| What's Up, Doc? | |
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| Genre | Children's Entertainment |
| Starring | Andy Crane Yvette Fielding Pat Sharp |
| Country of origin |  United Kingdom |
| Language(s) | English |
| Production | |
| Camera setup | Multiple-camera setup |
| Running time | 75 to 105 minutes |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | ITV |
| Picture format | 4:3 |
| Original run | 1992 – 1995 |
What's Up Doc? was a Saturday Morning children's variety series produced by Television South for the first half of season 1 and Scottish Television for the the rest of season 1 and up until season 3 and aired on ITV from 1992 to 1995 and hosted by Andy Crane, Yvette Fielding and Pat Sharp.
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Format
The series also included a variety of characters including Simon Perry, Colin, Wooly, Billy Box, Baljit, Pasty the Worm, Mister Spanky, Naughty Torty, Gaston, Sam Sam and Bro & Bro the Wolves. "What's Up Doc?" was designed to promote and feature products created by Warner Bros. in the UK, this included video games, movies, tours of their studios, and of course, their vast library of Looney Tunes animated shorts.
"What's Up Doc?" made use of the "phone in" game format made popular by BBC mainstays Going Live and others, using revolutionary for the time games technology to escalate the experience thanks in part to the budget and resources of Warner Bros. The show was also responsible for the success of Batman: The Animated Series and Animaniacs on terrestrial television. Music was also a huge part of the show and played a massive role in launching the careers of the likes of Take That, East 17 and Eternal.
"What's Up Doc?" was also notorious for launching the careers of puppet comedians Don Austen and John Eccleston, as the show's central new puppet characters, Wolves Bro and Bro, became something akin to overnight sensations. They soon became one of the main reason to watch the show besides Batman: TAS and Animaniacs and earned a spin-off series. Wolf It, on the weekday Children's ITV blocks.
Despite the ratings winning viewership, the show's near the knuckle student humour didn't go unnoticed by the ITC and after a few rapped knuckles Sandy Ross, head of STV was worried that Warner Bros would take their business elsewhere. The creators and producers of the show, Vanessa Hill and Ged Allen, resigned preferring Christmas on the dole rather than watering down the show. (On that morning when Gary Barlow was told of this he made speech live on air saying how important the show was and how much he wanted to thank the production team of Whats Up Doc? for their success.) Despite this Sandy Ross employed a safer alternative in the producer roles and in the process took away the fun and innovativeness of the show and the viewing figures plummeted. Along with most of the staff, one by one the characters left and the death knell was finally sounded when Bro and Bro (Austen and Eccleston) jumped ship to the BBC to star on Live & Kicking as a couple of leprechaun brothers, "What's Up Doc?" folded shortly after.
Series guide
- Series 1: 33 editions - 05 September 1992 - 01 May 1993
- Series 2: 35 editions - 04 September 1993 - 30 April 1994
- Series 3: 33 editions - 03 September 1994 - 29 April 1995
References
| Preceded by Motormouth |
What's Up Doc? 1992–1995 |
Succeeded by Scratchy & Co. |
External links
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