ZZZap!

Zzzap (rendered ZZZap!) is a British children's television comedy programme. The concept of the show is a giant 18 ft comic that has been brought to life. The show was broadcast on ITV from 8 January 1993 until 21 September 2001[1] and was produced for ten series by The Media Merchants and Meridian Broadcasting.

ZZZap!
GenreChildren's
Slapstick
Comedy
Directed byPaul Slater (1994)
Ian Bolt (1997-1998)
Alistair Clark (1993)
Adrian Hedley (1995-1997)
Simon Pearce (1999-2001)
Bob Wild (1997-1998)
StarringNeil Buchanan
Sophie Aldred
Richard Waites
Sarah Pickthall
Deborah McCallum
Claire Macaulay
Voices ofNeil Buchanan
Sophie Aldred
Richard Waites
Theme music composerRon Aspery
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original language(s)English text only, aimed at the hard of hearing
No. of series10
No. of episodes140 + Cuthbert's Diary (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)Dan Maddicott
Richard Morse
Janie Grace
Producer(s)Neil Buchanan
Tim Edmunds
Driana Jones
Laura Hayes (asst)
Editor(s)Jim Lownie
Chris Jackson
Simon Cruse
Running time15 minutes
Release
Original networkITV (CITV)
Original release8 January 1993 –
21 September 2001

Format

The programme follows the same format throughout its run. A title intro is shown consisting of a couple of short clips for each character from the series. It is then followed by a series of short two- or three-minute-long segments, followed by the credits. Each segment is introduced by the camera zooming in on a corresponding panel on a giant comic, shot in reverse (e.g.: The Camera starting at the Panel, and pulling back) and then played in reverse. This giant comic has a set of nine frames on it, some of which contain a character representing their segments. The show was designed with deaf children in mind,[2] and so the style of the show is predominantly visual, with the sound only providing music and effects. The audience in "The Handymen" segments would also often sign clapping instead of actually clapping.[3]

The introduction to Series 1 was filmed in Chequers Shopping Centre in Maidstone showing a boy buying a copy of a comic called "ZZZap!" from a newsagent. The comic contains a 'Free TV Zapper!' which he uses only to find that the comic has increased to an enormous 18 ft size. This introduction was abandoned from series 2 onwards, which instead showed the giant comic and then introduced each of the characters with a short video. Some computer generated additions were made in series 8, and for series 10 the whole sequence including the giant comic was computer-animated. The closing titles also changed between series.

Episodes
Main article: List of ZZZap! episodes
SeasonEps.YearOriginally aired
1 10 1993 8 January – 12 March
2 10 1994 7 January – 11 March
3 10 1995 6 January – 10 March
4 10 1996 5 January – 8 March
5 13 1997 10 January – 26 April
6 13 1998 9 January – 3 April
7 16 1998 1 September – 14 December
8 13 1999 7 September – 30 November
9 13 2000 7 September – 7 December
10 15 2001 3 September – 21 September

Syndication

The series was more recently broadcast on the CITV channel in 2006, 2007 and 2009. There were plans to broadcast the programme as part of CITV's 30th anniversary in January 2013, but this did not go ahead due to licensing issues.[4]

The Smart Arty elements and The Handymen were repeated in the USA and Canada as part of It's Itsy Bitsy Time on Fox Family and Treehouse TV, respectively, with Smart Arty being renamed to 'Art to Art with Arty Art'. The segments ran from 1999 until 2001.

ZZZap! was also screened on TVOntario in Canada in its original format, alongside the runs on It's Itsy Bitsy Time .

The series was also broadcast on the local military forces television networks BFBS and SSVC Television as part of their children's programming blocks Children's SSVC and Room 785. The network was shown on television transmissions in Germany, West Germany, Belize, the Republic of Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Falkland Islands and Gibraltar.

Cast
Main article: List of Zzzap! characters

Media releases
  • ZZZap! The Bumper Video Comic (VHS)
  • ZZZap! Vol. 2 – Holiday Special (VHS)
  • ZZZap! Vol. 3 – Goes Bonkers (VHS)
  • ZZZap! Vol. 4 – Goes Completely Crazy (VHS)
  • The Wildest Ever ZZZap! Video (VHS)

Music

The series mainly used Library music for most of the background music. The theme tune is Keystone Chaos, composed by Ron Aspery, from the KPM library. The background music used in the majority of The Handymen sketches is Memories of the Music Hall, composed by Roger Webb, from the De Wolfe Music Library.

Tracks used for Daisy Dares You

  • Bruton library CD "Loony Tunes" (BR28-BRF10): "Pocket Full Of Peanuts" and "Keyboard Wizzard"

Tracks used from the Music House Library CD's (EMI Production Music) for Cuthbert Lilly's tracks

  • Comedy Situations (MHE-31): "Toytown", "Clowns", and "Comedy Rag"
  • Comedy Classics 1 (KPM 131): "Banana Skin", "Round the Bend", "Goodbye Rodney", "Morning Darling!", "Jobsworth", "Roll Up! Roll Up!", "Tea Dance", "What A Cheek!", and "Bundle Of Fun"
  • Children's Hour (KPM 147): "Animal Capers"
  • Comedy & Animation Volume I (KPM 367): "Busy Days"
  • Tiny Tots (MHS-19): "Pony Trotting"
  • Candid Camera (MHE-3): "Vintage Hollywood"
  • Comedy Classics (MHS 13): "He'd Have To Get Under" and "English Country Garden"
  • Whimsy (KPM 87): "Happy Rag (a)"

Tracks used from the Parry Music Library for Cuthbert Lilly's tracks

  • The Comedy Collection (PML 016): "Follies"

Tracks used from The London Theatre Orchestra for Cuthbert Lilly's tracks

  • Great Sports Themes (EMPRCD 715): "Match Of The Day (Offside)"

Tracks used from the Carlin Library CD's (Warner/Chappell Production Music) for Cuthbert Lilly's tracks

  • Fun-Novelty-Kids (CAR 237): "Stop That Sax" and "Captain Country"
  • The History of Jazz (CAR 148): "Julliette"
  • Acoustic-Woodwind-Brass (CAR 162): "The Jolly Parade"
  • Children - Comedy - Shorts 2 (CAR 176): "Toy Car"
  • Comedy - Cartoon - Children (CAR 136): "Coach Trip", "Fred Scuttle", "Jugglers", "Circus Clowns", "Shark Alert", and "Sax Of Fun"
  • Light Hearted-Fun (CAR 144): "Ben Hill Billy" and "String Holiday"
  • Children - Comedy - Shorts (CAR 156): "Happy Oompah"
  • Solo Piano - Popular Styles (CAR 143): "Green Tulips"

Tracks used from the Sonoton Library CD's for Cuthbert Lilly's tracks

  • Comic Collection 4: Period Slapstick (SCD 165): "Dapper Flapper", "Rattle Them Bones", "Scotch On The Rocks", "Supper At The Savoy", and "Rag 'n Bone"

Tracks used from the De Wolfe Music Library for Cuthbert Lilly's tracks

  • De Wolfe Library: Loony Tunes (DWCD 0254): "The Clowns Are In Town" and "Jangle Man"

Tracks used from FirstCom Music for Cuthbert Lilly's tracks

  • Funny Situations (FC-S72): "Make It Stop Ok?"

The track commonly used for the Question Mark/Dot-to-Dot/Eye Segments etc

  • Comedy Situations (MHE-31): "Pink Python" by Mo Foster
  • Off The Wall (KPM 146): "Cluedo"
  • Comedy Situations 2 (KPM 132) "Drag"

Tracks used from Memories Of The Music Hall (DWCD 0082) (De Wolfe Library) for The Handymen came from:

  • "Memories Of The Music Hall", "Daisy Bell", "After The Ball", "The Honeysuckle And The Bee", "I'll Be Your Sweetheart", "Lily Of Laguna", "Why Am I Always The Bridesmaid?", "Schoft-schoe Schottische", "Old Time Waltz"

Other tracks used for The Handymen came from:

  • Victorian/Edwardian (CHAP 149): "Debutants Ball" and "Lady Windermere"
  • WCPM: Fun-Novelty-Kids (CAR 237): "Seaside Piano"
  • Come Dancing (KPM 1151): "The Mirabelle Waltz", "The Silver Ballroom", and "Love In June"
  • Period Pieces/Hotel Ballroom (BMLP 111): "Quick Waltz"
  • Victoriana (Parts 1 and 2) (KPMLP 1116): "Tea Dance"

Tracks used for Tricky Dicky come from:

  • Carlin Library: Cartoons- Comedy- Children (CAR 150): "Friendly Panther"
  • Chappell Library: Archive: Famous Themes Revisited 1 (CHAP 185): "Devil's Gallop"

Tracks used for Minnie The Mini Magician:

  • De Wolfe Library: Loony Tunes (DWCD 0254): "Jumping Around", "Pizzicato Bliss"
  • De Wolfe Library: TOPSY TURVY (DWCD 0016): "Hello Cheeky", "Tea Break", "Topsy Turvy", and "Snakes and Ladders"
  • De Wolfe Library: Sunny Jim (DWLP 3437): "Dimple"
  • Music House Library: Comedy and Animation Volume 1 (KPM 367): "Jolly Good"
  • WCPM: Fun-Novelty-Kids (CAR 237): "Custard Pie"
  • WCPM: Comedy-TV-Entertainment (CAR 257): "Sitcom Tune"
  • Music House Library: Comedy Classics 1 (KPM 131): "Half O'Shanty" and "Exit Stage Left"
  • Lite Whimsy (SCD 397): "Biscuit's Bounce"
  • Melody All The Way (JW 480): "Big Bad Ballad_30"

Smart Arty's sketches were accompanied by Classical String Quartets (CHAP 141): "Boccherini-Minuet No. 5 In E Major" by Luigi Boccherini

Tracks used for the Zzzap Summer Specials and Christmas Annuals:

  • Music House Library: Comedy Classics (MHS 13): "I Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside (1)" and "Jingle Bells"
  • FirstCom: Happy -Go-Lucky (FC-S29): "Take Me Out"
  • Comic Cuts (BR-0026): "Jolly Jack Tar" and "PC Plonker"
  • WCPM: Children Well Known Tunes 2 (CAR 208): "Sailors Hornpipe"
  • WCPM: The World Of Christmas (CAR 229): "Jingle Bells"
  • The Spirit Of Christmas (KPM 1213): "We Wish You A Merry Christmas (B)"
  • Christmas, Kids & Comedy (ATMOS15-3): "Xmas Cracker" and "Christmas Celebration"

References
  1. "ZZZap!". TV.com. Retrieved 28 November 2007.
  2. "Art Attack star in St Albans".
  3. "YouTube".
  4. Bowen, Matt. "Matt Bowen on Twitter". www.twitter.com. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
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