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The Sooty Show

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SootyShow1988TitleCard

1988 title card

The Sooty Show was a programme starring Sooty that aired from 1952-1992, produced by the BBC and then Thames Television. It was first presented by Harry Corbett, later by his son Matthew.

Most of the episodes consisted of important lessons such as being organised and not telling lies, while others consisted of Sooty coming up with a new idea or Matthew boasting he was good at something and making a fool of himself.

Cast of Main Characters

TV Episodes: 1981 - 1992

Series 1: 1981

  1. Bangcorn
  2. Matthew's Car
  3. Hot Air Balloon
  4. Music
  5. Picnic
  6. Be Kind to Matthew Day!
  7. Boxing

Series 2: 1981

  1. Bob a Job
  2. Sweep Can't Sleep
  3. A Photo for Auntie
  4. Safety First
  5. Under Canvas
  6. Saving for a Holiday
  7. Lazy Day
  8. Time for Magic
  9. Connie Comes to Tea
  10. Sleep Walking (Aka Sherlock Sooty)
  11. Unusual Pets
  12. Charity Begins at Home
  13. Sooty's Christmas Panto

Series 3: 1983

  1. Fishing
  2. Hide and Seek
  3. Model Maker
  4. Read All About It
  5. Fun Being Small
  6. Inventing
  7. Classical Music
  8. Fat Matt
  9. Alphonse
  10. Magic Box Show
  11. Snuffles
  12. Holiday Homework
  13. Noise

Series 4: 1983-84

  1. The Dancer
  2. The Stuntman
  3. Under the Sun
  4. Home Video
  5. Body Building
  6. Guinea Pig and The Flea of Circus
  7. Sooty Alone
  8. Football Crazy
  9. Soo's Party Problem
  10. Return of Alphonse
  11. The Magic Wand
  12. All Blocked Up
  13. Father's Day
  14. It's a Cold World
  15. Bring and Buy
  16. The Brush Off
  17. Loss of Memory
  18. CB Radio
  19. Imaginary Pets
  20. Soo Leaves Home

Series 5: 1985

  1. Treasure Hunt
  2. Keeping a Secret
  3. Matt'll Fix It
  4. Superdog
  5. Bathtime
  6. Beauty Contest
  7. Alphonse (Aka Robot)
  8. Night Time Pranks
  9. Magic
  10. Speedy
  11. I'm Clever Too
  12. Automatic Everything
  13. Super Star
  14. Sooty's Busy Christmas

Series 6: 1986

  1. Sootograms
  2. Bad Luck
  3. Time Capsule
  4. Balance
  5. Money Doesn't Grow on Trees
  6. Stately Home
  7. Connie and Soo
  8. Ventriloquism
  9. Take a Walk
  10. Moths
  11. Amateur Dramatics
  12. Creepy Crawlies
  13. Star Gazing

Series 7: 1987

  1. Down Dog
  2. Marathon
  3. On the Piste
  4. Millionaire
  5. White Lies
  6. Rabbit Trap
  7. Bored Games
  8. Tap Time
  9. Perfume
  10. Sooty's Restaurant
  11. Computer Dating
  12. Health Food
  13. Cuddly Toys

Series 8: 1988

  1. The Big Surprise
  2. Sooty's School Trip
  3. Sooty's Magic Lamp
  4. Good Luck, Bad Luck
  5. Return of Superdog
  6. Cellular Phone
  7. Make and Do
  8. Overnight Away
  9. Burglar Box
  10. Hidden Talent
  11. Arguing
  12. Ancestors
  13. When I was a Lad

Series 9: 1988

  1. Matthew's New Room
  2. Bowled Over
  3. Lists
  4. Get Your Skates On
  5. Matt's Baby
  6. Moving House
  7. The Unreal Ghostbusters
  8. Down Under
  9. Superdog and the Comedian
  10. Nothing Ever Happens
  11. Inventors
  12. Messing About in Boats
  13. Royalty
  14. Sooty's Christmas Party

Series 10: 1989

  1. Honking Noses
  2. Stay Awake
  3. Radio Control Car
  4. Sooty's Golf Crazy Golf
  5. Grin and Bear It
  6. High as a Kite
  7. Sweep's Family
  8. The Good, The Bad and The Furry
  9. Fat and 40
  10. Sooty wants a Pet
  11. The Hard Sell
  12. In Camera
  13. A Very Special Day

Series 11: 1990

  1. Bangers and Smash
  2. Love a Duck
  3. Sticky Situation
  4. Little Cousin Scampi
  5. Little Terrors
  6. Just Not Cricket
  7. Izzy Wizzy
  8. What a Load of Rubbish
  9. Watersports
  10. Dyb Dyb Disaster
  11. Collecting
  12. Gardeners for Hire
  13. A Job in TV

Series 12: 1991

  1. Return of Scampi
  2. A Summertime Christmas
  3. Car Boot Sale
  4. Derek's Back
  5. Matt Robot
  6. Hair Today
  7. Three Men in a Boat
  8. Only Joking
  9. Any 5-Year-Old Can Do It
  10. Cars, Trains, Boats and Planes
  11. Swinging the Lead
  12. Boarding House
  13. Bored Games

Series 13: 1992

  1. Stitch in Time
  2. Magic Egg (Aka Rodney The Dragon)
  3. Back to Front
  4. Give us a Break
  5. Happy Birthday Sooty
  6. Jigsaw
  7. Bouncers
  8. Mechanical Pets
  9. Hot Stuff
  10. Aeroplane
  11. Solid Water
  12. Time Flies
  13. Fanatical Fun

Episode Availability

  1. Bob a Job (DVD). Sooty (The Times) Promotional DVD. (2007)
  2. Safety First (DVD). Sooty (The Times) Promotional DVD. (2007)
  3. Lazy Day (DVD). Sooty (The Times) Promotional DVD. (2007)
  4. Connie Comes to Tea (DVD). Sooty (The Times) Promotional DVD. (2007)
  5. Sleep Walking (VHS). The Adventures of Sooty. (1986)
  6. Sooty's Christmas Panto (VHS and DVD). The Adventures of Sooty. (1986). Sooty (The Times) Promotional DVD. (2007)
  7. Magic Box Show (VHS). The Adventures of Sooty. (1986)
  8. Snuffles (VHS). The Adventures of Sooty. (1986)
  9. The Dancer (VHS). Sooty & Superdog. (1986)
  10. Football Crazy (VHS). Sooty - Out and About. (1987)
  11. Soo's Party Problem (VHS). Sooty - Biggest Party Video. (1998)
  12. All Blocked Up (VHS). Sooty & Superdog. (1986)
  13. Superdog (VHS and DVD). Sooty & Superdog. (1986). Cult Kids Classics 2. (2001)
  14. Super Star (DVD). Classic Kids Hits: from School Disco. (2003)
  15. Sooty's Busy Christmas (VHS). The Sooty Christmas Show. (1988). My Bumper Christmas Sooty. (1997)
  16. Bad Luck (VHS). Sooty and Co & Sooty's House. (1987)
  17. Time Capsule (VHS). Sooty's Time Capsule. (1988)
  18. Ventriloquism (VHS). Sooty's Time Capsule. (1988)
  19. Amateur Dramatics (VHS). Children's Favourites Vol. 3. (1989)
  20. Star Gazing (VHS). Children's Favourites: Bedtime Stories. (1989)
  21. Down Dog (VHS). Sooty and Co & Sooty's House. (1987)
  22. Marathon (VHS). Sooty and Co & Sooty's House. (1987)
  23. On the Piste (VHS). Sooty and Co & Sooty's House. (1987)
  24. Millionaire (VHS). Sooty's Stately Home and Other Stories. (1989)
  25. White Lies (VHS). Sooty and Co & Sooty's House. (1987)
  26. Rabbit Trap (VHS). Sooty - Out and About. (1987)

Trivia

  • This was Sooty's very first show.
  • Harry Corbett recieved an OBE, quite by accident, for his dedication to this show.
  • This marked the debut of Sweep, Soo, and Little Cousin Scampi.
  • It was mostly set in four main areas of the house: Sooty, Sweep and Soo's bedroom, Matthew's bedroom, the kitchen, and Sooty, Sweep, and Soo's bathroom.
  • In 1992, Thames Television lost the rights to the Sooty series and Matthew took the show to Granada Studios, where Sooty & Co. was made.
  • Brenda Longman who was the puppeteer of Soo made some appearances in person.
  • The opening titles changed through the years. Three of the best known ones are Sooty painting (1981-1984), holding balloons (1985-1987), and clips of the show with the kalideoscope effect (1988-1992).
  • In 2005, the series ranked 38th place in Channel 4's 100 Greatest Kid's TV Shows vote.
  • In the Radio Times' poll for the most favourited children's programme at the BBC in 2014, the series won the most votes for the best programme of the 1950's. It was also voted the third most popular show in the all time top 3 of the same poll, just below "Postman Pat" (2nd), the winner of the 1980's catergory and "Shaun the Sheep" (1st), the winner of the 2000's.
  • In 2017, a selection of early puppets from the show appeared on the "Antiques Roadshow" at Castle Howard in Yorkshire along with the daughter of Harry Corbett's early props maker.

Gallery

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