Live & Kicking facts for kids

Live & Kicking
Genre	Children's
Presented by	Andi Peters (1993–96) Emma Forbes (1993–96) Jamie Theakston (1996–99) Zoe Ball (1996–99) Steve Wilson (1999–2000) Emma Ledden (1999–2000) Ortis Deley (2000–01) Katy Hill (2000–01) Sarah Cawood (2000–01) Trey Farley (2000–01) Heather Suttie (2001)
Starring	John Barrowman (1993–95) Trevor and Simon (1993–97) Don Austen (1994–2000) John Eccleston (1994–2000)
Voices of	Mitch Johnson (1995–2000)
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language(s)	English
No. of series	8
No. of episodes	260
Production
Running time	180–195 minutes
Release
Original network	BBC1
Picture format	4:3 (1993–2000) (2000–01)
Original release	2 October 1993 (1993-10-02) – 15 September 2001 (2001-09-15)

Live & Kicking was a super popular British children's television series. It aired on BBC1 every Saturday morning. The show ran from October 2, 1993, to September 15, 2001.

It took over from another show called Going Live!. Live & Kicking kept many fun parts from that show. These included phone-ins, exciting games, funny comedy, and cool competitions. It also showed lots of cartoons.

The show became very popular during its fourth series. This was when Zoe Ball and Jamie Theakston were the main presenters. Their very last show even won a BAFTA award! Later, the show's popularity dropped. This happened when SMTV Live started on ITV. Live & Kicking eventually ended in 2001.

What Was Live & Kicking Like?

Live & Kicking was a weekly TV show. It was broadcast every Saturday morning. The show usually ran from September to April. For its last series, it was on all year! It was made for young people, like you.

The show had lots of cool things to watch. There were live music performances. Famous guests answered "hot seat" questions. Kids could call in and talk on TV. There were also fun games and comedy sketches. You could enter competitions and watch cartoons. The show's catchy slogans were "Miss it, miss out" and "The only way to start your weekend."

Meet the Regulars and Fun Segments

Besides the main presenters, some other people were always on the show. These included the comedy duo Trevor and Simon. Later, Ben, Gez, and Rich from The Cheese Shop joined. Another funny act was SuperGirly.

One popular game in the early series was Run the Risk. It was like a game from Going Live! called Double Dare. Teams of kids had to complete obstacle courses. They faced tricky challenges. Often, Gunge was used to make the tasks even harder and messier! Run The Risk later became its own separate show.

From 1994 to 2000, there was a showbiz part called the Electric Circus. This segment shared news about the latest films, music, and computer games. It also had celebrity gossip. John Barrowman first presented it. After him, many different people hosted this section.

Characters and Changes Over Time

In the first series, a computer-animated cat head named "Ratz" announced things. But this idea was dropped. Instead, a human announcer named Mitch Johnson took over. He gave commentary and linked different parts of the show. Mitch also talked with the audience and the presenters.

From the second series, two puppet leprechauns became regulars. Viewers later named them Sage and Onion. Don Austen and John Eccleston brought them to life. They performed funny sketches throughout the morning. They often chatted with the people in the studio.

Another funny character was Mr Blobby. He first appeared in the third series. Mr Blobby had been on Noel's House Party before. For the final series, many regular features were removed. The show got a fresh new look. One thing that stayed the same was the jingle for the phone number!

Beyond the TV Show

Live & Kicking wasn't just a TV show. It also released a music CD. This CD had the best songs sung live on the program. A video game was also created. It was called Live and Kicking: Showmaker. In the game, you could mix parts of the show to create your own TV production. A monthly magazine was also made. However, sales of the magazine went down as the show lost viewers.

Other Versions of the Show

For series five and six, there was a shorter version of the show. It aired on Friday afternoons. This was called L&K Friday. It only lasted for two series. Jamie Theakston and Zoe Ball hosted the first series. Steve Wilson and Liz Fraser hosted the second.

There was also a 90-minute version of the show. It aired on BBC Choice. This version was called L&K Replay.

In May 2000, a special one-off show aired. It was during the summer break. This special was called Music Live & Kicking. It was part of the BBC's Music Live event. Steve Wilson and Emma Ledden returned to host. Future presenter Ortis Deley and special guest Stephen Gately from Boyzone also joined. This special show focused on music performances. It was also the first time the show was broadcast in widescreen!

One of the last features was L&K Castaway. This was inspired by the BBC reality show Castaway 2000. Each week, six kids spent four days on a remote Scottish island. They learned survival skills. They earned points by passing tasks. But they lost points if they went into the "Temptation Hut." This hut had modern gadgets like TVs and game consoles.

Show History and Key Moments

Live & Kicking started on October 2, 1993. The first presenters were Andi Peters, Emma Forbes, and John Barrowman. Trev and Simon joined them for comedy. Emma Forbes and Trev and Simon had also been on the show Going Live!.

New Characters and Games

In 1995, the two leprechaun puppets appeared. Viewers later named them 'Sage and Onion' in a competition. They were created by Darryl Worbey Studios. Don Austen and John Eccleston operated them. These puppeteers had also worked on ITV's What's Up Doc?.

The computer game for the 1995 series was Snuffle the Truffles. Viewers guided a pig to eat truffles in a pigpen. Trev and Simon also invited guests to review videos in the Video Galleon.

Changes in Presenters and Set

The last show before the 1996 summer break saw Andi Peters and Emma Forbes leave. The program returned in September 1996. New presenters Zoë Ball and Jamie Theakston took over. Many new features were added too.

In 1997, the show got a new set. It kept the same shape but was curvier and bigger. This happened when the show moved to the larger Studio 6. This series also introduced Ben Ward, Richard Webb, and Gerard Foster. They were known as Ben, Gez, and Rich from The Cheese Shop. They took over the comedy from Trev and Simon.

The computer game for this series was Grabbit Rabbit. In this game, you guided 'Warren the Rabbit' down a course. You collected carrots and dodged obstacles. Blake Harrison from The Inbetweeners once told Zoë Ball he played Grabbit Rabbit as a kid!

More Changes and Famous Guests

In September 1998, the leprechaun Mr Onion was temporarily written out. The story was he got swept down the plughole! This was because his puppeteer, John Eccleston, was in Australia filming Farscape. A new leprechaun puppet named 'Shamrock' joined instead. Rebecca Nagan voiced Shamrock.

On October 3, 1998, future Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe was in the audience. He even asked The Chuckle Brothers a question during The Hot Seat segment! The final show before the summer break saw Ball and Theakston leave. They were interviewed by Michael Parkinson about their time on the show. This episode later won a Children's BAFTA award in November 1999.

New Presenters and Final Series

Live & Kicking returned in September 1999. New presenters Steve Wilson and Emma Ledden joined. Many new features were added. But unlike before, many didn't last long. Mr Onion the leprechaun returned. Shamrock also stayed, so there were three leprechaun puppets!

A new comedy duo called Supergirly joined in January 2000. They filled the spot left by Ben, Gez, and Rich. Supergirly was made up of Louise McClatchy and Jai Simeone. They played rude BBC make-up artists in their sketches.

October 2000 brought big changes. The set was completely new. There were new opening titles and a new version of the theme song. Mr Blobby, the Leprechauns, Supergirly, Renoir, and Mitch were all removed. Now, there were four presenters instead of two: Katy Hill, Ortis Deley, Trey Farley, and Sarah Cawood. The show also added more gunge-based games. A new game called Sacrifice Your Family was played on the roof of BBC Television Centre. Sarah Cawood hosted it, with two families competing.

From April 21, 2001, Live & Kicking moved to BBC Scotland in Glasgow. Trey Farley, Sarah Cawood, and Ortis Deley were joined by Heather Suttie. She replaced Katy Hill. The very last show was on September 15, 2001. Many old features and presenters returned. Mr Sage and Mr Onion, the leprechauns, even said they were the longest-serving presenters! The final show ended with a montage of the best moments. The pop group Steps performed their song "It's The Way You Make Me Feel" live.

Why the Show Ended

Many people think the series with Zoe Ball and Jamie Theakston was the most popular time for Live & Kicking. After they left in 1999, Emma Ledden and Steve Wilson took over. They didn't know each other well at first. So, they didn't have the same easy chemistry as Ball and Theakston.

At the same time, SMTV Live on ITV was becoming very popular. It was broadcast at the same time. SMTV Live started to gain the viewers that Live & Kicking was losing. After just one series, Ledden and Wilson's contracts were not renewed.

Steve Wilson later said they were just starting to get along when they were dropped. He felt that Ant & Dec, the presenters of SMTV Live, had an advantage because they had known each other for much longer. Wilson decided it was better to leave after one good series. He even appeared on SMTV Live's 100th show in a funny skit!

When Live & Kicking returned in October 2000, it was completely changed. It had new titles and four presenters. But these changes didn't bring back viewers. The presenters didn't seem to connect well. The BBC decided not to end the show in April as usual. This was because its summer replacement, FBi, had lost even more viewers. Live & Kicking continued until September after moving to Glasgow.

Just before the move, it was announced that it would be the final series. The main reason was the growing loss of viewers to SMTV Live. SMTV Live had a similar format and was more successful. Live & Kicking was replaced by The Saturday Show. This new show was hosted by Dani Behr and Joe Mace. It aired all year round until 2003. Then, it shared time with Dick and Dom in da Bungalow.

Live & Kicking was also featured in a BBC program in 2006. It was called It Started with Swap Shop. In that show, Noel Edmonds interviewed the first presenters, Andi Peters and Emma Forbes. They talked about their time on the show.

What Happened After Live & Kicking?

On November 16, 2001, parts of the old Live & Kicking set were used again. This was for BBC Scotland's Children in Need telethon. They removed all the L&K logos. The old gunge tank, beanbag area, and performance stage were used one last time.

In 2004, former presenters Katy Hill and Trey Farley got married! They had presented the show together in Series 8. They had two children, a daughter named Kaya Skye (born 2006) and a son named Akira (born 2007).

In 2009, Zoë Ball and Jamie Theakston reunited. They had presented the show together from 1996 to 1999. They hosted a new game show for Channel 5. It was called Britain's Best Brain.

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