Smile (TV series)

Infobox Television
show_name = Smile


caption = The "Smile" logo
format = Children's programme
picture_format = 16:9 (widescreen)
runtime = 2 hours, 30 minutes
presenter = Kirsten O'Brien
Barney Harwood
country = UK
network = BBC Two
first_aired = 1 September 2002
last_aired = 26 August 2007
num_episodes =
producer = Darrall Macqueen Ltd
related =
website =
imdb_id =
tv_com_id =

"Smile" was a British Sunday morning children's programme created by production company Darrall Macqueen Ltd for CBBC. It first aired in 2002 and was originally shown on the CBBC Channel. It was moved to BBC Two to make way for "Dick and Dom in da Bungalow". Although "Dick and Dom" finished in 2006, "Smile" never moved back to the CBBC Channel. The final programme was broadcast on 26 August 2007, from 7:30 until 10:00 on BBC Two.

how overview

Primarily a children's magazine programme featuring celebrity guests, "Smile" also encouraged audience participation through competitions and games. It won an Indie Award for its interactivity, going on later to win two Children's BAFTAs.

A number of cartoons and other programme acquisitions have been transmitted during "Smile" on a rotational basis. Principally these included: Arthur, Batfink, BB3B, Even Stevens, Jakers and The Likeaballs.

When the show first aired in 2002, it was likened to Saturday morning TV on a Sunday, except without an audience. It had celebrity guests, interviews, performances, games and 'built in' CBBC shows and cartoons. Eventually it became rather formulaic. As a result, the programme became more game oriented. To enable the show to evolve, further changes were made. In the revamp, Rochelle Wiseman was lost.

Between 2006 and 2007, "Smile" began to target the younger audience CBBC wanted to get, and with Barney and Kirsten now the two remaining presenters the show took on a battle of the sexes format. The celebrity guests and some items were dropped, although the cartoons remained, but the main significant change was that children were invited onto the set to take part.

Presenters

The original presenters were Fearne Cotton, Reggie Yates and Devin Griffin (credited as DJ Devstar). In 2003, Devin left to become a pop singer in the USA and was replaced by Barney Harwood. Soon after, when Fearne and Reggie left, Barney was joined by Kirsten O'Brien and Rochelle Wiseman, former S Club 8 singer. On 26 March 2006, Rochelle Wiseman left the "Smile" team of presenters.

Nev

The presenters have always been joined by a puppet known as Nev (Neville), who lives with Barney. Nev is a small, blue bear with patches in places and is missing part of his ear (due to the cat under his bed - Bandit - trying to eat him). Originally, the voice of Nev was prerecorded, and his limited vocabulary played in as appropriate. However, when Nev took on a more significant role in the show, puppeteer Ross Mullan was recruited to provide the voice live. As a consequence, Nev's voice in the studio sounded distinctly different from that in the many phone-in games used on the programme.

Nev loves socks, jam, Duckie, Barney and Kirsten, calling Kirsten "Krusty" (probably because he can't say "Kirsten"). The little bear often has trouble with pronunciation of certain words, he cannot sing but he can rap well. Nev likes dressing up and sleeping in, the former he usually gets to do during the programme, the latter he cannot do easily on Sundays "because" of the programme. His dislikes include baths and scary stories. When scared or intimidated, little Nev has been known to growl, just like a real bear would.

A 26-part sitcom starring Barney and Nev, "Bear Behaving Badly" commenced transmission on BBC One and the CBBC Channel on 3 September 2007. [citeweb|url=http://www.darrallmacqueen.com/flash/index.htm|title=News Flash|work=darrallmacqueen.com|accessdate=8 July|accessyear=2007]

Merchandise

Nev became so popular he has even been made into a cuddly toy and various other merchandise.

In 2005, the Nev the Bear talking toy hit the shops. The large toy said a number of catchphrases including "Fwightened" and "No no no no". A complaint was made against the toy with regard to the word "Quick", by an individual who believed he had heard a similar sounding profanity instead [citeweb|url=http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/tm_headline=teddy-swear&method=full&objectid=18196100&siteid=66633-name_page.html|title=Teddy Swear|work=Daily Record|date=2 December 2007|accessdate=4 January|accessyear=2008] A smaller version of the soft toy has since been released.

Nev's quotes

*"Happy Eater" (instead of "Happy Easter")
*"Hello, Ian" (instead of "Halloween")
*"Chrissy-mussy" (Nev's version of "Christmas")
*"Love you, Barney" "or" "Love you, Krusty."
*"Duckie!" "or" "Jam!"
*"No, no, no, no."
*"Tut, girls." "Or", "tut, boys."
*"Three, two, one...Jibadeeha" "or" "Three, two, one...Jam" "followed by" "Go, go, go, go!"
*"I win!!" (expressed even though he hasn't won anything nor is there anything to win)
*"Bonjour"
*"Oh, la, la."
*"Confused"
*"Fwightened."
*"Can't scare me" "or" "Can't bathe me."
*"Oops" "or" "Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear" "or" "Sorry, Barney" "or" "Sorry, Krusty."
*"Doggie"
*"Musley sun" (Nev's version of "Music Lesson", which he cannot pronounce)
*"Zibedeah"
*"Piggies"
*"BBBBBB!" (instead of "BB3B")
*"Rumble the crumble" (instead of "Rumble the Jumble")
*"No way Jose"
*"Yeah yeah!"
*"Snuggly Ducky Duck Duck"
*"double two! double two!" (when reading out the old "Smile" phone number)

Features and games

Throughout the duration of "Smile", a number of games were featured, including Bandit Bites, Bath the Bear, Drop Da Beatz, Nev It Up, Nev's Pie Jarmies, Nev's Socks, Rap It Up and What Do You Fink.

Games Games Games

This was a series of games that pitted boys against girls, competing for a prize. The losing team had to get into Nev's bath of gunge. The Games were Bear Pairs, Duckey Bounce, Nev's Jam Buster and Quick On The Draw.

Rumble the Jumble

The object of the game was to write down any letters which appeared at the bottom right-hand corner of the screen. Once all the letters were collected, they formed an anagram of another word which participants need to decipher. The next stage was to draw a picture of or make something representing the word. Competition entrants then sent in their work into the programme.

Dressing Up

Around the beginning of the show, Nev dressed up. Viewers were asked send in pictures of themselves dressed up in the same way. Dressing up included the following themes:people (clowns, grannies, pirates, waiters and The Doctor from "Doctor Who)"; animals (crabs, frogs, hedgehogs, owls); objects (garden gnomes, trains); food (Christmas puddings) and anything red for Comic Relief Red Nose Day.

Nev's Little Chefs

Every week on "Smile", kids showed Nev how to cook, with recipes including Apple Smiles, Breakfast Feast, Banana Lollies, BlueBeary Muffins, French Bread Pizza Boat, Jelly Beary Sundae, Nev's Biscuits, Nev's Mush, Watermelon Lemonade and World Cup Biscuits.

Nev Sports

Sports and activities featured on the programme included basketball, climbing, cricket, karate and tennis (during Wimbledon).

Digital

From 5 March 2006, digital viewers were able to press the red button to access an enhanced TV service called "Smile Backstage" which allows them to seamlessly switch between live action in the studio and behind-the scenes, using the left and right buttons on their TV remote control. Most of the action backstage is one of the presenters hanging out with "Smile"'s special guests and doing additional challenges, playing games and chatting. "Smile Backstage" was the first time that an interactive TV stream-switching application had been used on a live broadcast at the BBC. Previously, viewers could also watch an extra seven minutes of programme content after the end of the main show. "Smile" won the Interactive Award at the Children's BAFTAs in November 2005.

References

External links

* [http://www.darrallmacqueen.com Production company website]
* [http://www.nevtoys.com Official Nev the bear Merchandise Website]