Life under the counter can be rather frenetic,” Sandford says. “I get covered in baked beans, flour, water…” This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sourcesin this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Beginning as a stage manager on the show in 1976, he went on to become production manager and one of the main puppeteers. Jago often played the role of Sweep’s dad and operated Sweep’s squeaky voice (originally created using a saxophone reed). And yet all the while Jago, who died in 2016, continued to make sets for the show, painting scenery and props. He even wrote music and several scripts for the programme. Sooty’s catchphrase “Izzy wizzy, let’s get busy” comes to mind. Harry Corbett (1955–1975) – The show's first presenter and the creator of Sooty. Corbett ran the programme mostly within a sketch-based format throughout his era, later creating the characters of Sweep and Soo to accompany the show. His most notable contribution to the show, aside from the puppet characters, was the catchphrase he used to conclude an episode's run, which would continue to be used by his successors – "Bye bye, everybody. Bye bye." Harry returned to the programme as a guest star during his son Matthew's era, and was knighted with an OBE for his contributions with the programme and characters following his retirement.

BBC Radio 1 – The Chris Moyles Show, Friday – Chris' Birthday Show, Sooty and Sweep surprise Chris!". BBC. 18 February 2011. The Sooty Show proved popular with children and helped to develop the Sooty franchise, culminating in the formation of additional television programmes that would run on the format brought in by Matthew Corbett in the 1980s. After the programme's conclusion, it was followed with a sequel in 1993, titled Sooty & Co.. The programme also spawned an educational spin-off series for young children, titled Learn With Sooty, that was produced for the direct-to-video market between 1989 and 1991, and several stage shows involving the puppets, Matthew, and Connie Creighton. Its early success led to it receiving a short-run comic strip based on the character, for the children's magazine Playhour between 1960 and 1961, drawn by Gordon Hutchings. [5] Over the years, there have been several attempts to meddle with the Sooty formula, but he’s always been saved by those who loved him. In 1968, the BBC wanted to replace the ageing Harry Corbett with a young, female presenter. An outraged Corbett took the show to ITV, where it was revitalised with a bigger budget. Then, in the 1990s, Matthew Corbett sold the rights, which eventually ended up with Bridge Films, a company owned by HiT Entertainment, the owners of Bob the Builder and Thomas the Tank Engine, and, under their stewardship, the TV show lost viewers and was eventually axed. Super Star (Compilation DVD with ' Danger Mouse', ' Rainbow', ' Button Moon', ' Chorlton and the Wheelies', and ' Jamie and the Magic Torch'.)Richard Cadell on saving Sooty, brand longevity and stage shows". Licensing.biz . Retrieved 5 April 2021.

You’d get a cuff!” Longman chips in. “Understandably, when time is money and you’re all concentrating.”Originally created by Harry Corbett, his son Matthew took over the Sooty show in 1976. He in turn retired in 1998 and handed over the reins to Richard Cadell who was an existing co-presenter. Who can forget the catch phrase "Izzy wizzy, let's get busy!” that features in almost every programme. With no sign of modern kids rejecting this character that was created so long ago, it seems pretty certain that Sooty and Sweep toys will be around forever. Outside the UK, the show was also given international broadcasts in other countries: these included ABC in Australia; TVNZ in New Zealand; and the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) in the United States. Sooty and Sweep had appeared as the Prime Minister and Home Secretary, respectively of the Puppet Government in The Goodies episode " The Goodies Rule – O.K.?". Soo and Kipper the Cat also made cameo appearances. Brewer, Susan (2010). "9. Traditional toys that granny knew too". Collecting Classic Girls' Toys. Barnsley, South Yorkshire: Pen & Sword Books. ISBN 978-1-84468-068-9. Bobby Davro hosted a Sooty parody sketch called "Sooty in Soho" on his sketch show in 1989, which saw him doing an impression of Matthew and depicting Sooty and Sweep owning a brothel. The sketch was interrupted by the real Matthew Corbett showing up and assuring the audience that the Sooty which Davro had was an imposter. He then produced the real Sooty, who promptly squirted both Davro and Matthew with his water pistol.

During Matthew Corbett's reign, seven stage shows were performed repetitively. For the first half of the tours, Matthew and Connie Creighton would present, and during the second half, while Matthew was busy writing and filming the TV shows, Connie and Spencer K. Gibbens would present. Ramsbottom – A brown male snake who spoke in a deep Yorkshire accent and had the habit of telling convoluted stories and ditties. The character was created by Harry Corbett but retired by his son Matthew. He was originally voiced by Bill Garrett, the company model and prop maker who used his own strong Yorkshire accent and made the original puppet. Golden Bear was confirmed as the master licence holder for a brand new range of Sooty, Sweep and Soo toys. With their usual expert design and manufacturing techniques, they produced a gorgeous selection of huggable plush toys, many of which feature popular phrases from the show. Kids can also collect some smaller vinyl figurines of all the show's characters, as well as a selection of Sooty playsets. On 20 June 2014 the Radio Times confirmed that Sooty: The Movie was in production. [15] It was set to go in production in 2016. [16] [ bettersourceneeded] Tryhorn, Chris (4 October 2007). "Hit Entertainment has put the rights to kids' TV puppet Sooty up for sale". The Guardian.Celebrity fans include Bee Gee Barry Gibb, who took a Sooty mascot onstage at a Royal Variety Performance, while George Harrison summed up Sooty’s appeal to grown-ups in his foreword to Geoff Tibballs’ book, The Secret Life of Sooty: “Sooty symbolises the speed at which I wish the world was still turning.” After Matthew retired, six stage shows toured the country. All starred Richard Cadell; three of them also featured Richard's Sooty Heights co-star, Liana Bridges, with the fourth starring Amanda Howard in Liana's place. Mr. Woof – A Yorkshire terrier who is a friend of Sweep, he barks in communication, eats, and sleeps.