The Sooty Show

Did You Know?

• In January 2008, a promotional DVD containing five early-1980s episodes was distributed by The Times newspaper for Fremantle Media.
• The episodes on that DVD were 'Bob a Job', 'Safety First', 'Sleep Walking', 'Connie Comes to Tea', and 'Sooty's Christmas Panto'.
• The comic strip based on Sooty was drawn by Gordon Hutchings.

History

Harry Corbett created The Sooty Show after his puppet character Sooty gained popularity on children's television and the BBC commissioned episodes. The programme was originally titled Sooty before being renamed. In 1967, Corbett disagreed with BBC producers over presentation, and after BBC1 controller Paul Fox cancelled the show, he moved it to ITV. Thames Television handled production from 1968. Corbett presented until his retirement in 1975, after which his son Matthew Corbett took over until the programme ended in 1992 when Thames lost its franchise.

Format

The Sooty Show used three formats over its run. The first, from 1955, resembled a cartoon short: Harry Corbett described a scenario that would go wrong, using slapstick humour with cream pies and water. Later episodes included Sweep and Soo. The second format, from the mid-1960s, added a studio with a live audience of children and incorporated music, storytelling, magic tricks, and guest stars. Harry maintained this format after moving to ITV, and Matthew continued it after taking over in 1976. In 1981, Matthew introduced a third format, a sitcom in which he, Sooty, Sweep, and Soo shared a suburban house. The studio audience and sketches were dropped in favour of a single misadventure per episode. Guest stars and music were retained, and narration was added for scenes with only the puppets. Storytelling was phased out over the 1980s. Educational elements appeared in some stories, and specially designed sets were created, such as a bathroom with miniature taps and a shower that dispensed running water.

Cast

Harry Corbett presented the show from 1955 to 1975, creating Sooty, Sweep, and Soo. He used a sketch-based format and ended episodes with the catchphrase 'Bye bye, everybody. Bye bye.' He later appeared as a guest during his son's era and received an OBE. Matthew Corbett took over in 1976, initially keeping the same format. From 1981, he changed the show to a sitcom and portrayed a well-meaning but sarcastic father figure. Marjorie Corbett voiced Soo from 1964 to 1981; she was replaced due to heavy smoking affecting her breath and making Soo sound too old. Brenda Longman voiced Soo from 1981 to 1992 and also made guest appearances. Sooty is a mute yellow bear who communicates by tapping surfaces, uses a magic wand, and says 'Izzy wizzy, let's get busy!' Sweep, a grey dog created in 1957, communicates with squeaks produced by a reed in his puppeteer's mouth.

Legacy

The Sooty Show was popular with children and helped build the Sooty franchise, leading to the sequel Sooty & Co. in 1993. An educational spin-off, Learn With Sooty, was produced for direct-to-video from 1989 to 1991. Stage shows featuring the puppets, Matthew Corbett, and Connie Creighton were also mounted. A short-run comic strip based on the character appeared in Playhour magazine between 1960 and 1961. Internationally, the show aired on ABC in Australia, TVNZ in New Zealand, and ABC in the United States.