What Now

What Now is a New Zealand children's television program that premiered in 1981. It is filmed before a live studio audience at a random school in Auckland, which is selected every week.

The show airs every Sunday at 8 am on TVNZ 2 and has segments such as Tamariki Titans, DareDevil Levels and Hoover Hover. 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.

History

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 TVNZ 1 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.^[1]

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 TVNZ 2 and then in 1996 to Sunday mornings. An after school version of What Now, What Now PM, also ran on TVNZ 2 during the week between 1997 and 2002.

The weekdays version of What Now? became its own separate show known as WNTV. First hosted by Carolyn Taylor and a face in a computer screen played by Mikey Carpenter. Later the show changed dramatically but kept the same WNTV name. It became a drama showing behind the scenes of a children's afternoon magazine show. This was hosted by Antonia Prebble and Tom Herne, and featured several other characters. Anna Allbury and Jo Tuapawa featured as reporters.

The What Now show was moved to TVNZ's Avalon studios in Lower Hutt in 1999 until TVNZ shut down its Children's Department at the end of 2003. What Now the show was then brought back to Christchurch in 2004 to be produced by an independent company Whitebait Productions, headed by Janine Morrell-Gunn and Jason Gunn. What Now? has been funded by NZ On Air since NZOA's inception in 1989; prior to that it was funded by TVNZ.

In 2004 the afternoon show WNTV was cancelled and replaced with the old children's afternoon TV show Studio 2 produced by Ian Taylor (Taylormade Media Ltd).

Various programme partnerships over the years have seen What Now? promoting ‘healthy eating healthy action', water safety and old-fashioned letter writing amongst many other things. What Now? has a long-standing association with the Weetbix Kiwi Kids Tryathlon, and with Sport and Recreation New Zealand whose ‘Push Play' message encourages children to be physically active.

Early What Now? presenters were also credited as writers. They were people like Michelle A'Court, Danny Watson, Al Kincaid, Michelle Bracey, Simon Barnett and Catherine McPherson, some of whom have gone on to roles as directors and writers. A more recent presenter who made a significant behind-the-scenes contribution was Anthony Samuels, who also trained as a director.

Off-screen personnel who have shaped What Now? over the years are many. They include camera operator and director Alan Henderson (also secretly rumoured to be the brains behind Jason Gunn's sidekick Thingee), Directors Keith Tyler-Smith, Bill de Friez, Peter Verstappen, Mike Rehu, Brian Wickstead, Mark Owers, Mike Ritchie, Jason Gunn and Richard Hansen. Producers include Richard Driver, Mike Rehu, Tony Palmer, Anne Williams, Reuben Davidson, and Janine Morrell-Gunn. Emma Gribble got her start opening the mail for the fan club and 10 years later became producer of the show.

Current presenters

Previous presenters

• Steve Parr 1981 - 1983 - Parr hosted the New Zealand edition of Sale of the Century alongside Jude Dobson in the late 1980s and early 1990s, before moving on to a career in real estate and elevated photography.^[2][3]
• Jim Hopkins (as Clive Grumble) 1981 - 1987
• Alasdair Kincaid, A.K.A. Frank Flash 1981 - 1988 and The Answer Guy (in the 1990s)
• Eddie Sunderland (arts and crafts) 1984(?)-1992
• Danny Watson 1982 - 1987
• Michelle Bracey 1982 - 1984
• Michele A'Court 1985 - 1987
• Aaron Devitt 1991 - 1994
• Darren Young 1991 - 1994
• Fifi Colston (arts and crafts) 1987 - 1993
• Catherine McPherson 1988 - 1992
• Simon Barnett 1988 - 1992
• Thingee 1989 - 1997 (puppet who also co-hosted Son of a Gunn show and Chatterbox)
• Jason Gunn reoccurring guest/presenter since the early 1990s. Creative writer
• Carlos Miller in a cooking segment "Let's Cook" 1989-1990
• Steven Zanoski 1994 - 1995
• Fiona Anderson 1994 - 1998
• Stacey Morrison (Daniels) in a cooking segment 1995 - 1997
• Anthony Samuels 1996 - 2003
• Jason Fa'afoi 1997 - 2004
• Shavaughn Ruakere 1997 - 2001
• Carolyn Taylor 1999-2004, 2005–2006 and on WNTV (2008)
• Tamati Coffey 2004 - 2007
• Vicki Lin 2005
• DJ Vinyl Richie (Richie Mills) 2004 - 2007
• Steve Joll 1996 - 1998
• Mike Carpenter (as the character Props Boy) 1996 - 2000
• Charlie Panapa 2005-2011
• Virginie Le Brun 2005 - 2006
• Serena Cooper-Rongonui 2006 - 4 July 2010
• Camilla the Gorilla 2006-2013
• Tumehe Rongonui (Roving Reporter/Slam Host) 2007 - 2010
• Johnson Raela 2011-2012
• Adam Percival 2011-2015 (He was a host in The 4:30 Show that was replaced by The Adam and Eve Show before he left)
• Gemma "Gem" Knight 2010-2015
• Bianca Seinafo 2015-2016
• Red the Mailbot (?-?)

Regular segments (past and current)

• Serial Stuff - Serial comedy/drama, with outdoor scenes realised in Chuckimation style. Late 1990s - early 2000s
• Celebrity Traffic Island - Satirical take-off of Celebrity Treasure Island. Written by Andy Gunn - Jason Gunn's brother.
• Pie-in-Yer-Ear House - Satirical take-off of Pioneer House. Also written by Andy Gunn.
• Game Zone
• The One
• SLAM!
• Toilet Humour - The first locally produced lip-sync CGI animated series.
• Foul's Kitchen
• Stars in Disguise
• Balls Of Fortune
• Splat Cave
• Live in Your Living Room
• Fairytales Got Talent
• LOL
• Wobblies - Satirical take-off of children's music group The Wiggles.
• Phone and Away - Based on Home and Away.
• Tamariki Titans
• Emoji Dojo
• Up Nose and Personal
• Doodlezone
• Birthdays
• Show Us Your Room
• WN Wild Ride
• What Now Vivor - Based on Survivor (TV series)
• Kidtubers
• Mysteryville
• Hoover Hover
• DareDevil Levels
• Win A Wish
• Smoothie Of The Week

Gunge

Throughout the years, What Now has maintained the use of gunge and foam. Children, celebrities, parents and sometimes the presenters are often the subject of embarrassment in various gunge games. Examples include Fill Ya Pants, Foam a Friend, Flushed Away, Gunge on the Run, Gunge on the Road, Weekly Gunge Games, The Gunge Machine, Tank of Terror, Super Circuit, Brain Freeze, and general gunging.

References

External links

• Official website
• What Now on the TVNZ site
• What Now on IMDb