Telegantic Megavision
Encyclopedia
Telegantic Megavision was a British children's television programme produced by The Media Merchants
and aired on the ITV Network's children's strand CITV
from 6 January - 27 April 1996. The show was presented by Emma Lee
and Dave Chapman
and was recorded at The Maidstone Studios
in Kent
. The programmes were one hour
long (including commercial breaks) and aired between 9.25am and 10.25am on Saturday mornings. The show went behind scenes of film and television productions (such as Babylon 5
), and also showed inserted cartoons from the in-studio 'animation station'. There was also a gameshow called Slops, presented by Nic Ayling and a roller-skating waitress called Cynthia Sundae (played by Lucy Benjamin
, later better known as Lisa Fowler
in EastEnders
.)
on ITV
in early 1996. It was the companion piece to Telegantic Megavision, though produced by a separate production team (from Scottish Television
), broadcast from a different studio (in London
), and with no direct connection to the sibling show, aside from the fact that CITV
would often run trailers for the shows together. The programme was presented by Gareth Jones
(who had previously hosted Saturday morning TV show Get Fresh
under the name Gaz Top) with Dannii Minogue
.
INJS featured music, studio guests and chat, viewer interaction and competitions. Some parents were unhappy with the irreverent and sometimes cheeky nature of the humour, and complaints were made to ITV and broadcasting watchdogs about the programme's content and style.
INJS was originally a 65-minute programme (10.25-11.30 including breaks), sitting between Telegantic Megavision and The Chart Show
in ITV's Saturday schedule; however, part-way through its run, the programme was cut to 35 minutes (10.55-11.30) with the 10.25-10.55 section replaced by a repeat run of Thames Television
-produced children's sitcom Spatz.
On one occasion prior to the reduction (in early February), INJS failed to appear on screen at all, and was replaced by an episode of US drama series seaQuest DSV
. The magazine show returned the following week. The reason for the one-week disappearance of the show is unclear: it may have been due to disruption caused by the 1996 Docklands bombing
which had occurred the day before (and had led to GMTV
replacing their own children's programmes with news output), though this has never been confirmed or proven.
(which ran from May to December 1995) and were followed from May 1996 by the second series of Scratchy. In 1997 and 1998, Scratchy took up the January–April slot in ITV's Saturday line-up, and therefore no further series of Telegantic Megavision or INJS were produced. These programmes were among several ITV Saturday morning shows of the mid-late 1990s to be scrapped after one run (see also WOW!, The Noise, Tricky).
The Media Merchants
The Media Merchants Television Company Ltd. was an independent television production company specialising in children's programmes, run by Neil Buchanan and Tim Edmunds.-History:...
and aired on the ITV Network's children's strand CITV
CITV
CITV is a British television channel from ITV Digital Channels Ltd, a division of ITV plc. It broadcasts content from the CITV archive, as well as commissions and acquisitions. CITV itself is the programming block on the main ITV Network .The CITV channel broadcasts from 06:00 to 18:00...
from 6 January - 27 April 1996. The show was presented by Emma Lee
Emma Lee
-Presenting career:Emma Lee is a television presenter and former catwalk model, she has presented productions which have gone on to receive RTS and BAFTA recognition and has presented on GMTV and ITV1’s The Zone....
and Dave Chapman
Dave Chapman
Dave Chapman is an English actor, television presenter, puppeteer and voice artist.-Career:Dave Chapman trained at The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and The Jim Henson Company...
and was recorded at The Maidstone Studios
The Maidstone Studios
The Maidstone Studios, formerly called TVS Television Centre is a television studio complex with radio studio facilities based at Vinters Park in Maidstone, Kent UK...
in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
. The programmes were one hour
Hour
The hour is a unit of measurement of time. In modern usage, an hour comprises 60 minutes, or 3,600 seconds...
long (including commercial breaks) and aired between 9.25am and 10.25am on Saturday mornings. The show went behind scenes of film and television productions (such as Babylon 5
Babylon 5
Babylon 5 is an American science fiction television series created, produced and largely written by J. Michael Straczynski. The show centers on a space station named Babylon 5: a focal point for politics, diplomacy, and conflict during the years 2257–2262...
), and also showed inserted cartoons from the in-studio 'animation station'. There was also a gameshow called Slops, presented by Nic Ayling and a roller-skating waitress called Cynthia Sundae (played by Lucy Benjamin
Lucy Benjamin
-Career:Born Lucy Jane Baker in Reading, Berkshire, England, she took the stage name of Benjamin after her brother. Benjamin trained at the Redroofs Theatre School in Maidenhead. Her first acting role was as a child actor in Doctor Who in 1983 playing a young version of the character Nyssa...
, later better known as Lisa Fowler
Lisa Fowler
Lisa Deborah Fowler is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Lucy Benjamin from 1998 to 2003 and in 2010. Lisa was instrumental in one of EastEnders most highly publicised and anticipated storylines, dubbed Who Shot Phil? in 2001, where she gunned down her former...
in EastEnders
EastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
.)
It's Not Just Saturday
It's Not Just Saturday was a magazine programme aimed at teenagers which broadcast on a Saturday morningMorning
The word morning originally referred to the sunrise. Morning precedes midday, afternoon, and night in the sequence of a day.Morning is the part of the day usually reckoned from dawn to noon...
on ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
in early 1996. It was the companion piece to Telegantic Megavision, though produced by a separate production team (from Scottish Television
Scottish Television
Scottish Television is Scotland's largest ITV franchisee, and has held the ITV franchise for Central Scotland since 31 August 1957. It is the second oldest ITV franchisee still active...
), broadcast from a different studio (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...
), and with no direct connection to the sibling show, aside from the fact that CITV
CITV
CITV is a British television channel from ITV Digital Channels Ltd, a division of ITV plc. It broadcasts content from the CITV archive, as well as commissions and acquisitions. CITV itself is the programming block on the main ITV Network .The CITV channel broadcasts from 06:00 to 18:00...
would often run trailers for the shows together. The programme was presented by Gareth Jones
Gareth Jones (presenter)
Gareth Jones is a Welsh television presenter and celebrity. He began his broadcasting career under the name Gaz Top....
(who had previously hosted Saturday morning TV show Get Fresh
Get Fresh
Get Fresh was a children's television programme that ran from 1986 to 1988 in the United Kingdom.-Premise:Broadcast on the Children's ITV network, the show starred Gareth Jones , Charlotte Hindle, and a puppet named Gilbert the Alien...
under the name Gaz Top) with Dannii Minogue
Dannii Minogue
Danielle Jane "Dannii" Minogue is an Australian singer-songwriter, actress, television personality, radio personality, fashion designer and model...
.
INJS featured music, studio guests and chat, viewer interaction and competitions. Some parents were unhappy with the irreverent and sometimes cheeky nature of the humour, and complaints were made to ITV and broadcasting watchdogs about the programme's content and style.
INJS was originally a 65-minute programme (10.25-11.30 including breaks), sitting between Telegantic Megavision and The Chart Show
The Chart Show
The Chart Show is a music video programme which ran in the UK on Channel 4 between 1986 and 1988, then on ITV between 1989 and 1998. The production company was Video Visuals, and was credited as "A Yorkshire Television Presentation" from 1993 and 1998...
in ITV's Saturday schedule; however, part-way through its run, the programme was cut to 35 minutes (10.55-11.30) with the 10.25-10.55 section replaced by a repeat run of Thames Television
Thames Television
Thames Television was a licensee of the British ITV television network, covering London and parts of the surrounding counties on weekdays from 30 July 1968 until 31 December 1992....
-produced children's sitcom Spatz.
On one occasion prior to the reduction (in early February), INJS failed to appear on screen at all, and was replaced by an episode of US drama series seaQuest DSV
SeaQuest DSV
seaQuest DSV is an American science fiction television series created by Rockne S. O'Bannon. It originally aired on NBC between 1993 and 1996. In its final season, it was renamed seaQuest 2032. Set in "the near future", seaQuest mixes high drama with realistic scientific fiction...
. The magazine show returned the following week. The reason for the one-week disappearance of the show is unclear: it may have been due to disruption caused by the 1996 Docklands bombing
1996 Docklands bombing
The Docklands bombing occurred on 9 February 1996. It was conducted by the Provisional Irish Republican Army and brought an end to their seventeen-month ceasefire...
which had occurred the day before (and had led to GMTV
GMTV
GMTV was the national Channel 3 breakfast television contractor, broadcasting in the United Kingdom from 1 January 1993 to 3 September 2010. It became a wholly owned subsidiary of ITV plc. in November 2009. Shortly after, ITV plc announced the programme would end...
replacing their own children's programmes with news output), though this has never been confirmed or proven.
Replacement and cancellation
Telegantic Megavision and It's Not Just Saturday were preceded in ITV's Saturday morning slot by the first series of Scratchy & Co.Scratchy & Co.
Scratchy and Co was a CITV show, which was broadcast at certain periods from 6 May 1995 to 25 April 1998, which replaced What's Up Doc? as the Saturday morning ITV show.-Premise:...
(which ran from May to December 1995) and were followed from May 1996 by the second series of Scratchy. In 1997 and 1998, Scratchy took up the January–April slot in ITV's Saturday line-up, and therefore no further series of Telegantic Megavision or INJS were produced. These programmes were among several ITV Saturday morning shows of the mid-late 1990s to be scrapped after one run (see also WOW!, The Noise, Tricky).