Motormouth

Motormouth was a Saturday morning children's show made by TVS for the ITV network. It ran for four series, from 3 September 1988 to 4 April 1992. Like many main Saturday morning series of the time, each series typically ran from autumn to spring.

The show was created after the decision to cancel No. 73, which had occupied the same slot until early 1988. The final series of No. 73 had been revamped as 7T3, using a partly outdoor set, but this proved expensive and difficult to produce. The switch to a fully studio-based show led to Motormouth, produced at the same Maidstone Studios and sharing much of the production team and several presenters. Unlike No. 73, which had an ongoing narrative, Motormouth adopted a straightforward magazine format.

The first series’ studio set featured large inflatable elements, including a giant motorised mouth that gave the show its name. For the second series, sometimes billed as Motormouth II or Motormouth 2, new graphics and set pieces based on cogs and sprockets were introduced, and the giant mouth was used less.

The third series, briefly called All New Motormouth, had a mostly white set, new graphics, and a remixed theme tune. The giant mouth and all other inflatables were removed, and a diner-style set, sometimes called the Motormouth Cafe, was added, where guests and audience members sat at tables. This format and styling continued largely unchanged into the fourth series.

Presenters

The first series had five main presenters: Neil Buchanan and Andrea Arnold (both from No. 73), plus Caroline Hanson, Tony Gregory, and Julian Ballantyne. For the second series, Andrea Arnold stopped being a main presenter and instead filed location reports from around the world. Hanson and Ballantyne left, replaced by Gaby Roslin and Steve Johnson. Buchanan and Gregory stayed.

Generally, Buchanan, Gregory, and Roslin handled studio segments, while Johnson hosted the gameshow inserts It's Torture, Gunge 'em in the Dungeon, and Mouse Trap (based on the board game). By the third series, Arnold had left entirely, and Gregory departed, replaced by former Children’s BBC presenter Andy Crane. Crane, Buchanan, Roslin, and Johnson remained until the show ended.

Fictional elements

The first series included Spin-off, a soap opera parody set behind the scenes. Its cast featured Richard Waites, who had appeared in the final series of No. 73/7T3.