Razzledazzle Explained

Genre:Children's television series
Education
Director:Justine Hallside
Champa Swift
Emyr Roberts (voice)
Siân Telfi (for Siânco)
Starring:Patrick Lynch
Sarah Hope
Bethen Marlow
Mina Anwar
Rachel Scorgie (Welsh version)
Theme Music Composer:Ben Lee Delisle
Composer:Ben Lee Delisle
Endtheme:The "Not So Long Song"
Country:United Kingdom
Language:English
Num Series:2
Num Episodes:20
Executive Producer:Clare Elstow
Producer:Steve Cannon
Cinematography:Unknown
Camera:Nigel Powell
Bart Baker
Runtime:20 minutes per episode (approx.)
Company:BBC
The Hive (animation)
Siânco (dubbing)
Network:CBeebies

Razzledazzle is a short-lived British live action/animated television programme for children ages three to seven that aired on CBeebies between February and March 2005. It was an educational show that featured Razzledazzle, an orange CGI creature with two floppy ears and two big brown eyes, voiced by Bethen Marlow (who at the time also provided the voice of Mitzi (Mali) on the Welsh version of The Koala Brothers and Arita Schaeffer on the Welsh dub of Code Lyoko) and Rachel Scorgie in Welsh (who previously played Adie Lewis on Twin Town). The first episode, Kitty, originally aired on 14 February 2005 at 9:20am.

Series overview

The programme itself was designed to get viewers to focus on sound. By riding magical slides directly from a blue-screen base, Razzledazzle visited four different areas, "Rhyme Time", "Chit Chat", "Bish! Bash! Bosh!" and "Once Upon A Tale".

Rhyme Time, always presented by Sarah Hope, invites audiences to recognise an everyday sound, which is then set to a poem and often repeated, allowing for interaction (hence why Razzledazzle usually says "Why don't you say it too?") to encourage reciting.

Chit Chat features some children involved in activities with their relations, focusing on natural communication skills.

Bish! Bash! Bosh! features a group of children acting out simple rhymes and sequences, sometimes set to music and beat. These rhymes are normally repeated once (hence why Razzledazzle says "Come on! Join in!") to encourage rhythm, syllables and rhyme.

Finally, "Once Upon a Tale", presented alternately by Mina Anwar and Patrick Lynch, is designed to create short stories using predictive and repetitive elements, widening the viewer's vocabulary and allowing for plenty of physicalisation of the narrator.

At the end of the programme, Razzledazzle, the kids who appeared in the "Bish Bash Bosh", "Chit Chat", and "Once Upon a Tale" sections of the programme and the presenters from the "Rhyme Time" and the "Once Upon a Tale" segments perform The "Not So Long Song", composed by Ben Lee Delisle. Ten episodes at a time are usually aired for four hours during the early morning within the BBC Schools slot.

Episodes

Twenty 20-minute episodes of Razzledazzle, which aired on BBC Two, CBeebies and within BBC Schools' output were produced. The series mixes CGI animation and live action.

In addition, some of the extras in the television series are produced using 2D Flash Animation. Most of the show (excluding the introduction) is filmed in front of a green screen, so that the host can communicate with the animated character. The "Chit Chat" segments are filmed on location at the chosen child's home.

Awards

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Educational Television Awards 2005 . 24 January 2011 . Royal Television Society. 9 February 2016.