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The DJ Kat Show facts for kids

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DJ Kat
No. of episodes N/A
Production
Running time 60 minutes
Release
Original network Sky One
Original release 1 September 1986 (1986-09-01) – 31 December 1995 (1995-12-31)

The DJ Kat Show was a popular children's TV programme. It featured a puppet named DJ Kat and his human friends. The show aired in Europe on channels like Sky Channel and Sky One. It ran for many years, from September 1, 1986, to December 31, 1995. Every weekday, and later on weekends, kids could watch it. The show was famous for showing lots of imported cartoon series. There was also a different version of The DJ Kat Show made for the United States. This article focuses on the original European show.

Meet DJ Kat: The Cool Cat Puppet

DJ Kat was a fun puppet who wore a black leather jacket. He loved to play his records and was a real DJ! He also had some funny habits, like eating junk from trash cans. His favorite meal was a jar of peas and carrots mashed together. For a drink, he liked milk in a dirty glass.

When the show started, DJ Kat would say his famous line: "This is the DJ Kat show and I am DJ Kat...that's my name. It's a D and a J and a Kat with a K." The reason "Kat" is spelled with a "K" is because the Dutch word for "cat" is spelled with a "k." One of the show's first presenters, Linda de Mol, was Dutch.

The first person to control and voice DJ Kat was a puppeteer named Robert 'Robbie' Hahn. DJ Kat often mentioned working on a project for someone named Millhouse, but this character was never seen on the show. Later, another British puppeteer, Don Austen, took over playing DJ Kat. He performed the character for five more years, appearing in over 2000 episodes! The show even won an award called the PACE Satellite Award.

The Presenters: Linda, Steffie, and Treen

When The DJ Kat Show began in 1986, Linda de Mol was DJ Kat's co-host. She later became a well-known TV presenter in Germany and hosted other shows, including the original Dutch version of Deal or No Deal.

In 1989, the show's production moved from the Netherlands to London. Linda de Mol left the show without much explanation. Her last episode was shown on February 3, 1989.

The very next Monday, a new co-host named Steffanie Pitt, also known as "Steffie," joined DJ Kat. A new puppet character, a mouse called 'Yummy Tickle Mouse,' also joined the fun. Steffie left the show on September 8, 1989. Around this time, Robbie Hahn, the original DJ Kat puppeteer, passed the role to Don Austen. Robbie Hahn then went back to the Netherlands to work with Linda de Mol on a similar show called De Billy Hotdog Show.

After Steffie, Catrina Hylton-Hull, known as "Treen," became the new presenter on September 11, 1989. She was quite popular at first. The show tried new things, like adding comedy sketches, to keep viewers interested. Catrina stayed for three years.

A New Look for The DJ Kat Show (1992–1995)

In 1992, after Catrina Hylton-Hull left, The DJ Kat Show got a big makeover. It had a brand new studio set, a new theme song, and new opening titles. The refreshed show started airing on July 13, 1992.

The main co-presenters for this new version were Simon Jermond and singer Marcelle Duprey, also known as "Marcie." Joe Greco often filled in as a host. Simon Jermond left after a year in July 1993, as he decided TV presenting wasn't for him. Joe Greco then became a full-time host until the show ended in 1995. Other guest stars, like Alison Way and Jacqueline Pirie, also appeared regularly. New games were added, like 'Katz Alley' and 'Joke Machine,' where viewers could call in and win prizes.

This new format helped the show become popular again. Don Austen (as DJ Kat), Joe Greco, and Marcelle Duprey continued to host. In September 1994, a Saturday spin-off show called 'KTV' was launched. This new show focused more on documentary-style features for kids and funny sketch parodies. Some popular sketches included 'General Accident' (a spoof of General Hospital) and 'Arthur Square' (a take-off of EastEnders). Jacqueline Pirie showed off her acting skills in these sketches. A Sunday version of The DJ Kat Show was also created, usually featuring just DJ Kat and Joe Greco.

Why The Show Ended (1995)

By 1995, fewer people were watching The DJ Kat Show. The people who made the show felt it had run its course, meaning they thought it was time for it to end. In August 1995, Sky One announced that the show would be cancelled at the end of the year.

One of the main reasons for the drop in viewers was that the writers were running out of new ideas for scripts. They had started to reuse old ones.

The very last episode aired on December 31, 1995. In January 1996, a new breakfast TV show called Boiled Egg & Soldiers replaced it, but it didn't last very long.

The American Version of DJ Kat

An American version of The DJ Kat Show started in New York City on November 28, 1987. This show was set in a clubhouse in the basement of the TV station. DJ Kat, a witty cat puppet, and his comedy assistant, Elizabeth Rose, would read letters from viewers and perform funny skits. They showed reruns of cartoons like Woody Woodpecker and Looney Tunes. DJ Kat always wanted to be the biggest star at the TV station!

Comic actor and puppeteer Jim Martin created and voiced the American DJ Kat. Steve Howard produced and helped write the show. Over time, more live-action segments were added, and the cartoons were shortened. Jim Martin and Elizabeth Rose eventually left the show. Craig Marin and Carmen De La Paz took over as the new hosts and performers.

The American DJ Kat Show was first seen on Saturday mornings. Then, it moved to Sunday mornings starting January 3, 1988. The cartoons were removed, and the show focused on stories where DJ Kat and "Jennifer Davis" (Carmen De La Paz) tried to host the show despite problems caused by their boss, "Mr. Midas G. Merkle," and other troublemakers.

The DJ Kat Show stayed on WNYW until December 24, 1988. After that, DJ Kat and other puppets appeared in short segments during the station's weekday afternoon cartoon shows until March 1991.

Cartoons Aired on The DJ Kat Show

The show was famous for featuring many different cartoons. Here are some of the cartoons that aired:

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