Lift Off (Australian TV series) facts for kids

Lift Off was a popular Australian TV show made for children. It was created by Patricia Edgar and shown on ABC Television from 1992 to 1995. Each episode told a story about a group of young kids. It showed them dealing with everyday problems like growing up, family life, and other social topics. The show also included fun parts with animation, puppets, and short documentaries. There were also songs, stories, and word games. Lift Off was made for kids aged 3 to 8. It even connected with school lessons through the Curriculum Corporation of Australia. The stories helped kids explore feelings like jealousy, loneliness, and anger. The show's puppet characters were designed by Terry Denton and built by Ron Mueck.

Meet the Characters

The main part of Lift Off focused on a group of child actors, who were usually between 4 and 10 years old. These seven kids came from different backgrounds and families. They explored their world with a sense of adventure, imagination, and curiosity. Their games and questions often led to the main idea of each episode. The parents of these children also appeared in every episode. Their interactions showed different kinds of family situations.

The show also had many fantasy characters:

• EC – This was a special rag doll. EC was a puppet, a trusted friend, and someone the kids could talk to.
• Lotis – This was a magical lift in the apartment building where some of the families lived. To adults, Lotis seemed like a normal lift. It took people to different floors and sometimes broke down. But to the children, Lotis was a friend, a guide, and an explorer. Lotis was like a smart computer. It had a screen that showed clues, questions, and games. Lotis could take the kids anywhere, even to the moon, a beach, or the bottom of the ocean!
• Rocky – This was a frill-necked lizard. Rocky acted like a scientist who studied people and filmed them. His funny documentary films were shown to other frill-necked lizards at the end of each episode. They often made fun of the "two-footers" (humans).
• The Backsacks – These were funny, limbless puppet characters that rode on the children's backs. They had a very different way of looking at life. This was mostly because they spent their lives being dropped, hung up, and stuffed with things. They were like the unsung heroes of the puppet world.
• Beverley – Beverley was a plant with a very long stalk and an eye at the end. She sat in the building's lobby. Through her eye, viewers could see the natural world.
• The Patches – These were parts of Beverley that could break off and move around. They would form different shapes or move to music before jumping back onto the pot.

The show also included short documentary parts that showed special skills. These might feature acrobats, gymnasts, or horse riding events. They showed children a range of skills that were interesting and challenging.

Show Segments

Lift Off had two main animated parts:

• The Munch Kids – This was a three-minute segment. It featured edited talks with children who discussed topics related to the episode's theme. Animators then created visuals based on these discussions.
• The Wakadoo Café – This was a major puppet segment. The café was a busy and fun place with interesting characters and guests. It often featured performances by guest artists, musicians, and other performers.

Lift Off also showed many real-life documentary clips. This included original videos of Aboriginal children in Arnhem Land. These clips showed children doing skilled activities and playing. They also showed different places, people, animals, and plants. The show helped kids see the world as an exciting place that needs understanding and care.

Books and Products

Lift Off had many books and products made for children, parents, and teachers.

Books Many books were published, including:

• Three hardcover picture story books:
  • "Burping Baby" by Penny Robenstone Harris
  • "Ice Flowers" by Jutta Goetze and Patricia Mullins
  • "Dancing Pants" by Pamela Rushby and Maya
• Two softcover story books:
  • "The Wakadoo Café" by Jim Howes and Terry Denton
  • "The Backsack Bulletin" by Rod Quantock and Ann James
• Later, more kids' books were released, such as:
  • "Rocky on Assignment"
  • "Adventures with EC"
  • "Lift Off with Lotis"
  • "Lift Off Fun Book"
  • "Grandma’s knee"

To reach more families, Lift Off also had books sold in supermarkets. These included:

• "Activity Pack"
• "Colouring Book"
• "Sticker Fun Book"
• "Paint 'n' Colour"
• "Fun With Felt"

The Lift Off Book A special book called The Lift Off Book was published in 1993. It was for parents and showed them how to use the show to create fun activities for their children. It explained how the show helped children learn in many different ways. The book also gave ideas for games and organizing playtime.

Magazine A children's magazine was published every two months to go along with the show. It was 44 pages long and full of color. The magazine featured Lift Off characters and encouraged children to do many different activities. It was sold by subscription and in newsagents.

Other Products From September 1992, many Lift Off products were available in stores:

• Jigsaw puzzles
• Backsacks, an EC doll, and finger puppets of the Wakadoo characters and Rocky
• Greeting cards and gift wrap
• Lift Off clothes (T-shirts, shorts, skirts)
• Lift Off videos
• Music CDs and cassettes like Songs from Lift Off

Show's Popularity

Lift Off first aired on the ABC on May 8, 1992. It was shown multiple times a week, including Friday afternoons, weekday afternoons, and Saturday evenings. The show received a lot of fan mail from both children and adults, showing how much people loved it.

Re-airings

The show was very popular and was re-aired many times over the years:

• Lift Off was shown weekly on the ABC from July to September 1993.
• It was also re-aired in the afternoon weekday slot in 1994.
• Both Lift Off 1 and Lift Off 2 were shown again in 1995, including weekday afternoons and Sunday mornings.
• The show continued to be re-aired in various time slots on the ABC through 1996 and 1997.
• Lift Off 2 was repeated for the sixth time during school holidays in late 1998 and early 1999.
• The Disney Channel Australia also showed Lift Off 1 and Lift Off 2 twice daily on weekdays from 1999 to 2000.

International Sales

Lift Off was popular not just in Australia but also around the world:

• Both series were sold to TV12 Singapore and the first series to Television Airtime Services in Malaysia.
• Canal J, a children's channel in France, bought all 78 episodes and dubbed them into French.
• Coral Pictures distributed the series in Spanish-speaking countries, dubbing it into Spanish. It was then sold to broadcasters in Mexico, Panama, and Argentina.
• Middle East media bought the series for Arabic-speaking countries.
• FOXTEL acquired rights for its Fox Kids' Network in Australia.
• Lift Off 1 was sold to Sri Lanka and the Italian public broadcaster, RAI.
• Both series were sold to Le Canal Famille in Canada and Telemundo Network in the United States.
• The Disney Channel Australia acquired the series in 1999.
• GMTV in the United Kingdom and NRK Norway also licensed parts of the show.

Cast and Characters

Children

• Poss Burke – Played by Erin Pratten. She is the oldest Burke child and big sister to Nipper and Annie.
• Nipper Burke – Played by Paul Cheyne. He is Poss's younger brother and Annie's older brother.
• Annie Burke – Played by Nikita Plummer (Series 2). She is the youngest Burke child and was known as "Baby Annie" before Series 2.
• Paul Jordan – Played by Luke Carroll. He is Aku's older half-brother and the oldest Jordan child.
• Aku Jordan – Played by Aku Bielicki. She is Paul's younger half-sister and the youngest Jordan child.
• Turbo Garcia – Played by Heber Yerien (Series 1). He is Max's older brother and helped Snap Jordan with her "fix it" business.
• Max Garcia – Played by Robert Peschel. He is Turbo's younger brother and uses a hearing aid.
• Marco Ponti – Played by Mario Filintatzis (Series 2). He is Raph's older brother and sometimes uses a wheelchair. His family moved into the Garcia's apartment in Series 2.
• Raph Ponti – Played by Jared Daperis (Series 2). He is Marco's younger brother. His family also moved into the Garcia's apartment in Series 2.
• Kim Stinson – Played by Maria Nguyen. She is an adopted Asian girl and the Stinson's only child.

Adults

• Jenny Burke – Played by Madeleine Blackwell. She is the mother of Poss, Nipper, and Annie.
• Ted Burke – Played by David Sandford. He is the father of Poss, Nipper, and Annie, and works as a musician.
• Snap Jordan – Played by Aku Kadogo (Series 1). She is Aku's biological mother and Paul's step-mother. She ran a "fix it" business.
• James Jordan – Played by Lafe Charlton (Series 2). He is Paul's and Aku's biological father and took over the "fix it" business in Series 2.
• Teresa Garcia – Played by Irini Pappas (Series 1). She is Turbo's and Max's mother.
• Ricardo Garcia – Played by Petru Gheorghiu (Series 1). He is Turbo's and Max's father.
• Carla Ponti – Played by Nadia Coreno (Series 2). She is Marco's and Raph's mother.
• Franco Ponti – Played by John Orcsik (Series 2). He is Marco's and Raph's father and works as a firefighter.
• Stella Stinson – Played by Louise Le Nay. She is Kim's adoptive mother and a real estate agent.
• Harry Stinson – Played by Alan Fletcher. He is Kim's adoptive father and an architect.
• Mr. (Seymour) Fish – Played by Mark Mitchell. He was a very strict caretaker of the apartment building. He often yelled at the children and used "no" signs. In the final episode, he learned a lesson about kindness after taking EC.
• "Mumsy" Fish – Also played by Mark Mitchell. She is Mr. Fish's mother who often visited him. She treated him like a child, which embarrassed him.

Puppet Characters

• Lotis – Voiced by Julie Forsyth. Lotis is a smart, magical lift that tries to help the children with their problems. However, she sometimes struggles to understand complex human feelings.
• Beverley – A one-eyed plant in the apartment lobby. She shows short documentary clips related to the episode's topic.
• EC – Short for "Every Child" (and sometimes "Elizabeth and Charlie"). EC is a magical rag doll designed to be gender-neutral so more kids could relate to them.
• Rocky the Frill-Necked Lizard – The leader of a group of frilled-necked lizards. Rocky spies on humans ("two-footers") and shares his funny observations with his colony.
• The Backsacks – These are the children's backpacks that come to life and talk through their zipper mouths. Each of the seven children has one, and they all have unique personalities based on their names. When Max and Turbo moved, their backsacks (Gabblesak and Grumblesak) were passed to Raph and Marco. Paul's backsack (Dippisak) was given to Annie when he got older.
  • Rapsak: Poss's backsack, with a Rastafarian accent.
  • Snapsak: Nipper's backsack, with an old-fashioned, posh accent and animal print.
  • Dippisak: Paul's backsack (Series 1) and Annie's (Series 2). He is shy and nervous.
  • Tweesak: Aku's backsack, with a clear Georgian British accent.
  • Grumblesak: Turbo's backsack (Series 1) and Marco's (Series 2). They have a bit of an attitude and see themselves as the "grandmaster" of the backsacks.
  • Gabblesak: Max's backsack (Series 1) and Raph's (Series 2). He has one eye and an American accent, and can be very loud.
  • Scruffsak: Kim's backsack. He is a bit messy and sees negative things as positive.

Wakadoo Café Puppet Characters

• Boris: The most unpleasant of the three pigs.
• Morris: Slightly less annoying than Boris.
• Doris: The only female pig, but just as irritating as Boris and Morris.
• Wolf: An entertainer who works with the pigs, despite their love/hate relationship. He seems self-centered but has a kind side.
• Boss: The strict manager of the café, whose real name is Hortense. She has an upper-class Australian accent and wears a golden crown.
• Nearly: A kind but clumsy and "hairy" character in charge of drinks. He can get sad and is nervous around others.
• Zelda: Nearly's sister, a popular waitress.
• Cook: A French chef who is very sensitive about his cooking but respected by others.
• Lonely: A quiet and shy character who seems to have no friends but claims to be waiting for someone.
• Oscar the Orange Ocelot: A criminal in disguise who frames others. He was once Lonely's friend.

Episodes

Lift Off had two series with a total of 78 episodes.

Series 1 (1992)

• Episode 1 and 2: A Load of Old Rubbish (May 8, 1992)
• Episode 3 and 4: Destroy (May 15, 1992)
• Episode 5 and 6: Which One? (May 22, 1992)
• Episode 7 and 8: That's Not Fair (May 29, 1992)
• Episode 9 and 10: Because It Feels Good (June 5, 1992)
• Episode 11 and 12: Into The Unknown (June 12, 1992)
• Episode 13 and 14: Once I Grew (June 19, 1992)
• Episode 15 and 16: Something Tells Me (June 26, 1992)
• Episode 17 and 18: The Wheel Turns (July 3, 1992)
• Episode 19 and 20: Out of Order (July 10, 1992)
• Episode 21 and 22: Above and Beyond (July 17, 1992)
• Episode 23 and 24: I Can! (July 24, 1992)
• Episode 25 and 26: Remember (July 31, 1992)
• Episode 27 and 28: Clash (August 7, 1992)
• Episode 29 and 30: For Sale (August 14, 1992)
• Episode 31 and 32: Face (August 21, 1992)
• Episode 33 and 34: Going Under (August 28, 1992)
• Episode 35 and 36: Illusion Is All (September 4, 1992)
• Episode 37 and 38: Beneath The Skin (September 11, 1992)
• Episode 39 and 40: Real Friends (September 18, 1992)
• Episode 41 and 42: Lost (September 25, 1992)
• Episode 43 and 44: Funday (October 2, 1992)
• Episode 45 and 46: No Entry (October 9, 1992)
• Episode 47 and 48: Wanting (October 16, 1992)
• Episode 49 and 50: Threads (October 23, 1992)
• Episode 51 and 52: All Together Now (October 30, 1992)

Series 2 (1995)

Series two started on February 17, 1995.

• Episode 53 and 54: Brand New (February 17 and 20, 1995)
• Episode 55 and 56: Under Pressure (February 21 and 22, 1995)
• Episode 57 and 58: What's Missing (February 23 and 24, 1995)
• Episode 59 and 60: My World (February 27 and 28, 1995)
• Episode 61 and 62: Would I Lie (March 1 and 2, 1995)
• Episode 63 and 64: Give and Take (March 3 and 6, 1995)
• Episode 65 and 66: Far Out (March 7 and 8, 1995)
• Episode 67 and 68: Out of This World (March 9 and 10, 1995)
• Episode 69 and 70: Shape I'm In (March 13 and 14, 1995)
• Episode 71 and 72: Heroes (March 15 and 16, 1995)
• Episode 73 and 74: In Your Shoes (March 17 and 20, 1995)
• Episode 75 and 76: Not Alone (March 21 and 22, 1995)
• Episode 77 and 78: From Where I Stand (March 23 and 24, 1995)

Other Lift Off Projects

Lift Off Live! The Musical

Lift Off Live! The Musical brought together popular parts of the TV show while keeping its educational focus. It opened in Sydney in January 1995 and then toured other Australian cities in 1996. The musical was based on the Wakadoo Café and told a story about friendship and challenges. Mr. Fish and Lotis stumbled into the café, and Mr. Fish tried to cause trouble, but EC and the audience tried to stop him. The musical featured nine new songs.

EC Plays Lift Off

EC Plays Lift Off was a 13-episode game show connected to Lift Off. It was filmed in December 1993. Mark Mitchell, who played Mr. Fish, hosted the game show. EC was the main character who started the show. The Wolf and the three pigs from the Wakadoo Café also appeared, watching the game from home. In each episode, two teams of children aged 6 to 11 played games related to Lift Off. The first team to cover their game board with patches won. The show aired on the ABC in 1994 and was re-aired in 1995.

Lift Off to Fire Safety

A special video and book package called Lift Off to Fire Safety was launched in October 1995. This package was sent for free to every primary school in Australia during National Fire Safety Week. It was created to teach children about fire safety. A competition was also held for schools, with prizes of fire safety products.

Lift Off Interactive and Online Resources

In 1997, a test version of a Lift Off game for CD-ROM was created. This project aimed to train students and explore making a commercial product. There was also "Teachers Online," a website with learning activities based on Lift Off and other shows. These activities were linked to national school curriculum guidelines.

Awards and Nominations

Lift Off and Lift Off 2 won and were nominated for several awards.

Music and Videos

Lift Off released several music albums and videos.

Music Albums

• Songs from Lift Off 1 (1992) – ABC Music
• More Songs from Lift Off 2 (1992) – ABC Music
• Wakadoo Cafe (1993) – ABC Music
• EC's Favourite Songs (1993) – ABC Music
• Songs and Stories from Lift Off (1994) – ABC Music
• Wakadoo Rap and Other Songs and Stories from Lift Off 2 (1995) – ABC Music
• Brand New Songs from Lift Off (1995) – ABC Music
• Lift Off Live: Songs from the Musical (1995) – ACTF Records

Videos

• Lift Off at the Wakadoo Cafe (1992) – ABC Video
• The Story of EC (1992) – ABC Video
• Mr. Fish and Lotis (1992) – ABC Video
• The Animated Stories (1992) – ABC Video
• EC, Nipper and Aku (1993) – ABC Video
• Songs from Lift Off (1993) – ABC Video
• EC and the Lift Off Kids (1993) – ABC Video
• EC, Poss and Kim (1994) – ABC Video
• Imagine, EC and Me (1995) – ABC Video
• Lift Off To Fire Safety (1995) – ABC Video