The 2007 debut release by British trio Scouting For Girls contains a tribute to Michaela Strachan and Wacaday in a hidden track 11. In the printed lyrics on many websites "Wacaday" is incorrectly written as "Why Good Day"
Magic, the cockatiel in the show, definitely does not live in the Golden Lion pub in Hereford. He has passed away and is buried in Timmy Mallet's garden.
Children's television series
Children's television series, are commercial television programs designed for, and marketed to children, normally scheduled for broadcast during the morning and afternoon when children are awake. They can sometimes run in the early evening, for the children that go to school...
in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
that ran in TV-am
TV-am
TV-am was a breakfast television station that broadcast to the United Kingdom from 1 February 1983 to 31 December 1992. It made history by being the first national operator of a commercial television franchise at breakfast-time , and broadcast every day of the week for most or all of the period...
's school-holidays slot from 1985 until 1992, in an 8:50-9:25 a.m. slot, and was hosted by Timmy Mallett
Timmy Mallett
Timmy Mallett is a TV presenter and broadcaster in the UK. He achieved cult status on BBC Radio Oxford and Manchester's Piccadilly Radio and later on TV-am...
.
Wacaday was introduced because Roland Rat
Roland Rat
Roland Rat is a British television puppet character. He was created, operated and voiced by David Claridge, who had previously been behind the Mooncat puppet in the Children's ITV television programme Get Up and Go! David worked for Jim Henson, then the second series of The Young Ones...
, the puppet
Puppet
A puppet is an inanimate object or representational figure animated or manipulated by an entertainer, who is called a puppeteer. It is used in puppetry, a play or a presentation that is a very ancient form of theatre....
host of TV-am's previous holidays slot, had been sold to the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
to ease the troubled station's financial difficulties. With only one week until the new show was due to start, it was decided to produce a spin-off of the already 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.
Each day, Timmy would be joined by two children in the studio, who would compete in Mallett's Mallet and help throughout the show. As it was a last-minute replacement for Roland Rat, the initial 1985 run consisted of basic features and competitions, basically being an extension of Wide Awake Club. However, from its second run in 1986, things quickly began to develop.
The programme was similar in style to Wide Awake Club, being live and featuring 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
Gunge
Gunge as it is known in the British Isles, or slime as it is known in America and other parts of the world is a thick, gooey, runny substance similar in consistency to paint. It has been a feature on many children's programmes for many years around the world and has made appearances in game shows...
-related competition, and a short five-minute cartoon, such as Batfink
Batfink
Batfink is an animated television series, consisting of five-minute shorts, that first aired in September 1967. The 100-episode series was quickly created by Hal Seeger, starting in 1966, to parody the popular Batman and The Green Hornet television series which had premiered the same...
or Dick Tracey
The Dick Tracy Show
The Dick Tracy Show is an American animated television series based on Chester Gould's comic strip crime fighter. The series was produced from 1961 to 1962 by UPA.-Summary:...
. Although there were various minor items that appeared and were retired over the years, the overall structure of the series remained the same throughout the show's life.
The self-proclaimed 'show your telly was made for' was even more successful than Wide Awake Club and is the programme for which Timmy Mallett is best remembered. In fact, many of Timmy's trademarks, such as his giant pink mallet, Magic, Pinky Punky
Pinky Punky
Pinky Punky is a character created by Timmy Mallett for his children's television show, Wacaday. Pinky was famous for his catchphrase: "Mr Mallett! Mr Mallett! Can I go to the toilet?"Pinky Punky is sold through Timmy Mallett's website....
(introduced in 1990) and Timmy's 'bleugh!' catchphrase originated on Wacaday. The "bleugh" saying actually originated from the rules of Mallet's Mallet, where Timmy would hurriedly repeat the rules every day. On one occasion early in the feature's life, he fluffed the lines and came out with "bleugh" - and from there, the catchphrase was born.
Michaela Strachan
Michaela Strachan
Michaela Evelyn Ann Strachan is an English television presenter.-Personal life:Strachan attended Claremont Fan Court School, Esher, a Christian Science school. Later, while at college, she briefly held jobs as an Avon lady and as a kissogram...
co-presented the show with Timmy for two spells, in 1987 and 1989.
Later on in Wacadays run, Mallett's infamous routine of hitting people over the head with his giant foam mallet was changed slightly, particularly in the Mallett's Mallet game, where he would instead hit large buttons on a machine to keep score, as the producers feared that young viewers at home might try and copy the routine by hitting people over the head with heavy objects.
The programme outlived its parent by two years, but ended in 1992 when TV-am lost its franchise.
The last episode was broadcast on 31 December 1992, the final day of TV-am's broadcast - GMTV
GMTV
GMTV was the national Channel 3 breakfast television contractor, broadcasting in the United Kingdom from 1 January 1993 to 3 September 2010. It became a wholly owned subsidiary of ITV plc. in November 2009. Shortly after, ITV plc announced the programme would end...
took over on 1 January 1993.
The 2007 debut release by British trio Scouting For Girls contains a tribute to Michaela Strachan and Wacaday in a hidden track 11. In the printed lyrics on many websites "Wacaday" is incorrectly written as "Why Good Day"
Magic, the cockatiel in the show, definitely does not live in the Golden Lion pub in Hereford. He has passed away and is buried in Timmy Mallet's garden.
See also
- Wide Awake Club
- Timmy MallettTimmy MallettTimmy Mallett is a TV presenter and broadcaster in the UK. He achieved cult status on BBC Radio Oxford and Manchester's Piccadilly Radio and later on TV-am...
- Michaela StrachanMichaela StrachanMichaela Evelyn Ann Strachan is an English television presenter.-Personal life:Strachan attended Claremont Fan Court School, Esher, a Christian Science school. Later, while at college, she briefly held jobs as an Avon lady and as a kissogram...
- TV-amTV-amTV-am was a breakfast television station that broadcast to the United Kingdom from 1 February 1983 to 31 December 1992. It made history by being the first national operator of a commercial television franchise at breakfast-time , and broadcast every day of the week for most or all of the period...