Don't Look Now (1983 TV series) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Don't Look Now
Scene from the opening
Genre	Sketch comedy
Created by	Roger Price Geoffrey Darby
Directed by	Geoffrey Darby
Starring	Tina Arthur Ronda Berkman Paul Branco Max Casella Matthew Flynn Bajah Freeman Adam Gulinello Dhonyale Jones Dylan Jones Jon Joseph Jocelyn Leary David Perrigo Lisa Rosman
Country of origin	United States
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	5
Production
Producer(s)	Geoffrey Darby Roger Price
Running time	60 minutes
Production company(s)	WGBH-TV, Boston, Massachusetts
Release
Original network	PBS
Original release	October 2 (1983-10-02) – October 30, 1983 (1983-10-30)

Don't Look Now was a fun American sketch comedy TV show for kids. It was made for PBS by WGBH-TV in Boston, Massachusetts. The show was created by Geoffrey Darby and Roger Price.

It was very similar to their other popular show, You Can't Do That on Television. Don't Look Now first aired on October 2, 1983. Its last episode was on October 30, 1983. The show was originally going to be called Don't Tell Your Mother. But PBS changed the name to Don't Look Now. They worried the first title might encourage kids to keep secrets from their parents.

The show was made because they weren't sure if You Can't Do That on Television would continue. Don't Look Now was cancelled quickly. This might have been because some parents complained about its content. Also, Nickelodeon, which aired You Can't Do That on Television, worried it might replace their show.

Episodes: A Quick Look

Don't Look Now had five exciting episodes. Each one was packed with funny skits and adventures.

How It Was Like and Unlike Other Shows

Don't Look Now had a similar style to the early days of You Can't Do That on Television (YCDTOTV). This was when YCDTOTV was a local show in Ottawa, Ontario. Both shows included contests and music videos. Some skits on Don't Look Now were even reused from YCDTOTV.

While they were alike, there were also some cool differences:

• Don't Look Now episodes didn't have a specific topic, unlike YCDTOTV. There were also no "opposite skits" or pie scenes.
• Saying "water" didn't make water dump from above. But one character did get a bucket of water dumped on them!
• The famous "green slime" was changed to "yellow yuck." It was yellow slime, but they never called it "slime." The trigger phrase "I don't know!" became "Don't blame me!"
• The kids told jokes, but instead of a locker room, they sat on a bench outside the principal's office. Someone was always called to the office after the jokes.
• Don't Look Now always had five kids starring in each episode. YCDTOTV often had a different number of kids.
• Don't Look Now didn't start with a quick sketch. Instead, each episode began with a warning. It said, "Some content may not be suitable for some children, viewer discretion is advised."
• The kids in Don't Look Now used their real names, just like in YCDTOTV. But unlike YCDTOTV, where some cast members were related, none of the Don't Look Now kids were family.
• The kids in Don't Look Now seemed younger, maybe pre-teens. YCDTOTV had some teenagers and even adults.
• The dad character in Don't Look Now was neat and thin. He wore a suit. The YCDTOTV dad was often messy and wore stained shirts.
• Miss Pell, the teacher in Don't Look Now, was strict and sometimes mean. She was like Mr. Shidtler from YCDTOTV. But she never said his famous line, "Where does the school board find them, and why do they keep sending them to me?!"
• Max Casella once said, "Please let me be adopted!" This was a line sometimes heard on YCDTOTV. But other YCDTOTV phrases like "Don't encourage your mother!" or "Sometimes it's so easy I'm ashamed of myself!" were not used.
• Jocelyn Leary in Don't Look Now claimed to be rich. She was a bit like Naida Gosselin from a YCDTOTV episode about poverty. Jocelyn would boast about being rich. But she was friendlier and less bossy than Naida.
• The "Walk the plank" skits in Don't Look Now were like "the firing squad" in YCDTOTV. The pirate only once asked, "What is it this time?" This question was asked almost every time by El Capitano in YCDTOTV.
• Don't Look Now also had a "mean producer" who made kids do things they didn't want to do. For example, Bajah had to drink papaya juice, which she hated. But this producer never appeared on the show, unlike in YCDTOTV.
• The show had a "link set" where characters talked. It was different from YCDTOTV's. Don't Look Now had a makeup lady named Bunny who often appeared there. YCDTOTV had a male technical director named Ross Ewich.
• Don't Look Now included educational parts. The cast would visit places like dairy farms, factories, or aquariums. This was because PBS wanted the show to teach things. YCDTOTV tried to be as uneducational as possible!

Who's Who and What's What?

Many characters and things in Don't Look Now were similar to those in You Can't Do That on Television. Here's a comparison:

Characters

• Violet = Barth
• Miss Pell = Mr. Shidtler
• The pirate = El Capitano
• Bunny the makeup lady = Ross Ewich
• Anthony the house dad = Lance Prevert
• Louise the house mom = Valerie Prevert
• Prentice Howard Devonshive III = L. Nickelson Dime III

Elements

• Yellow yuck = Green slime
• "Don't blame me!" = "I don't know!"
• Walk the plank = The firing squad
• Camp Pitup = Barth's Burgers
• "Shut up and eat!" = "Duh IIIIIIII heard that!"
• "Avast me hearties and you walk the plank!" = "Ready... Aim..."

Meet the Grown-Ups!

The adult characters played several funny roles in Don't Look Now.

• Ronda Berkman played the makeup lady, the house mom, and the strict teacher Miss Pell. She also played Violet, the mean camp instructor. When kids complained about the awful camp food, Violet would tell them to "Shut up and eat!" This was like Barth's "Duh IIIIIIII heard that!" in YCDTOTV.
• David Perrigo played a pirate, a cameraman, Mr. Richards, and the house dad. He also narrated the educational parts of the show. The pirate would tell the kids, "Avast me hearties, and you walk the plank!" before they had to walk the plank. This was similar to El Capitano's "Ready... Aim..." in YCDTOTV.

Awesome Music Videos!

Every episode of Don't Look Now featured three music videos. Here are some of the cool songs they showed:

• UB40 - "I've Got Mine" - episode one
• The Police - "Every Breath You Take" - episode one
• Split Enz - "Never Ceases to Amaze Me" - episode one
• Billy Joel - "Tell Her About It" - episode two
• Men at Work - "Dr. Heckyll and Mr. Jive" - episode two
• Elvis Costello - "Everyday I Write the Book" - episode two
• The Manhattans - "Crazy" - episode three
• Toto - "Waiting for Your Love" - episode three
• Loverboy - "Queen of the Broken Hearts" - episode three
• OXO - "Whirly Girl" - episode four
• Donna Summer - "Unconditional Love" - episode four
• Lionel Richie - "All Night Long (All Night)" - episode four
• Bananarama - "Shy Boy" - episode five
• Rick Springfield - "Human Touch" - episode five
• Stevie Wonder - "Do I Do" - episode five

The Cast: Who Was Who?

Here are the talented actors who appeared on Don't Look Now: