Bitsa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bitsa |
|
|---|---|
| Genre | Art, Children's, Craft |
| Created by | Paul Goddard |
| Developed by | Paul Goddard |
| Starring | Caitlin Easterby Simon Pascoe |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of episodes | 77 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 15 mins |
| Release | |
| Original network | BBC One |
| Original release | 8 January 1991 – 20 March 1996 |
Bitsa was a fun British television programme. It aired on BBC 1 from 1991 to 1996. The show was all about being creative and making cool things. It was similar to other craft shows like SMart.
Contents
What Was Bitsa About?
Bitsa taught viewers how to make amazing crafts. You could use everyday items found around the house. The show also used special craft materials. Sometimes the projects were quite tricky. But the presenters always gave clear instructions to follow.
Meet the Creative Presenters
The show featured two talented artists. Their names were Caitlin Easterby and Simon Pascoe. They were the main presenters. They showed everyone how to turn junk into art.
The Exciting Craft Challenges
A popular part of Bitsa was the 'challenge' section. School children would pick three numbers. Each number matched a box with different materials inside. These materials could be anything like cardboard tubes, sticks, or fabric.
The presenters then had just three minutes. They had to create something using only those materials. This often involved a lot of quick thinking. And, of course, plenty of glue gun action!
Music, Robots, and More!
The catchy theme tune for Bitsa was written by Peter Charlton. The original music was by Bill Le Sage. Later, Mark Reader from the band Strider reworked the tune. He also wrote all the other music for the show. This included the exciting 3-minute challenge music.
Other fun parts of the show included:
- Clips of children showing off their own craft projects.
- Footage of the presenters visiting schools across the country.
- A special robotic puppet named 'Hands'.
Hands was made from craft materials. He would quickly make small, clever items. He often used things like pieces of card, elastic bands, or matchboxes. Hands would hum while he worked. Then he would proudly present his finished creation with a flourish!
Who Created Bitsa?
Bitsa was first thought up and written by Peter Charlton and Paul Goddard. Paul Goddard was also the person who operated the character of Hands. He later worked on other popular BBC children's shows, like Fimbles.
Caitlin Easterby and Simon Pascoe became very involved in writing the shows. They worked with director Brian Jamieson. Together, they created the more imaginative stories in later series. Many guest artists appeared on the show. Some of them became very well-known in their fields.
Most of the programmes were directed by Brian Jamieson. The last series was directed by Will Brenton. He is famous for co-producing Tweenies. Two books were also made to go along with the TV series.
