CITV 30th Anniversary

What was the TVS material? Everything that looked like it could have been a TVS production either proved to be later shows that moved to Scottish Television like How2, or in the case of Fraggle Rock an American import. Which was a shame, I think TVS made the most Dramarama's as well didn't they?

Art Attack

Oh Brilliant the one TVS related show I didn't record as I was certain they would use a much later version turns out to be a TVS show.

Oh well, I was too old by the time Art Attack came along anyway. Actually it does show though what a powerhouse of Children's ITV TVS was.

Border did the various incarnations of The Joke Machine and BMX Beat

Number 73 was from TVS

Interesting how the credits said Art Attack was "created by Media Merchants". Id always thought theyd bought the rights after TVS lost their franchise.

Also I'd always assumed that Fun House had started off as a TVS production just like Finders Keepers, How 2 and Whats Up Doc.

I would not say there were a powerhouse, Thames, YTV, and central were all bigger powerhouse. but TVS did find gaps to fill.


Fun house started in 1989, and stayed in Glasgow until its end,

Whats up Doc was never a TVS production. From 1992: A Scottish Television Enterprises Production for TVS.
STV was given the Saturday morning slot aswell along with those other TVS shows, ALL rights and tapes I believe went to STV aswell. This is why Im confused about inspector wexford that should have all past to new company.

Well if you consider that TVS were only on air for eleven years, and the quality and quantity of Material they produced from On Safari, Number 73, via The haunting of Cassie Palmer, Mr Majeka, MotorMouth, Art Attack, Dramarama, Fraggle Rock, How2 and if you want to step outside the Citv box a little Knights of God to name but ten, that is quite a legacy for a non big five company in one decade.

What's the story behind "A Scottish Television production for TVS"? Why not just a Scottish production or a TVS production?

It's also notable how much of a powerhouse Scottish were. That thistle logo used to be a regular feature on ITV, whereas now, and for many years you never see any of the more modern STV logos.

Interesting to see the contrast - the second generation lasted as many episodes as the first (though the third was axed after one series), but didn't think much of this episode as it was all the granddad with the dog, while the very first episode was setting up the central character.

Great weekend though - I've had the Fun House theme stuck in my head all weekend, along with Blackbird Singing in the Dead of Night. Also great to see something I've heard so much about but had never seen - Press Gang. Definitely tempted to hunt that series out, though in today's kids TV environment it feels very out of place. It's probably quite a shock to kids usually tuning in for My Parents are Aliens to see someone dying from a drugs overdose.

Fake Reaction which has just started on ITV2 is made by STV, as you say something of a rarity especially given the recent relationship.

When TVS lost it's franchise a deal was made with Scottish Television to carry on making its children's shows, which is why Scottish Television made a lot more shows than it normally would have done. As we have seen today How2 was originally a TVS Production until the end of 1992 when production carried on but made by Scottish.

In the case of What's Up Doc as TVS had the contract to produce the Live Saturday show, which would continue after the end of the franchise period, Scottish made the show on behalf of TVS until DEcember 1992, and then it became a full Scottish Television production from Janaury 1993