The Sooty Show
| The Sooty Show | |
|---|---|
 The Sooty Show opening sequence, 1981-1984. | |
| Presented by |
Harry Corbett (1955-1975) Matthew Corbett (1976-1992) |
| Starring |
Marjorie Corbett (The voice of Soo from 1964-1981) Brenda Longman (The voice of Soo from 1981-1992) |
| Composer(s) | Alan Braden |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| No. of series | 43 (1955-1992) |
| No. of episodes | 481 (1955-1992) |
| Production | |
| Location(s) | Teddington Studios |
| Running time | 10-20 minutes |
| Production company(s) |
BBC (1955-1967) Thames Television (1968-1992) |
| Distributor |
BBC (BBC series) Fremantle Media (Thames series) |
| Release | |
| Original network |
BBC ITV |
| Original release | 24 July 1955 – 30 November 1992 |
| Chronology | |
| Followed by | Sooty & Co. (1993–1998) |
The Sooty Show is a British children's television series that aired on BBC Television from 1955 until 1967 when the BBC eventually cancelled The Sooty Show after Paul Fox, the then-controller of BBC One at the time, cleared out some of the long running shows.
After it was cancelled by the BBC that year, The Sooty Show swiftly moved to ITV shortly after the launch of Thames Television in 1968, where the series remained until Thames lost its ITV franchise in 1992.
It features the glove puppet characters Sooty, Sweep (who first appeared in 1957) and Soo (first appeared in 1964), and follows them in their many mischievous adventures. The show was presented from the 1955 to 1975 by Harry Corbett, and from 1976 to 1992 by his son, Matthew, as he bought the rights for Sooty for £35,000 from his father, and acted as the token human being. In 1981, The Sooty Show changed from a sketch-based format with a studio audience into a more sitcom-based format set in the Sooteries cottage.
In 1992, The Sooty Show concluded its final series, when Thames Television lost its franchise as part of the ITV network. So, in 1993 (nearly a year after the series was concluded), the show was replaced/succeeded by Sooty & Co., also presented by Matthew Corbett and was made by Granada TV in Manchester, North-West of England.
Characters
- Sooty - A mute yellow bear who is the protagonist of the show. He owns a magic wand whose power is invoked using the words "Izzy wizzy, let's get busy!".
- Sweep - A grey dog with a penchant for bones and sausages. Known for communicating using bizarre squeaks (these were achieved by original puppeteer Leslie Corbett inserting a reed from an saxophone in his mouth to create Sweep's distinctive squeaks).
- Soo - A calm and collected female panda with a normal human voice, who acts as the foil for both Sooty and Sweep. Usually wears a red skirt. Originally voiced by Harry's wife Marjorie Corbett from 1964 to 1981 and later voiced by Brenda Longman from 1981 up to the present day.
- Butch - A dark brown dog, similar to Sweep but able to talk. Introduced by Harry Corbett in the early 1970s, but withdrawn by Matthew Corbett in 1980 returning to play the part of a villain.
- Ramsbottom - A brown snake who spoke in a deep Yorkshire accent and had the habit of telling rather convoluted stories and ditties.
- Little Cousin Scampi - Sooty's cousin, also mute like Sooty. Introduced in an episode of the same title in 1990 and became a regular character from 1991.
- Snuffles the Rabbit - Appeared in one episode, was very greedy and consequently annoying throughout the episode but turned out to be well-meaning as it drew to a close.
Episodes
Main article: List of Sooty Show episodes
UK VHS & DVD releases
| VHS Title | Release Date | Episodes |
|---|---|---|
| The Adventures of Sooty (VC1049) | 7 April 1986 | Sleepwalking, Snuffles, The Magic Show, Sooty's Panto |
| Sooty & Superdog (TV9919) | 3 November 1986 | All Blocked Up, The Dancer, Superdog |
| Sooty - Out and About (TV9959) | 5 October 1987 | Stately Home, Rabbit Trap, Football Crazy |
| Sooty and Co & Sooty's House (TV8432) | 5 October 1987 | On the Piste, Down Dog, Marathon, Perfume, Bad Luck, White Lies |
| Children's Favourites (TV8011) | 7 March 1988 | Burglar Box (Compilation VHS with 'Rainbow' and 'Button Moon'.) |
| Sooty - The Big Surprise (TV8027) | 4 April 1988 | The Big Surprise, Return of Superdog, Overnight Away |
| Sooty - Sooty's Time Capsule/Ventriloquism (WP0003) | 7 November 1988 | Time Capsule, Ventriloquism |
| The Sooty Christmas Show (TV8041) | 7 November 1988 | Sooty's Busy Christmas, Hidden Talent |
| Sooty's Restaurant (TV8055) | 6 March 1989 | Restaurant, Health Food |
| Sooty's School Trip (TV8047) | 10 April 1989 | School Trip, Tap Time, Moving House |
| Sooty's Stately Home and Other Stories (LL0026) | 1 May 1989 | Stately Home, Ancestors, Millionaire |
| Sooty's Magic Lamp and Other Stories(LL0027) | 1 May 1989 | Sooty's Magic Lamp, Cuddly Toys, Make and Do |
| Children's Favourites Vol. 3 (LL0032) | 1 May 1989 | Amateur Dramatics (Compilation VHS with 'Rainbow' and 'Button Moon'.) |
| Children's Favourites Vol. 4 (LL0033) | 1 May 1989 | When I Was a Lad (Compilation VHS with 'Rainbow' and 'Button Moon'.) |
| Children's Summer Stories | 5 June 1989 | Messing About in Boats (Compilation VHS with 'Rainbow' and 'Button Moon'.) |
| Sooty's Christmas Party and Other Stories (TV8073) | 2 October 1989 | Sooty's Christmas Party, Royalty, Get Your Skates on |
| Children's Favourites: Bedtime Stories (TV8077) | 6 November 1989 | Star Gazing (Compilation VHS with 'Rainbow' and 'Button Moon'.) |
| Sooty - Sooty's Favourite Stories (TV8082) | 2 April 1990 | Radio Control Car, Honking Nose, Sweep's Family |
| Children's Holiday Favourites (TV8093) | 4 June 1990 | A Very Special Day (Compilation VHS with 'Rainbow' and 'Rod, Jane and Freddy'.) |
| Sooty Wants a Pet (TV8098) | 2 July 1990 | Sooty Wants a Pet, The Unreal Ghostbusters, In Camera |
| Sooty's Golf Crazy Golf (TV8099) | 2 July 1990 | Sooty's Golf Crazy Golf, Down Under, Grin and Bear it |
| Sooty's Bumper Special (TV8112) | 10 September 1990 | Inventors, Fat and 40, Stay Awake, Nothing Ever Happens, Bowled Over |
| The Good, The Bad and The Furry (WP0025) | 1 October 1990 | The Good, The Bad and The Furry (Compilation VHS with 'Rainbow'.) |
| Children's Club: Children's Favourites (KK0005) | 4 February 1991 | When I Was a Lad (Compilation VHS with 'Rainbow' and 'Button Moon'.) |
| Sooty - Sooty's Big Time Video (TV8081) | 4 March 1991 | Just Not Cricket, Bangers and Smash, Water Sports, Dyb, Dyb Disaster |
| Sooty Video Fun Pack (TB8003) | 5 August 1991 | Izzy Wizzy, Love a Duck |
| Little Cousin Scampi and Other Stories (WH1023) | 7 October 1991 | Little Cousin Scampi, Sticky Situation, Gardeners for Hire |
| Sooty Video Fun Pack (TB0001) | 6 January 1992 | Izzy Wizzy, Love a Duck |
| Sooty - Matt Robot and Other Stories (TV8157) | 10 February 1992 | Matt Robot, Return of Scampi, Car Boot Sale |
| Sooty - Hair Today and Other Stories (TV8158) | 10 February 1992 | Hair Today, Derek's Back, Any 5-Year-Old Can Do it |
| Sooty - Three Men in a Boat and Other Stories (TV8161) | 15 June 1992 | Three Men in a Boat, Trains, Boats and Planes, Swinging the Lead |
| Sooty - Only Joking and Other Stories (TV8162) | 15 June 1992 | Only Joking, Boarding House, Bored Games |
| Sooty - What a Load of Rubbish & Collecting (LW0001) | 5 October 1992 | What a Load of Rubbish, Collecting |
| The Christmas Collection (TV8165) | 5 October 1992 | Early Christmas (Compilation VHS with 'Rainbow and 'Wind in the Willows'.) |
| My Bumper Christmas Sooty (TV8266) | 27 October 1997 | A Summertime Christmas, Little Terrors, Sooty's Christmas Party, Sooty's Busy Christmas |
| Sooty - Biggest Party Video (TV8269) | 23 March 1998 | Happy Birthday Sooty, Back to Front, Soo's Party Problem, Sweep's Family, Bored Games |
| Sooty - Wet & Wild Water Fun | 9 October 2000 | A Very Special Day, Three Men in a Boat, Water Sports |
| Cult Kids Classics 2 | 5 March 2001 | Superdog (Compilation VHS with 'Jamie and the Magic Torch', 'Danger Mouse', 'Chorlton and the Wheelies', 'Rainbow' and 'Count Duckula'.) |
| Sweep Superdog | 13 August 2001 | Superdog and the Comedian, Bouncers, Hot Stuff, Sweep's Family, Honking Nose, Swinging the Lead |
| DVD Title | Release Date | Episodes |
|---|---|---|
| Cult Kids Classics 2 | 5 March 2001 | Superdog (Compilation DVD with 'Jamie and the Magic Torch', 'Danger Mouse', 'Chorlton and the Wheelies', 'Rainbow' and 'Count Duckula'.) |
| Sweep Superdog | 13 August 2001 | Superdog and the Comedian, Bouncers, Hot Stuff, Sweep's Family, Honking Nose, Swinging the Lead |
| Classic Kids Hits: from School Disco | 8 September 2003 | Super Star (Compilation DVD with 'Danger Mouse', 'Rainbow', 'Button Moon', 'Chorlton and the Wheelies' and 'Jamie and the Magic Torch'.) |
| Sooty - Wet & Wild Water Fun | 2 April 2007 | A Very Special Day, Three Men in a Boat, Water Sports |
| The Sooty Show - Izzy Wizzy | 7 July 2008 | Izzy Wizzy, Little Terrors, Sooty's Magic Lamp |
| The Sooty Show - Happy Birthday, Sooty | 7 July 2008 | Happy Birthday, Sooty, Sooty Wants a Pet, Honking Nose |
| Sooty - The Big Surprise | 19 April 2010 | The Big Surprise, Hidden Talent, Sticky Situation, Little Cousin Scampi, Fanatical Fun |
Also, in January 2008, a promotional DVD containing 5 early 80s episodes was distributed by The Times newspaper, for Fremantle Media. The episodes featured were: Bob a Job; Safety First; Sleep Walking; Connie Comes to Tea and Sooty's Christmas Panto.
Other Sooty-based shows
Below is a list of other Sooty-based shows, after The Sooty Show.
| Title | original run |
|---|---|
Broadcast
| Country | Channel |
|---|---|
 Italy |
Rai 2 1983-1996 |
 Hong Kong |
TVB Jade |
 Singapore |
MediaCorp |
 Portugal |
RTP RTP2 1989 |
 Finland |
MTV2 |
 Peru |
TV Peru 1981 - 1984 |
 Philippines |
GMA Network |
 Norway |
TV2 |
 Thailand |
TIGA |
 France |
TF1 1977-1988 |
 Indonesia |
B Channel |
 United Kingdom |
BBC One 1955-1967 ITV 1968-1992 |
 Israel |
Israeli Educational Television |
 New Zealand |
TVNZ |
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