What Now

Infobox Television
show_name = What Now

format = Children's
camera = Multi-Camera
picture_format = PAL
runtime = 120 minutes (including promo breaks)
creator =
starring = Serena Rongonui, Charlie Panapa, Camilla the Gorilla, Tumehe Rongonui
opentheme = Get Out Your Lazy Bed
country = NZL
network = TV One 1981-1989
TV2 1989-present
first_aired = 1981
last_aired = present
website = http://www.whatnow.tv
imdb_id = 0179621
tv_com_id = |

"What Now" is a long running New Zealand children's program.It premiered in 1981. It is filmed before two live audiences, one in a studio in Christchurch and another via satellite from a different location each week.

The current show has cartoons such as "Class of 3000" and segments such as Game Zone, Spy Rider, and Film O Rama. There are also weekly competitions. It has a group of people who answer the phones between the current hours of 8:00AM and 10:00AM and they have been given the name "Teleops", a portmanteau of telephone and operator. They are there to enter the children who call the show into competitions and give them information.

History

"What Now" originally screened on Saturday mornings on TV ONE between 7:30AM and 10AM. Hosted by Steve Parr, he introduced segments covering morning keep-fit exercises, sketches involving recurring characters such as complaining old man Clive Grumble, simple recipes by Alison Holst, trivia from Frank Flash, law and safety with Constable Keith and Sniff, interspersed with regular cartoons. The theme song was "Get Out Your Lazy Bed", by Matt Bianco.

When Steve Parr left the show after a couple of years, the format changed to live broadcast, which allowed it to be more interactive. The hosts increased in number, usually to three, beginning with Danny Watson (from Spot On) and Michelle Bracey added, and Frank Flash (Alasdair Kincaid) given a more central comedic manic role. When Michelle left the show, she was succeeded by Michele A'Court. Comedy sketches, interactive phone calls and competitions with the viewing audience, plus magazine-style segments going out and about, all became a more central part of the format.

The style remained this way for many years, as hosts evolved and were replaced, until today where the format now involves live audiences of crowds of children, but still is closely faithful with the core concept established early on.

In 1989 the show moved to TV2 and then in 1996 to Sunday mornings. An after school version of "What Now" also ran on TV 2 during the week between 1997 and 2002.

The show was moved to TVNZ's Avalon studios in Lower Hutt in the late nineties until it was moved back to Christchurch in 2004.

In 2003 the afternoon show was canceled and replaced with the current children's afternoon TV show Studio 2.

Current Presenters

* Serena Rongonui
* Charlie Panapa
* Camilla the Gorilla
* Tumehe Rongonui

Previous Presenters

* Steve Parr
* Alasdair Kincaid, A.K.A. Frank Flash and The Answer Guy
* Danny Watson
* Michelle Bracey
* Michele A'Court
* Steven Zanoski
* Catherine McPherson
* Simon Barnett
* Stacey Daniels
* Fiona Anderson
* Anthony Samuels
* Jason Fa'foi
* Shavaughn Ruakere
* Steve Joll
* Danny Talbot
* Mike Carpenter (as the character Props Boy)
* Carolyn Taylor
* Vicki Lin
* Jason Gunn
* Thingee
* Darren Young
* Aaron
* Virginie Le Brun
* Tamati Coffey
* Richie Mills (as the character DJ Vinyl Richie)

External links

* [http://www.whatnow.tv/ What Now Official Site]
* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0179621/ What Now] at IMDB.
* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0298229/ What Now 20th Anniversary Special] at IMDB