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wknd@stv facts for kids
| wknd@stv | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Children |
| Presented by | Johnny Pender Kim Neill |
| Theme music composer | Rage Music |
| Country of origin | Scotland |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of series | 2 |
| Production | |
| Production location(s) | STV Studios, Pacific Quay, Glasgow |
| Running time | 60 – 180 minutes (including adverts) |
| Production company(s) | STV Studios |
| Release | |
| Original network | STV |
| Picture format | 16:9 |
| Original release | 17 January – 20 September 2009 |
| Chronology | |
| Related shows | Weans' World (STV Glasgow/Edinburgh) |
wknd@stv was a special block of children's TV shows on the Scottish channel STV. It aired on Saturdays and Sundays. The shows usually started at 9:25 AM. The very first episode began on January 17, 2009. It was a long show, lasting three hours! Most episodes were one to two hours long.
The first set of shows was planned for 12 weeks. But STV decided to keep it going longer. This first series ended on June 21, just before summer holidays. A second series of wknd@stv started on August 15, 2009. This second run lasted for six weeks. It finished on September 20, 2009.
Contents
What Was wknd@stv?
wknd@stv showed many different types of programs. These included fun cartoons and exciting live-action shows. There were also cool game shows. Many of these were older shows made by STV or its related companies. Some shows were also imported, meaning they came from other countries. For example, Flying Rhino Junior High was a show STV helped make before wknd@stv started.
How wknd@stv Was Different
When wknd@stv began, the main ITV network was not showing kids' programs on weekend mornings. Later, ITV brought back its own kids' block called CITV. STV chose to show wknd@stv first. They would then show the CITV block later. Sometimes, if there wasn't enough time, STV would skip the CITV block completely. This was so they could show their own local program.
Sometimes, STV could only show wknd@stv on Saturdays. This happened when the ITV network schedule made it hard for STV to change things on Sundays.
How the Shows Looked
The parts of the show with the presenters were filmed in a modern widescreen format (16:9). Some of the older cartoons and shows were made in an older format (4:3). These older shows were adjusted to fit the screen better. They had colored bars on the sides. Newer shows made in widescreen did not need any changes.
The way wknd@stv was put together was like a mix tape. It had programs, but also short clips, funny skits, and features. These were all linked by the presenters. This style was similar to how Channel 4's T4 block worked.
In 2015, STV started a new children's block called "Weans' World". This new block showed many of the same programs that were on wknd@stv. However, "Weans' World" did not have presenters. The shows were introduced by a voice-over announcer instead.
Meet the Presenters
The show was hosted by two Scottish teenagers. Their names were Kimberley Neill, known as Kim, and Jonathon Pender, known as Johnny.
At first, Kim and Johnny only presented on Saturdays. Another young pair, Caitlin Murphy and Nathan Byrne, hosted on Sundays. But after April 5, 2009, Caitlin and Nathan were no longer on the show. From then on, Kim and Johnny presented all the episodes. Even after they left, videos recorded by Caitlin and Nathan were still available on the show's website.
Featured Programs
Here is a list of some of the shows that were broadcast as part of wknd@stv. Some of these programs, like Uncle Dad and Twister, were not shown in the first run of episodes. Some of these shows also appeared on the national CITV block or the CITV channel.