Wizadora facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Wizadora |
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Cover of one of the Wizadora video releases, showing Tatty Bogle and Wizadora
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| Created by | Don Arioli Carolyne Cullum |
| Starring | Maria Gough(1991) Wendy van der Plank (1993–96) Lizzie McPhee (1997) Steven Ryde (1994–97) Brian Murphy Tessa Hatts Joe Greco (1993) Emma Amos (1991) |
| No. of episodes | 204 |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | Janie Grace |
| Running time | 10 (oxford series) 15 for first ITV Series, 9 series 2-6 |
| Release | |
| Original network | SWR (1991) ITV Network (CITV) (1993–1998) |
| Original release | 15 September 1991 – 3 November 1991 (Oxford series) – 5 January 1993 –18 December 1997 (CITV) |
Wizadora is a fun children's TV show created by Don Arioli and Carolyne Cullum. It first aired in 1991 on SWR in Germany. The show was originally used to help people learn English. Later, in 1993, the series came to the United Kingdom on ITV.
Contents
Who Are the Main Characters?
The show features many interesting characters, mostly living in or around Wizadora's magical kitchen!
- Wizadora – She's the main character, a wizard who is still learning her magic. In the very first episode, she gets her magic wand. Sometimes, her spells don't quite go as planned! Because of her magic, some things in her kitchen can talk. Wizadora often talks directly to the audience, asking for help with her spells. Her famous sayings include "Oh, botheration!" and "Time for a bit of Wizzification!".
Wizadora's friends and companions include:
- Tatty Bogle – A scarecrow who lives in Wizadora's garden. He's a bit silly and often mixes up his words. Tatty Bogle was played by Joe Greco (1993) and Steven Ryde (1994–1997).
- Stan the Shopkeeper – He often delivers new magical items from a catalogue. Stan is very careful around Wizadora's spells. He was played by Brian Murphy.
- Pippa the Postwoman – She delivers mail on her bicycle and often gets tired from her rounds. Tessa Hatts played Pippa.
- Top, Sticky, and Bottom – These are three talking drawer people who look a bit like socks. Wizadora calls them "a real nuisance" because they are very naughty. They love to tease other characters like Hangle and Filbert. They often try to steal food or cause trouble when Wizadora isn't looking. Wizadora usually zaps them back into their drawers with her wand to stop their mischief.
- Phoebe – A talking telephone. In the ITV series, Phoebe was a life-sized model phone. She can answer calls, take messages, and even speak different languages!
- Filbert – (Seen in ITV Series 1–5) A squeaking vegetable who is also learning magic. He was born from a seed in the first ITV series. Filbert loves watering plants and was good friends with Tatty. He started by talking in gibberish but later learned to speak English. Filbert meant well but often caused trouble, like accidentally washing all of Wizadora's spell books!
- Hangle – A purple coat hanger who calls himself a "cloak hanger." He wears a yellow raincoat, glasses, and has a purple moustache. Hangle is very keen on cleaning and can be quite bossy.
- Very Old Fish – A wise, talking male fish who tells stories about his life.
- Poot – (Seen in ITV Series 2 onwards) Wizadora's computer. Poot often helps Wizadora find answers to her questions.
- Nigel the Snail – (Seen in ITV Series 2 onwards) A blue snail who lives with Very Old Fish.
- The Crows – (Seen in Series 3 onwards) Two crows named Boris and Horace who often cause trouble for Tatty Bogle in the garden.
- Roxy – (Introduced in 1996) A friendly talking spider who lives in Tatty's treehouse.
- Dusty – A creature who lives under the fridge. He has a very loud, operatic singing voice and is usually sleeping.
Who Else Helped Make the Show?
Many talented people worked behind the scenes to bring Wizadora to life. Puppeteers like Phil Eason, Francis Wright, Michael Bayliss, and others helped make the characters move and seem real.
The ITV series was made by Workhouse and North Pole Productions for Meridian Broadcasting. It was filmed at The Fountain Studios in New Malden. David Crozier directed many episodes. The catchy theme music was created by Dave Hutton, who was also a cameraman for the show.
When Did Wizadora Air?
The Wizadora show had a total of eight series. Seven of these were for ITV.
- The episodes in Series 1 (Oxford) were about 10 minutes long.
- The first ITV series had 15-minute episodes.
- From Series 2 onwards, episodes were about 9 minutes long.
The Oxford series aired from September to November 1991. The ITV series ran from January 1993 to December 1997.
On January 5, 2013, one episode of Wizadora was shown again on CITV as part of a special celebration for the channel's 20th anniversary. This was the first time the show had been broadcast in the UK since the early 2000s. You can now watch episodes from the first ITV series on BritBox!
Where Can You Watch Wizadora Now?
Some old VHS tapes of Wizadora episodes were released in the mid-1990s. These included episodes from the first and third ITV series.
- Wizadora – The Magic Parcel (1993)
- Wizadora – A Colourful Day (1993)
- Wizadora – Mops and Bicycles (1993)
- Wizadora – Wellingtons and Snails (1994)
There were also "My Little Wizadora" tapes and releases from Astrion Video.
The original Oxford series is still used today to help children learn English as a second language. You can still find DVDs, books, and audio tapes of this version online. There's even a free app that was made in 2016! The German SWR Television Educational Programmes also have a website with Wizadora films and games for schools. You can find free educational games based on the series on www.wizadora.de.
Was There a New Version of Wizadora?
In 2003, a company called Entertainment Rights made a short pilot episode for a new version of Wizadora. This new show was planned for Channel 5's Milkshake! section. Anne Foy played Wizadora in this pilot.
The new version used an updated theme tune and tried to keep the look of the original set. However, the characters were given new designs, and new minor characters were added. This pilot used a lot of CGI (computer animation) and special effects. Unfortunately, the new series was not picked up, reportedly because it would have been too expensive to make.
Even though the ITV series isn't planned to return, the original Oxford series continues to be used for teaching.
