Level Up
Encyclopedia
Level Up was a UK children's TV programme that was broadcast on CBBC
. It was launched on the 3rd April 2006, replacing Xchange
. The show was an hour long and during the school year broadcasting from 7:30am until 8:30am. During the school holidays, including Bank Holidays, the show aired from 9.30am until 10:30am.
The show was presented by Mark Rhodes
and Sam Nixon
who rose to fame after coming second and third, respectively, in the second series of Pop Idol
. They were assisted by Ayesha Asantewaa, presenter of The Big Toe Radio Show
, who read out the "Glitches and Fixes". It was transmitted live from studio TC10 at BBC Television Centre
in London
.
The first series completed its four month run after it finished on 1 September 2006. A second series for 2007 was initially planned, although this eventually became Do Something Different
.
The experts were:
Incidentally, two of the 'experts' have featured on the work experience part of the show, The Next Level.
using Skype
, although the connection was often temporarily lost. They joined in with the discussions, are set challenges, try and help out with the 'glitches and fixes', and make video diaries of special events/trips/holidays they go on.
The twelve gamers from the first series:
Sam won the 12th Gamer competition.
, a helicopter
flight and a barbecue
prepared by Sam & Mark.
or a video.
'Fixes' were the other viewers suggestions to these problems which they phone, text or email in. The best were published on the programme's website for other viewers to vote on the top five.
CBBC
CBBC is one of two brand names used for the BBC's children's television strands. Between 1985 and 2002, CBBC was the name given to all the BBC's programmes on TV for children aged under 14...
. It was launched on the 3rd April 2006, replacing Xchange
Xchange (TV series)
Xchange was a factual entertainment BBC television programme for children. It was broadcast initially on BBC Two and later the CBBC Channel. The programme was transmitted live from studio TC2 at BBC Television Centre...
. The show was an hour long and during the school year broadcasting from 7:30am until 8:30am. During the school holidays, including Bank Holidays, the show aired from 9.30am until 10:30am.
The show was presented by Mark Rhodes
Mark Rhodes
Mark Thomas Rhodes is an English singer and television presenter.-Career:...
and Sam Nixon
Sam Nixon
Sam Nixon is an English singer and television presenter. He came third on the Pop Idol television series in 2003 and is now one half of the duo Sam & Mark, with the other being Mark Rhodes.-Early life:...
who rose to fame after coming second and third, respectively, in the second series of Pop Idol
Pop Idol
Pop Idol is a British television series which debuted on ITV on 6 October 2001. The show was a talent contest to decide the best new young pop singer in the United Kingdom, based on viewer voting and participation. Two series were broadcast - one in 2001-02 and a second in 2003...
. They were assisted by Ayesha Asantewaa, presenter of The Big Toe Radio Show
The Big Toe Radio Show
The Big Toe Radio Show was a daily show for children on the DAB radio station BBC 7 at breakfast time and from 4-6pm. It was aimed at children aged nine to eleven. It featured music, games, stories read from well-known books such as those by Roald Dahl and fun...
, who read out the "Glitches and Fixes". It was transmitted live from studio TC10 at BBC Television Centre
BBC Television Centre
BBC Television Centre at White City in West London is the headquarters of BBC Television. Officially opened on 29 June 1960, it remains one of the largest to this day; having featured over the years as backdrop to many BBC programmes, it is one of the most readily recognisable such facilities...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
The first series completed its four month run after it finished on 1 September 2006. A second series for 2007 was initially planned, although this eventually became Do Something Different
Do Something Different
Do Something Different is a show produced and broadcast by CBBC. It is hosted by music duo Sam and Mark. Sam and Mark are aiming to get one million children to try out new things; literally to "do something different", also referred in the programme as 'DSD-ing'. A child who completes a DSD is...
.
| Feature | Desctipion |
|---|---|
| Infoburst | where Sam and Mark researched the answer to questions sent in by viewers and answered them on the show. |
| The Techno Timeline | which took Sam and Mark back in time and explains about the technology of the time. There is also information about new technology that is likely to be seen in the future. |
| Have-a-go | A viewer sends in a short video about one of their skills (e.g. musical instrument, sport, etc.), and if chosen, is asked to come into the studio and let Sam and Mark have a go. The have-a-goer has to choose who was the best out of Sam or Mark and produces a small video of their tips and tricks for their skill which was then uploaded to the Level Up website. Sam was the overall winner. |
| 60 Seconds of Newsround Newsround Newsround is a BBC children's news programme, which has run continuously since 4 April 1972, and was one of the world's first television news magazines aimed specifically at children... |
CBBC CBBC CBBC is one of two brand names used for the BBC's children's television strands. Between 1985 and 2002, CBBC was the name given to all the BBC's programmes on TV for children aged under 14... 's news programme was aired at around 7:15am and again at 7:45am during the show to keep viewers up-to-date on the latest news. |
| Instant Message | It's where a particular question was answered on the message board and some of the answers were read out on the show. |
| Billions Things | Short humorous video clips of ideas of what to do if you're bored. |
| R8 Your M8 | Two friends or 'mates' are given the choice of several 'missions' to earn points. Six points won a V.I.P. Very Important Person A Very Important Person, or VIP is a person who is accorded special privileges due to his or her status or importance.Examples include celebrities, heads of state/heads of government, major employers, high rollers, politicians, high-level corporate officers, wealthy individuals, or any other... visit to the Level Up studio. The missions included feeding a giraffe, cleaning up elephant faeces and running around with a silly costume on whilst dancing to music. |
| The Cheat Bros | Sam and Mark gines 'advice' on a particular subject, such as acting, moving to secondary school, football, etc. |
| Player 2 Ready | A feature of the show where a viewer sends in a video about their interest, such as a club, sport, etc. |
| The Next Level | The feature which allowed viewers interested in a certain job to enter into a competition, the winner of which is given the opportunity to work in a real-life environment, e.g. marine biology Marine biology Marine biology is the scientific study of organisms in the ocean or other marine or brackish bodies of water. Given that in biology many phyla, families and genera have some species that live in the sea and others that live on land, marine biology classifies species based on the environment rather... , sport commentary Sports commentator In sports broadcasting, a commentator gives a running commentary of a game or event in real time, usually during a live broadcast. The comments are normally a voiceover, with the sounds of the action and spectators also heard in the background. In the case of television commentary, the commentator... , etc. |
| Job | Child | Mentor | Boss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fashion Designer Fashion design Fashion design is the art of the application of design and aesthetics or natural beauty to clothing and accessories. Fashion design is influenced by cultural and social latitudes, and has varied over time and place. Fashion designers work in a number of ways in designing clothing and accessories.... |
Imogen | Erica | Suet |
| Cook Cook (profession) A cook is a person who prepares food for consumption. In Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Canada this profession requires government approval .... |
Blessing | ||
| Dog Trainer | Matthew | Nicky | Richard |
| Sports Commentator Sports commentator In sports broadcasting, a commentator gives a running commentary of a game or event in real time, usually during a live broadcast. The comments are normally a voiceover, with the sounds of the action and spectators also heard in the background. In the case of television commentary, the commentator... |
Michael | Paul | |
| Radio Journalist Broadcast journalism Broadcast journalism is the field of news and journals which are "broadcast", that is, published by electrical methods, instead of the older methods, such as printed newspapers and posters. Broadcast methods include radio , television , and, especially recently, the Internet generally... |
Kate | Rose | Will |
| Games Demonstrator | Brendan | Callum | Tim |
| Archaeologist Archaeology Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes... |
Kareem | Andrew | Jim |
| Holiday Rep | Tom | Louise | Ashley |
| Film director Film director A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:... |
Grace | Tim | |
| Marine Biologist | Mubeena | Janelle | Simon |
Experts
Sam and Mark were aided by young experts from a particular field. An integral part of the show, they occasionally presented a section of the programme live in the studio with Sam and Mark, explaining about how viewers could get involved, i.e. the environmental expert, Sarah http://www.coolkidsforacoolclimate.com/About/AboutIndex.html, encouraged viewers to be more eco-friendly or Rishi, the technology expert, who informed viewers about the latest technological developments.The experts were:
| Area | Expert |
|---|---|
| Technology | Rishi |
| Environment | Sarah Bowler |
| Fashion | Imogen |
| Film | Ollie |
| Sport | Stuart |
| Dance | Matthew Evan Garrett |
| Music | Jack |
| Books | Maxine Felicity Stride |
| Animals | Peter Cooper |
| Cooking | Blessing |
| Gardening | Emily |
| Pelvic Expert | Ian Hatchard |
| Science | Alex, Alex and Alex (Alex cubed) |
Incidentally, two of the 'experts' have featured on the work experience part of the show, The Next Level.
Gamers
On each programme, three of the twelve gamers were contacted at home via a webcamWebcam
A webcam is a video camera that feeds its images in real time to a computer or computer network, often via USB, ethernet, or Wi-Fi.Their most popular use is the establishment of video links, permitting computers to act as videophones or videoconference stations. This common use as a video camera...
using Skype
Skype
Skype is a software application that allows users to make voice and video calls and chat over the Internet. Calls to other users within the Skype service are free, while calls to both traditional landline telephones and mobile phones can be made for a fee using a debit-based user account system...
, although the connection was often temporarily lost. They joined in with the discussions, are set challenges, try and help out with the 'glitches and fixes', and make video diaries of special events/trips/holidays they go on.
The twelve gamers from the first series:
- Maria
- Avijit
- Callam
- Chloe
- Eleanor
- Lauren
- Rhys
- Naomi
- Ryan
- Alice
- Bradley
- Sam
Sam won the 12th Gamer competition.
The Gamer Weekender
The Gamer Weekender was a special weekend arranged by Level Up of fun and challenges and the chance for all the gamers to meet up. The weekender included several logic, team and competitive challenges with prizes at the end. For each team challenge they passed the gamers would receive two or three 'creds' (heavy weights) which they used to try to raise up a water level in a tall transparent cylinder. In the end, the gamers didn't quite raise the water level high enough but were given another chance and finally managed to raise the water level and win the prize of a ride in a limousineLimousine
A limousine is a luxury sedan or saloon car, especially one with a lengthened wheelbase or driven by a chauffeur. The chassis of a limousine may have been extended by the manufacturer or by an independent coachbuilder. These are called "stretch" limousines and are traditionally black or white....
, a helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
flight and a barbecue
Barbecue
Barbecue or barbeque , used chiefly in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia is a method and apparatus for cooking meat, poultry and occasionally fish with the heat and hot smoke of a fire, smoking wood, or hot coals of...
prepared by Sam & Mark.
Glitches and Fixes
Glitches and Fixes was the part of the show where Ayesha sorts through the 'glitches' and 'fixes'. 'Glitches' were problems which the viewers send in, either as a plain text messageShort message service
Short Message Service is a text messaging service component of phone, web, or mobile communication systems, using standardized communications protocols that allow the exchange of short text messages between fixed line or mobile phone devices...
or a video.
'Fixes' were the other viewers suggestions to these problems which they phone, text or email in. The best were published on the programme's website for other viewers to vote on the top five.
Group glitches
Group glitches were glitches sent in by a group (e.g. friends, club, etc.) that would require more effort to fix than normal glitches. Group glitches were fixed by sending along a pro-gamer - someone who specialized in the field of the glitch - e.g. a girls football club sent in a group glitch and Level Up sent along one of the England's top women's football players to help them.External links
- The Next Level - Radio Journalist on the BBC Kent Web site.
- Sam Nixon.net
- Mark Rhodes Forum- forum for mark fans