Jim'll Fix It facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jim'll Fix It |
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The show's title screen from 1986
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| Created by | Bill Cotton |
| Starring |
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| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of series |
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| No. of episodes | 286 |
| Production | |
| Production location(s) | BBC Television Centre |
| Running time | 35 min. |
| Release | |
| Original network | BBC One |
| Original release | 31 May 1975 – 24 July 1994 |
Jim'll Fix It was a popular British television show on the BBC that made children's wishes come true. It was presented by Jimmy Savile and was on TV for almost 20 years, from 1975 to 1994.
The idea was simple: kids would write a letter to the show explaining a special wish they had. Each week, the show would "fix it" for a few lucky children to live out their dreams. After their wish was granted, each child received a special medal. Many famous people appeared on the show over the years to help make the wishes happen.
Although the show was very popular for a long time, it is no longer shown on television today.
Contents
How Did the Show Work?
The idea for the show came from a BBC manager named Bill Cotton. The host was Jimmy Savile, who was already famous for presenting the music show Top of the Pops.
Making a Wish
Each episode started with a letter from a child. The letter, which explained their wish, was shown on screen and read out loud. Then, the show would make the wish happen! Sometimes the wish was filmed ahead of time, and sometimes it happened live in the TV studio. At the end, the child who made the wish would come on stage with Jimmy Savile to talk about their experience.
The Famous "Fix It" Medal
After their wish came true, every child was given a big, shiny medal. On the medal, it said "Jim Fixed It For Me." In the early years of the show, the medals came out of a special "magic chair" that had lots of secret compartments. Later, this was replaced by a new robotic chair that could hand out the medals.
Amazing Wishes Granted on the Show
Over the years, Jim'll Fix It granted thousands of wishes. Some were funny, some were exciting, and some were very creative.
- One group of Cub Scouts had their wish to eat a packed lunch on a rollercoaster at Blackpool Pleasure Beach granted.
- A young music fan got to play the drums with the popular band Adam and the Ants.
- Fans of the TV show Doctor Who got to meet the Doctor! Tom Baker, who played the Fourth Doctor, appeared on the show. Years later, a young fan named Gareth Jenkins even got to be in a mini-episode called A Fix with Sontarans with the Sixth Doctor, Colin Baker.
- In 1976, the world-famous boxer Muhammad Ali appeared on the show to grant a wish.
- Margaret Thatcher, who was a very important politician and later became the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, appeared on the show in 1977 to meet a group of children.
- The famous actor Peter Cushing wrote to the show himself. He didn't ask for a wish for himself, but for a new type of rose to be named after his late wife. The show "fixed it," and the 'Helen Cushing' rose was created.
Later Versions of the Show
In 2007, a new series called Jim'll Fix It Strikes Again was shown on the TV channel UKTV Gold. Jimmy Savile returned as the host, and the show revisited some of the original people whose wishes had been granted years before.
After Savile's death in 2011, the BBC made a one-time Christmas special of the show. It was hosted by Shane Richie and featured new children's wishes being granted with the help of guests like race car driver Lewis Hamilton.
The Show's Theme Song
The show had a memorable theme song sung by Lynda Hayes. The song at the end of the show was performed by a group called Good Looks. In one episode, the show even "fixed it" for a young viewer to sing the song with the group.
