Hartbeat facts for kids

Hartbeat was a popular Children's BBC television show. It was all about art and presented by the famous artist Tony Hart. The show aired between 1984 and 1993. It followed on from Tony Hart's earlier show, Take Hart. Hartbeat taught kids how to create art. It also showed them how to make cool objects using everyday items.

Exploring Art with Hartbeat

Hartbeat continued the artistic ideas from Take Hart. However, the show wanted to feel more modern. It introduced new opening titles. These titles used early CGI effects. The show also had a new, electronic theme tune. This music was created by David Owen Smith.

New Faces and Fun Stories

The show added several young female co-presenters. These included Margot Wilson, Joanna Kirk, Gabrielle Bradshaw, Alison Millar, and Liza Brown. The studio backgrounds also changed to match the new look.

To make the show even more interesting, each episode had a storyline. These stories often revolved around a topic. For example, it might be about a broken computer or Tony's birthday. Some fans of Take Hart felt these stories took away from the art lessons.

The Famous Gallery and Digital Art

The "Gallery" part of the show was still a big hit. This segment was also in Take Hart and Vision On. Viewers could send in their own amazing artworks. This tradition continued in the BBC Children's programme SMart after 1994.

As computers became more common, Hartbeat also showed how they could be used in art. Tony Hart often invited professional graphic designers. They would visit the studio to show off new art software. This helped kids see how technology could be part of creativity.

Comedy Characters in the Studio

Colin Bennett continued his role as Mr Bennett. He played the clumsy caretaker from Take Hart. At the end of each episode, Mr Bennett would often distract Tony. For example, he might interrupt Tony while he was washing up. After the credits, viewers would see Tony dealing with the funny mess Mr Bennett caused. This might be a sink overflowing and flooding the studio!

In 1989, Mr Bennett was replaced. A new character, Elvira Muckett, joined the show. She was played by Amanda Swift. Elvira was a quirky tea lady. She would often call out "Te-ea!" She also annoyingly called Tony and the co-presenter "Mr and Mrs Hartbeat." Her first appearance even featured her humming the original Take Hart theme song. This was a nod to long-time viewers.

Later, in 1992, Elvira was replaced by Alison. Alison was an accident-prone cleaning lady. She was brought in to bring back the funny moments that Mr Bennett used to provide.

Hartbeat's Popularity

Between 1984 and 1990, Hartbeat was incredibly popular. It regularly attracted over 5 million viewers! This was a very high number for a children's TV show in the UK at that time. It was one of the most-watched series on Children's BBC.

Because it was so popular, Hartbeat was shown again. Repeats aired on BBC 2's Daytime on Two service. These were shown in the mornings during school holidays from 1986 to 1989.

By 1992, people felt Hartbeat was not as strong as it used to be. The number of viewers started to drop. So, the BBC decided to end the series a year later. The very last episode aired on November 17, 1993.

Tony Hart's Later Shows

After Hartbeat ended, Tony Hart took a break from TV. He returned two years later with a new show called Artbox Bunch. This show ran for two series in 1995 and 1996. Then, he presented Smart Hart for two series in 1999 and 2000. Tony Hart officially retired from television in 2001.

Series Guide

• Series 1 - 15 editions - 14 September 1984 – 21 December 1984
• Series 2 - 15 editions - 11 September 1985 – 18 December 1985
• Series 3 - 15 editions - 10 September 1986 – 17 December 1986
• Series 4 - 15 editions - 16 September 1987 – 23 December 1987
• Series 5 - 13 editions - 14 September 1988 – 7 December 1988
• Series 6 - 15 editions - 13 September 1989 – 20 December 1989
• Series 7 - 14 editions - 12 September 1990 – 19 December 1990
• Series 8 - 10 editions - 11 September 1991 – 13 November 1991
• Comic Relief special - 12 February 1992
• Series 9 - 10 editions - 15 September 1992 – 17 November 1992
• Series 10 - 10 editions - 15 September 1993 – 17 November 1993

Artbox Bunch

• Series 1: 13 editions from 1 January 1995 – 26 March 1995
• Series 2: 13 editions from 30 December 1995 – 30 March 1996

Smart Hart

• Series 1: 6 editions from 9 July 1999 – 20 August 1999
• Series 2: 11 editions from 14 July 2000 – 22 September 2000