It was oddly devastating to learn that ITV’s kid’s channel Citv is to close on 1st September 2023. Many millennials and Gen Xers probably haven’t even seen a Citv show for two decades or more – besides, back in the day it wasn’t even a channel, but just a few after-school hours of programming on the regular ITV channel. So why does its closure leave us feeling like it’s the end of an era?
Because the memories of that era were so, so good, that’s why. We all remember getting home from school, grabbing a glass of squash and a Wagon Wheel and immediately flicking the TV on, and Citv (along with Cbbc – and Nickelodeon and the Disney Channel if you were well posh) kept us company until it was time to eat our spaghetti hoops and turkey twizzlers.
There were zany dramas, comforting puppet characters,...
Because the memories of that era were so, so good, that’s why. We all remember getting home from school, grabbing a glass of squash and a Wagon Wheel and immediately flicking the TV on, and Citv (along with Cbbc – and Nickelodeon and the Disney Channel if you were well posh) kept us company until it was time to eat our spaghetti hoops and turkey twizzlers.
There were zany dramas, comforting puppet characters,...
- 9/1/2023
- by Lauravickersgreen
- Den of Geek
Neil Buchanan is best known for playing the easy-going art instructor that calmly walks youngsters through creative ways to make works of art with household objects on the long-running children's television show "Art Attack." "Art Attack" was first introduced to young viewers on Citv in Britain but was also adopted by Disney Junior and was watched state-side from 1990 to 2007. While Neil was the only living host to the mixed media program ... Buchanan at times shared...
- 5/7/2019
- by TMZ Staff
- TMZ
Seb Patrick Nov 23, 2017
Are your kids Bing fans, or more partial to Sarah & Duck? We count down a dozen of CBeebies' finest...
There’s arguably no more important television than children’s television. Sure, you could be one of those parents who doesn’t let their child anywhere near a screen – but chances are, if you’re the kind of person to read Den of Geek, the idea of doing so would utterly horrify you.
See related The Walking Dead season 8 episode 5 review: The Big Scary U The Walking Dead season 8 episode 4 review: Some Guy The Walking Dead season 8 episode 3 review: Monsters
Besides, children can learn so much from watching television – not as a substitute for actual parenting or schooling, of course, but as an addition to it. It can be damaging to rely solely on it, to park them in front of it for several hours a day – but in healthy doses,...
Are your kids Bing fans, or more partial to Sarah & Duck? We count down a dozen of CBeebies' finest...
There’s arguably no more important television than children’s television. Sure, you could be one of those parents who doesn’t let their child anywhere near a screen – but chances are, if you’re the kind of person to read Den of Geek, the idea of doing so would utterly horrify you.
See related The Walking Dead season 8 episode 5 review: The Big Scary U The Walking Dead season 8 episode 4 review: Some Guy The Walking Dead season 8 episode 3 review: Monsters
Besides, children can learn so much from watching television – not as a substitute for actual parenting or schooling, of course, but as an addition to it. It can be damaging to rely solely on it, to park them in front of it for several hours a day – but in healthy doses,...
- 11/12/2017
- Den of Geek
Alex Westthorp Oct 3, 2016
It's 40 years since Multi-Coloured Swap Shop made its television debut and kick-started the Saturday morning kids' TV slot...
Imagine the excitement - it's just before 9.30am on Saturday 2nd October 1976. It's almost like Christmas has come early, such is the anticipation. The nation's kids, who hitherto got their kicks at the Saturday morning pictures, settle in front of their television screens and press the button marked 'BBC1'. Those who read their parents' Radio Times know a new show is about to start with Radio 1 Breakfast Show DJ Noel Edmonds at the helm. 28 year old Noel is cool and down with the kids. Tom Baker and Elisabeth Sladen - the Doctor and Sarah Jane from Doctor Who - are to be the first star guests, and you can actually speak to them live by telephone! The TV set warms up and the familiar blue and yellow BBC...
It's 40 years since Multi-Coloured Swap Shop made its television debut and kick-started the Saturday morning kids' TV slot...
Imagine the excitement - it's just before 9.30am on Saturday 2nd October 1976. It's almost like Christmas has come early, such is the anticipation. The nation's kids, who hitherto got their kicks at the Saturday morning pictures, settle in front of their television screens and press the button marked 'BBC1'. Those who read their parents' Radio Times know a new show is about to start with Radio 1 Breakfast Show DJ Noel Edmonds at the helm. 28 year old Noel is cool and down with the kids. Tom Baker and Elisabeth Sladen - the Doctor and Sarah Jane from Doctor Who - are to be the first star guests, and you can actually speak to them live by telephone! The TV set warms up and the familiar blue and yellow BBC...
- 9/28/2016
- Den of Geek
Louisa Mellor Jul 19, 2016
Netflix's Stranger Things may be a nostalgia-fest, but that's not new. TV has always let us escape into comforting stories about the past…
Remember the good old days? They were good weren’t they? Not like now. It’s horrible now. That’s why everything on TV is comforting, coddling, backwards-looking fluff. We all just want to dive onto a feathery pile of period television and forget about the cruel, unsettling world of today. A world where, get this, the Soviets have gone into space. And there’s that war in Korea. Everyone’s testing hydrogen bombs all over the place, Castro’s taken over Cuba and innocent people keep getting lynched. I ask you. It’s little wonder all we want to watch on TV are cosy Westerns. Switch on Gunsmoke and all that worry melts away.
Fast-forward a few decades to now, when the release...
Netflix's Stranger Things may be a nostalgia-fest, but that's not new. TV has always let us escape into comforting stories about the past…
Remember the good old days? They were good weren’t they? Not like now. It’s horrible now. That’s why everything on TV is comforting, coddling, backwards-looking fluff. We all just want to dive onto a feathery pile of period television and forget about the cruel, unsettling world of today. A world where, get this, the Soviets have gone into space. And there’s that war in Korea. Everyone’s testing hydrogen bombs all over the place, Castro’s taken over Cuba and innocent people keep getting lynched. I ask you. It’s little wonder all we want to watch on TV are cosy Westerns. Switch on Gunsmoke and all that worry melts away.
Fast-forward a few decades to now, when the release...
- 7/18/2016
- Den of Geek
Here's one of those 'This'll make you feel old' nuggets - Citv's kids' classic Art Attack is 25 years old today, having aired its first episode on June 15, 1990.
Originating as a segment on '80s show No. 73, Art Attack was later spun off into its own series and became one of Citv's longest-running programmes, continuing in its original form until 2007.
There have been several attempts to revive the BAFTA-winning show - and to replicate its success abroad - but none of these imitations came close to the original and best, fronted by the brilliant Neil Buchanan.
Prepare for a nostalgia rush as we present 9 reasons why we still love Art Attack - and its original host Buchanan - a quarter of a century on.
1. That absurdly jaunty theme tune
"This is an art attack! This is an art attack! This is... Art Attack!"
Heralded by a 'Pencil 'n' Paper alert', the...
Originating as a segment on '80s show No. 73, Art Attack was later spun off into its own series and became one of Citv's longest-running programmes, continuing in its original form until 2007.
There have been several attempts to revive the BAFTA-winning show - and to replicate its success abroad - but none of these imitations came close to the original and best, fronted by the brilliant Neil Buchanan.
Prepare for a nostalgia rush as we present 9 reasons why we still love Art Attack - and its original host Buchanan - a quarter of a century on.
1. That absurdly jaunty theme tune
"This is an art attack! This is an art attack! This is... Art Attack!"
Heralded by a 'Pencil 'n' Paper alert', the...
- 6/14/2015
- Digital Spy
Whatever happened to the children's TV presenters of our youth? Where did they go when the Broom Cupboard was shut down and when Edd the Duck went back to his pond? Digital Spy has hunted down 9 classic faces of '90s children's television on Twitter to answer those questions.
1. Dave Benson Phillips @DaveBensonPhill
Famous For: Playdays, Get Your Own Back, Wake Up in the Wild Room
Sample Tweet:
So, it begins... pic.twitter.com/bxWkD2tSsI
— Dave Benson Phillips (@DaveBensonPhill) November 18, 2013
And lots of chat about his appearance in Cinderella at the Palace Theatre, Mansfield.
2. Andy Crane @andycrane64
Famous For: Cbbc's Broom Cupboard (1987-1990), Motormouth, Bad Influence! and What's Up Doc?
Sample Tweet:
Heard of the Golden Flannel awards? They celebrate dreadful management speak - examples to use on the radio today would be very welcome!
— Andy Crane (@andycrane64) January 6, 2014
He's now a radio presenter for the BBC. And only occasionally veers into Partridge-isms.
1. Dave Benson Phillips @DaveBensonPhill
Famous For: Playdays, Get Your Own Back, Wake Up in the Wild Room
Sample Tweet:
So, it begins... pic.twitter.com/bxWkD2tSsI
— Dave Benson Phillips (@DaveBensonPhill) November 18, 2013
And lots of chat about his appearance in Cinderella at the Palace Theatre, Mansfield.
2. Andy Crane @andycrane64
Famous For: Cbbc's Broom Cupboard (1987-1990), Motormouth, Bad Influence! and What's Up Doc?
Sample Tweet:
Heard of the Golden Flannel awards? They celebrate dreadful management speak - examples to use on the radio today would be very welcome!
— Andy Crane (@andycrane64) January 6, 2014
He's now a radio presenter for the BBC. And only occasionally veers into Partridge-isms.
- 1/8/2014
- Digital Spy
Enter! Stranger! Knightmare is back. Yes, you heard correctly, the bizarre and slightly sinister children's TV classic is returning for a one-off special episode online. Treguard fans rejoice.
Digital Spy is celebrating the return of Knightmare by picking out seven other vintage kids' gameshows that we'd love to see return.
1. Fun House (1989 - 1999 on Citv)
"Wacky! Fun! Crazy! It's outrageous!" Five words that had a whole generation of kids dropping their Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles sticker collection in an instant. Pat Sharp's Fun House was the defining kids' gameshow of the '90s, blending gunge, ball pools, two hot twins and a man with an awful mullet and serving up 25 minutes of giddy tomfoolery. And we still really want a go on the Go-Karts.
2. Finders Keepers (1991 - 1996 on Citv)
When he wasn't busy recreating the Leaning Tower of Pisa with nothing but a packet of Cornflakes and some Pritt Stick on Art Attack,...
Digital Spy is celebrating the return of Knightmare by picking out seven other vintage kids' gameshows that we'd love to see return.
1. Fun House (1989 - 1999 on Citv)
"Wacky! Fun! Crazy! It's outrageous!" Five words that had a whole generation of kids dropping their Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles sticker collection in an instant. Pat Sharp's Fun House was the defining kids' gameshow of the '90s, blending gunge, ball pools, two hot twins and a man with an awful mullet and serving up 25 minutes of giddy tomfoolery. And we still really want a go on the Go-Karts.
2. Finders Keepers (1991 - 1996 on Citv)
When he wasn't busy recreating the Leaning Tower of Pisa with nothing but a packet of Cornflakes and some Pritt Stick on Art Attack,...
- 7/24/2013
- Digital Spy
Disney has announced plans to bring classic 90s children's series Art Attack back to British TV later this year. Presenter Jassa Ahluwalia will take the reigns from Neil Buchanan, who presented the show during its original run on CiTV from 1990 to 2007. The new-look show will see Jassa incorporate some of the best elements from the original show - including the iconic Big Art Attacks - as well as introducing some new features, a new set and characters.
- 5/5/2011
- Sky TV
Art Attack is to return to British TV later this year. The classic children's craft show, which ran on Citv from 1990 to 2007 and was hosted by Neil Buchanan, is to launch on Disney Junior with new presenter Jassa Ahluwalia, it has been announced. A new-look set will see Ahluwalia incorporate some of the most popular elements of the original series - including the iconic 'Big Art Attacks' - as well as (more)...
- 5/4/2011
- by By Naomi Rainey
- Digital Spy
Art Attack is to return to British TV later this year. The classic children's craft show, which ran on Citv from 1990 to 2007 and was hosted by Neil Buchanan, is to launch on Disney Junior with new presenter Jassa Ahluwalia, it has been announced. A new-look set will see Ahluwalia incorporate some of the most popular elements of the original series - including the iconic 'Big Art Attacks' - as well as (more)...
- 5/4/2011
- by By Naomi Rainey
- Digital Spy
Last year when we hailed Neil Buchanan as one of our esteemed DS Icons, we let you know that the Art Attack legend was also the guitarist in new wave heavy metal band Marseille. The rockers formed in 1976 and were originally called AC/DC, before some other Aussie band with the same moniker started making waves in the UK (I wonder what happened to them?). As Marseille, they released three albums between 1978 and 1984 before splitting up. Buchanan went on to make those Giant artworks that we all loved... but the band reformed (more)...
- 4/7/2011
- by By Mayer Nissim
- Digital Spy
After all the trouble they've had with Wolfman, you'd think Universal would just decide to leave its classic monsters alone. But if you'd think that you'd be an idiot, because all the studio needs to do is look at the success of the Mummy movies, the success of the Twilight movies and the eon of time since the last official Dracula movie to know it's time to dust off the ol' Bram Stoker once again. Seriously, there are kids whose parents weren't even alive when Coppola's movie was in theaters.
So who is Universal getting to play the Count this time? Well, Latino Review says it's going to be Avatar's Sam Worthington. I'm not going to bother saying what I think of the idea, since I'm guessing the only truth to the rumor is that someone at Universal brought his name up. Because his name has been brought up...
So who is Universal getting to play the Count this time? Well, Latino Review says it's going to be Avatar's Sam Worthington. I'm not going to bother saying what I think of the idea, since I'm guessing the only truth to the rumor is that someone at Universal brought his name up. Because his name has been brought up...
- 1/27/2010
- by Christopher Campbell
It now seems to be some sort of Hollywood law that Sam Worthington be linked with every major male role going. Flash Gordon. Captain America. Neil Buchanan in a big-screen version of Art Attack – he’s been connected to them all at some point.It’s not exactly surprising. After all, since Jim Cameron took a gamble on the 33 year-old Aussie and cast him as the lead in Avatar – a gamble that we’re pretty sure has paid off – Hollywood types have been falling over themselves to cast Worthington, whether it’s in Terminator Salvation or Clash Of The Titans or The Debt or Last Night.Since Avatar exploded, though, Worthington has kept schtum about what his next move might be. But now those bods over at Latino Review are reporting that his next move might be one out of leftfield: he’s set to play Dracula in Alex Proyas’ origin story,...
- 1/26/2010
- EmpireOnline
"This is an Art Attack, this is an Art Attack... This Is Art Attack!" Neil Buchanan's long-running Citv hit series was the rebellious, more exciting older brother to Tony Hart's various BBC one art shows. Buchanan, a member of heavy metal group Marseille, understood that kids love anarchy and it was his own unique 'zany' approach (do you remember the show's comedy character The Head!) that made the programme a runaway success and its a host a TV icon. When not busy rocking or creating Art Attacks out of broken-down Ford Cortinas, Pva glue, coat hangers and fifty-seven sweatshirts, Buchanan became a staple (more)...
- 1/15/2010
- by By Alex Fletcher
- Digital Spy
She may have been bumped off the Children In Need job in place of Fearne 'Isn't everything a-ma-zing' Cotton and she may not be as regular a figure on our screens as she was during her '90s heyday, but here at Digital Spy we've still got plenty of time for Gaby Roslin. She cut her teeth on cutting edge ITV kids show Motormouth (alongside Neil Buchanan and Andy Crane), before coming into her own on The Big Breakfast. Managing to add glamour without resorting to coarseness and cleavage fashions, she cut a distinguished figure opposite the madcap and 'wacky' Chris Evans. Once Evans left her in the lurch, Roslin was forced (more)...
- 8/28/2009
- by By Alex Fletcher
- Digital Spy
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