Diggit/Diggin' It

infobox television
show_name = Diggit/Diggin' It


genre = Children
runtime = 2hr 15 minutes
starring =
country = UK
network = GMTV (ITV)
first_aired = 1998
last_aired = 2005
Past Names = "Diggit" (1998–2002)
"Diggin' It"(2003–2005)|

"Diggit/Diggin' It" was a British children's TV show which began in 1998 and replaced "Saturday Disney". It also replaced "Disney Club" on Sunday mornings. It was broadcast on GMTV (ITV).

It aired from 7:10am to 9:25am on Saturdays and 8:00am to 9:25am on Sundays. On Bank Holidays/Summer Holidays it was on shown under the name "Diggit Extra".

Initially the show was presented by Paul Ballard (known on screen as Des) and Fearne Cotton.

In September 1998, they launched a search for a new presenter (similar to the one that discovered Fearne a few years earlier). Viewers had the chance to vote for a winner in December 1998 and the winner was Jack Stratton.

Jack co-presented with Des and Fearne on both shows for a time, before becoming a solo presenter of pre-recorded inserts on the Sunday show. He eventually left the show, and in 2000 Fearne also left to concentrate on her other CITV series, the reins being handed over to Laura Jaye and Victoria Hickson.

Des left the show in 2002 and GMTV relaunched the show as "Diggin' It" in January 2003, including a giant puppet named "It". Plus, for the very first time the show every weekend in the summer and autumn of the year. The presenters had a feature on CITV on a Friday on ITV just before CITV would finish. The show was dropped in 2005 because both "Diggin' It" and "Up on The Roof" both merged to make "Toonattik" a show where there would be a mix of cartoons from "Diggin' It" range and "Up on The Roof" cartoons for older kids.

Programmes

The show featured predominantly Disney programming including:

*""
*"Aladdin"
*"Buzz Lightyear of Star Command"
*"Brand Spanking New! Doug"
*"Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers"
*"Darkwing Duck"
*"Dave The Barbarian"
*"Walt Disney Cartoon Classics"
*"DuckTales"
*"Goof Troop"
*"Gummi Bears"
*""
*"Disney's House of Mouse"
*"Jungle Cubs"
*"The Legend of Tarzan"
*""
*"Lloyd in Space"
*""
*"Mummies Alive!"
*"Nightmare Ned"
*"Pepper Ann"
*"PB&J Otter"
*"Quack Pack"
*"Recess"
*"Sabrina, the Animated Series"
*"Talespin"
*"The Wacky World of Tex Avery"
*"The Weekenders"
*"Timon and Pumbaa"

However, an exception to the rule was DiC series "Sonic Underground" in 1999 (although DiC was under Disney ownership at the time).

Presenters

*Gail Porter 1998
*Reggie Yates 1998–1999
*Des 1998–2002
*Fearne Cotton 1998–2001
*Jack Stratton 1999–2000
*Victoria Hickson 2001–2002
*Laura Jaye 2000–2002
*Danielle Nicholls 2002
*Abbie Pethullis 2002–2005
*Liam Dolan 2002–2005
*Phil Gallagher 2002–2005 (Voiceover)

External references

* [http://www.tv.com/diggit/show/25025/summary.html "Diggit"] at TV.com
* [http://www.myspace.com/pauldesballard Paul Ballard] at Myspace.com