Allsorts (TV series)

History

Allsorts first appeared on ITV in January 1986, initially planned as a single series to fill the gap while the network's flagship children's show, Rainbow, took a break that year. The first run wrapped up in July, and while it drew a modest audience, Granada chose not to continue it. Instead, the network backed a cheaper and quicker-to-produce predecessor, the preschool series Our Backyard, which had been airing since August 1984. However, when Our Backyard failed to pull in enough viewers during its third run in late 1986, it was cancelled. Allsorts was revived for a second series in January 1987, and this time it clicked with both preschoolers and older kids, leading to seven more series before finally ending in 1995.

The show was known for its offbeat humor, songs, and storylines that the characters would uncover, solve, or simply enjoy. Andrew Wightman played Bonzo and Wayne Jackman played Jiffy throughout the entire run. They were originally joined by Vivienne Mckone as Natty and Virginia Radcliffe as Spike the Dog. Later, Natty and Spike were written out, and Radcliffe was promoted to the role of Virginia, taking Natty's place. In the early 1990s, Radcliffe left the cast and Jane Cox stepped in as JJ. Puppet characters eventually joined the lineup. The first was Box, a talking box operated by Julie Westwood. The last puppet added was Moudly the Mole, operated by Robert Skidmore, who co-built the puppet with Daryl Worby and also rebuilt Box.

In 1994, the series was rebranded as Gigglish Allsorts, complete with new titles, a new house, and new music. By then, though, viewership was slipping, even after the introduction of a zany Jack in the Box character played by Fred Feast. Granada felt the show had lost its spark. After a decade on air, the series was cancelled at the end of its ninth series in 1995, partly because Granada was cutting many of its low-budget programs. The final episode aired on 12 December 1995. Jane Cox later joined the cast of Emmerdale, and Andrew Wightman became the series producer for Granada's Stars in Their Eyes.