Fat Cat and Friends facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fat Cat and Friends |
|
|---|---|
| Genre | Children's television show |
| Written by | Murray George Channel 10 |
| Presented by | John Oster Jane Reilly Lynn Weston |
| Country of origin | Australia |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 16 (SAS-10) 5 (SAS-7) |
| Production | |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Release | |
| Original network | Network Ten (SAS-10) (1972-1987) Seven Network (SAS-7 and TVW-7) (1988-1991) |
| Picture format | 4.3 PAL |
| Audio format | Stereo |
| Original release | 1972 – 27 December 1991 |
| Chronology | |
| Preceded by | The Early Birds |
| Followed by | The Book Place |
Fat Cat and Friends was a popular Australian children's television show. It starred a friendly character named Fat Cat. He was an orange cat who wore red suspenders, a blue bow tie, a green bowler hat, and striped socks. The show was on TV from 1972 to 1991. Even after the show ended, Fat Cat stayed famous. He is now a mascot for a big fundraising event in Perth called Telethon.
Contents
About the Show
Fat Cat and Friends was a children's TV show that was a bit like Here's Humphrey. It featured a main character, Fat Cat, who was a costumed character. The show also had a resident music artist, Patsy Biscoe.
Who Hosted the Show?
The show had different hosts over the years. These included John Oster, Jane Reilly, and Lynn Weston. Lynn Weston later hosted another children's show called The Book Place. This show actually replaced Fat Cat and Friends after it was cancelled.
Where Was It Made?
Fat Cat and Friends was first made in the studios of SAS 10 in Adelaide. It was written, directed, and produced by Murray George for 13 years. The show continued even after the TV channels in Adelaide changed their numbers in 1987. After 1988, it was still made at the station, which then became SAS-7.
The show was shown on the 0-10 Network (now known as Network Ten) from 1972 to 1987. Then, it moved to the Seven Network and was shown there from 1988 to 1991.
Fat Cat's Other Appearances
In the 1990s, Fat Cat often appeared on special celebrity versions of the game show Wheel of Fortune. Since Fat Cat didn't speak, he usually teamed up with another TV puppet named Agro. Agro would do all the talking for them.
Who Played Fat Cat?
Many people played the character of Fat Cat over the years. Reg Whiteman played Fat Cat for more than ten years. After him, Ralf Hadzic played the character for five years. Melanie George also played Fat Cat from 1980 to 1985. Later, Robert Fordham played Fat Cat starting in 1994.
Why the Show Ended
In 1990, a group called the Australian Broadcasting Tribunal created a new rule. This rule said that TV stations had to show a certain amount of programs for preschoolers. These shows were given a special "P" rating.
Losing the "P" Rating
In 1991, Fat Cat and Friends lost its "P" rating. The Children's Program Committee, which decided on these ratings, said that Fat Cat was not clearly defined. They also thought the show needed to be more educational. Because it would cost a lot of money to make the changes needed to get the "P" rating back, the Seven Network decided to cancel the show. They replaced it with The Book Place.
This decision made many people upset. Because of the public outcry, the Australian Broadcasting Tribunal later got rid of the Children's Program Committee.
Fat Cat Today
Even though the TV show was cancelled, Fat Cat still appears on TV screens in Perth. He is the much-loved mascot for the Telethon. This is a very successful fundraising event for children's charities. Fat Cat still says goodnight to children in Perth on television every night at 7:30.
