Kerwhizz (strapline: The Quiz with added Whizz) is a British live-action/animated children's television game show created by Tony Reed and Alan Robinson, which originally aired on CBeebies between 2008 and 2011. The series uses a mix of CGI and live action, and is targeted towards four to six-year-olds.[1][2][3]

Kerwhizz
GenreChildren's game show
Created byTony Reed and Alan Robinson
Written byKatie Simmons, Alan Robinson, Helen Baker, Barry Quinn, Stephen Cannon, Feri Tezcan, Adam Redfern, Simon Davies and others
Presented byJacob Scipio (as the Kerwhizzitor)
Voices ofTelka Donyai
Alex Velleman
Kriselle Basilio
Yasmin Garrad
Jermaine Woods
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series2
No. of episodes41
Production
Executive producerStephen Cannon[1]
ProducerAlison Stewart[1]
Running time22 minutes
Production companiesBBC
Studio 100[a]
Original release
NetworkCBeebies
Release7 November 2008 (2008-11-07) – 25 March 2011 (2011-03-25)

Summary

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The show is moderated and presented by the Kerwhizzitor (Jacob Scipio), the only regular live-action character. Three teams of two CGI characters, each comprising a human child racer and a part-living, part-mechanical animal pet, must answer five rounds of questions, each featuring a regular 2D animated animal character, to win a choice of pod mod for their respective racing pods. In addition, one of the five rounds offer the chance to win a mystery pod mod. Each pod mod and mystery mod is an unconventional accessory that may or may not give its user a better chance of winning the race. The teams are cheered on by three groups of live-action children dressed in the teams' colours and waving team flags. Points are scored based on how many questions are answered correctly.

All of the questions are multiple-choice with the answers colour-coded red, green, yellow or blue (not coincidentally, these are the standard colours of the function buttons on TV remote controls). Once the question rounds are complete, the teams choose their pod mods. Then, the teams' pods are assembled and built around them and their respective pod mods are installed, fitted and added to their pods. The pods are then raised through the roof of the studio into the CGI race world. Each race world is a themed racing environment (the questions usually include clues to the theme) containing three or occasionally four zones and each story and race comprises two or occasionally three laps (except in "The Deserted Desert Dash" which is a novelty race with no set route and a hidden finish line). All of the teams are likely to encounter unexpected setbacks and opportunities along the way, making the outcome of each race unpredictable. Each episode ends when the race is won and the winner revealed, after which some of the teams are shown doing activities based on the theme of the race, announced by the Kerwhizzitor.

Characters

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Questionmaster

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  • Kerwhizzitor (played by Jacob Scipio) is a young guy who moderates the quiz, asks the questions, makes bad puns and rhymes based on the theme and tries to keep the teams in order. In the race world and the story world sequences Kerwhizzitor commentates.

Contestants

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  • Team Ninki comprises Ninki (voiced by Kriselle Basilio), a dark-skinned 10-year-old girl with bunches, a Mid-European accent and a singing voice that is commonly said to be "terrible" (although while introducing her team at the beginning of every episode she sings well); and Pip (vocal effects by an unknown voice actor), a green-furred creature somewhat resembling a Scottish terrier with an extendable metal neck. Pip can't speak, but can often shape his barks and growls into an approximation of words. Despite this Ninki sometimes fails to hear him when he has an answer to a question and offers her own answer which is usually incorrect instead, causing him to growl in frustration. Team colour: yellow. Team logo: yellow star.
  • Team Twist comprises Twist (voiced by Alex Velleman), a highly confident, desperate to be cool, blonde 12-year-old boy with pale skin and a fixation for style; and Snout (voiced by Jermaine Woods, not credited in series 2 for unknown reasons), who resembles an orange-furred, two-legged middle-aged woolly mammoth with a plastic trunk and has a fixation of his own with sprouts. In the episode "Planet Snout" the eponymous planet is revealed to be his home world and the origin of his sprout obsession. It is also revealed that Snout has two nephews called Rocco and Rico. Team colour: blue. Team logo: blue spiral.
  • Team Kit comprises Kit (voiced by Telka Donyai), a fair-skinned 11-year-old girl with blue hair who is very brainy and good at thinking around problems. Though her confidence in her abilities is as great as Twist's, occasionally causing some girl-boy rivalry between them; and Kaboodle (voiced by Yasmin Garrad), who is basically a furry ball with a face, two conical plastic ears/antennae and a springy conical plastic leg. She appears to be less mature than the other racers and often requires emotional support from Kit. She is able to electrify anything after bouncing for long enough. Team colour: pink. Team logo: pink lightning bolt.

Question hosts

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These characters appear in the flash-animated question sequences. None of them speak, since the questions are all read by the Kerwhizzitor. In many episodes they, or characters based on their designs, also appear in CGI form in the race world sequences, where they are much bigger than the human contestants.

  • Natterjack the Toad presents two questions per episode based on picture recognition. A typical question might involve the teams identifying one of four pictures that is identical to one that Natterjack has drawn.
  • Burping Hurbert the Burpasaur presents one question based on visual memory. This typically involves Hurbert eating one of several objects and the teams having to choose which one it was from four alternatives.
  • King Pong the Skunk presents "Hunt That Skunk", in which he hides in or behind four objects in rapid succession. Pip, Snout, and Kaboodle have to decide which object was his last hiding place in order to win the Mystery Mod. King Pong's appearance is always heralded by a smelly green vapour. Occasionally he is replaced by his relatives, such as the pirate Long Pong Silver (who smells even worse than King Pong himself), or by Queen Pong or Princess Pong (who both smell very nice and produce fragrant pink vapour, unlike King Pong himself).
  • Kat Kool the Cat presents "Kat Kool's Sound Round", one question based on auditory memory. Typically Kat Kool or his band will play a tune, and the teams must then choose which of four alternative tunes matches.

Songs

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  • Kerwhizz Theme Song
  • Kerwhizz (End Title)
  • Love for All Seasons

Episodes

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Series Episode Quiz Winner Race Winner Title Route Podmods Original Air Date
1 1 Kit Twist Vegetable Valley Alley Pumpkin Parade

Fruit Falls

Corn Cob Corners

Pong's Patch

Radish Road
Gleaming Garden Snippers (Kit)

Spade (Twist)

Packet of Seeds (Ninki)

Giant Sprout (Mystery, Twist)
7 November 2008
1 2 Ninki Kit The Slip and Slide Snow Ride Snow Stretch

Glacier Gully

Snow Drift Rift

Don't Sink Rink
Crampon Claws (Kit)

Supersonic Skis (Ninki)

Expander Specs (Twist)

Bobble Hat (Mystery, Ninki)
14 November 2008
1 3 Twist Ninki Castle Kingdom Drawbridge Gate

Field of Shields

The Knight's Table
Lance (Ninki)

Plastic Fantastic Sword (Kit)

Tur-bow (Twist)

Egg (Mystery, Ninki)
21 November 2008
1 4 Ninki Kit Bedroom Zoom Mobile Junction

Under Bed

Cosy Comfy Corner

Sweet Dream Street
Mega Moonbeam Super Torch (Ninki)

Shooting Star (Twist)

Teddy Bear Tim (Kit)

Giant Alarm Clock (Mystery, Twist)
28 November 2008
1 5 Kit Twist The Daring Dino Dash Fossil Forest

Dino Egg Gulch

Old Crusty
Musical Conch Shell (Ninki)

Diviner (Kit)

Daffodactyl Flower (Twist)

Scarf (Mystery, Twist)
5 December 2008
1 6 Kit Ninki Hat-Trick Highway Top Hat #1

Top Hat #2

Top Hat #3
Future Ball (Ninki)

Wonder Wand (Kit)

Natterjoker (Twist)

Corrector (Mystery, Twist)
12 December 2008
1 7 Kit Kit Funfair Freeway Helter Skelter Felter

Bumper Car Bypass

Faster Than Moster Roller Coaster
Balloons (Ninki)

Rubber Bumpers (Kit)

Candy Flosser (Twist)

Free Ride (Mystery, Twist)
19 December 2008
1 8 Kit Ninki The Great Space Race The International Space Station

Asteroid Felter

The Mysterious Rings of Saturn

The Hyper-Space Toll Booth
Keryptonite (Kit)

Faster Feather Duster (Ninki)

Comet Catcher Net (Twist)

Time-Travelling Clock (Mystery, Kit)
9 January 2009
1 9 Ninki Twist Bowling Alley Rally The Twisty Turny Tunnels

Skittle Forest

King Pong's Shoe Room

Bowling Alley Alley
Lucky Bowling Arm Charm (Ninki)

Super Speakers (Twist)

Quicker-Sticker Sticky Stuff (Kit)

Skittle Stopper (Mystery, Kit. not taken)
16 January 2009
1 10 Twist Ninki The Ace Choc Chase Race Choco Way

The Choco Block

The Chocolate Drop

Chocolate Fountain Mountain

Home Sweet Home Street
Bubbler (Kit)

Marshmallow Maker (Twist)

Fruit-and-Nutter (Ninki)

Gripper-Dipper (Mystery, Twist)
23 January 2009
1 11 Kit Kit Underwater Whizzway The Avenue of Arches

The Sunken Ship Wreck

The Vortex

The Weed Way
Rusty Anchor (Kit)

Plug (Twist)

Fish Food (Ninki)

Muncher Fish (Mystery, Kit)
30 January 2009
1 12 Ninki Twist The Supershape Showdown The Polygon Pass

The Round and Round-a-bout

The Triangle Tangle

The Star Jump
Prankstar (Ninki)

Super-Springy Thingy (Twist)

Totally Triangular Shape Cutter (Kit)

Stumbling Block (Mystery, Kit)
6 February 2009
1 13 Kit Ninki and

Kit

Egypt World The Giant Pyramid

The Tunnel of Cheops Chambers

Crazy Colonnades
Really Useful Relic (Ninki)

Papyrus Password (Kit)

Eat-My-Duster (Twist)

Ancient, Light-Reflecting Gem (Mystery, Kit)
13 February 2009
1 14 Twist Ninki Supermarket Sprint Trolley Dash Turn

Fresh Food Freeway

Silly Isles

Cheddar Gorge

Checkpoint Checkout
Tip-Top Trolley Dodger (Twist)

Label Enabler (Kit)

Shopping Bag (Ninki)

Cheap-at-Half-the-Price Super Stacker (Mystery, Twist)
20 February 2009
1 15 Twist Twist Goldfish Gulp Pipe Wipeout

Weedy Way

Fishy Fortress
Big, Bouncy Bubble (Ninki)

Propellor (Twist)

Rubber Ring (Kit)

Fishy Fin (Mystery, Twist)
27 February 2009
1 16 Twist Ninki Whiffy World Stinky Sock Street

Queen Pong's Pungent Patch

Putrid Pipes
Super Socker (Twist)

Super Sucker (Kit)

Pongy Plunger (Ninki)

Giant Pepper Pot (Mystery, Twist)
6 March 2009
1 17 Ninki Kit (Slowest pod wins) Opposite World The Upside-Downs

The Arrow Route

Floating Freeway
Faster Blaster (Ninki)

Goer Slower (Kit)

Flashlight (Twist)

Swapsie (Mystery, Ninki)
13 March 2009
1 18 Kit Twist Crazy Racy Golf Hole #1: Natterjack Sphinx Street

Hole #2: Pong's Parade

Hole #3: Kat Kool's Causeway
Right-On Cue (Twist)

Putt-Putt-Putter (Kit)

Plug Mod (Ninki)

Mega Bouncing Ball (Mystery, Twist. not taken)
20 March 2009
1 19 Kit All Daredevil Dreamway Boodle's Bounce-a-bout

Snout's Amazing Maze

Pip's Place
Sniffertron (Kit)

Practical Pointer (Twist)

Pip's Perfect Pod Mod (Ninki)

Pod-in-a-Box (Mystery, Kit)
27 March 2009
1 20 Ninki Kit The Fairy Tale Trail The Beanstalk

Cloud Pass

The Giant's Castle
One Wish (Kit)

Two Wishes (Twist)

Three Wishes (Ninki)

Nattertoad (Mystery, Ninki)
3 April 2009
1 21 Ninki Ninki The Marvellous Musical Marathon Kat Kool's Nifty Notes

Tuba Tunnel

Thumper Jumper

Cymbal Straight
Mega megaphone (Ninki)

Cool Conductor (Kit)

Super Speakers (Twist)

Wonderhorn (Mystery, Ninki)
10 April 2009
1 22 Twist Kit Party Paradise King Pong's Parcel Pass

The Balloon Room

The Dancing Disco
Food Finding Fork (Twist)

Power Party Popper (Kit)

Pressing Presser (Ninki)

Parcel (Mystery, Twist)
17 April 2009
1 23 Kit Twist The Four Season Freeway Spring Fling

Summer Daze

Automatic Alley
Nibbling Gnashers (Ninki)

Brumbrella (Kit)

Lead Guitar (Twist)

Ticket to Boys for All Seasons concert (Mystery, Kit)
24 April 2009
1 24 Kit Kit The Super Ace Rainbow Race Panorama Rama

Loop-the-Loop Land

White World
Top Drawer (Kit)

Fade-Away Vanishing Block (Twist)

Splatter (Ninki)

Colour-Me-Wonderful Paint Set (Mystery, Ninki)
1 May 2009
1 25 Kit Twist Moonlight Night Flight Starlight Expressway

Dark Park

Moonlight Parade
Clouder-Outer (Ninki)

Cool Cat's Eyes (Kit)

Shooting Starburst Boost (Twist)

Flight of Fireflies (Mystery, Kit)
8 May 2009
1 26 Twist Ninki Fun Food Freeway The Big Cheese

The Wedge of Veg

Pudding Lane
Frisky Whisk (Ninki)

Grater-Scraper (Twist)

Cheese Board (Kit)

Chef's Hat (Mystery, Kit)
15 May 2009
2 1 Twist Kit Building Block Rock Crane Corner

Turning Tunnel

The Working Herberts
Brick Basher (Ninki)

Dino Demolition Ball (Twist)

Foghorn (Kit)

Mega Cone (Mystery, Ninki)
7 March 2011
2 2 Kit Twist The Ker-razy Cave Caper The Looping Lava Tube

Glacier Gully

Stalactite Slalom
Rockin' Rocket Boosters (Kit)

Hyper Heater (Twist)

Picky (Ninki)

Superstar Night Light (Mystery, Twist)
8 March 2011
2 3 Ninki Ninki The Play Place Race The Bouncy Castle Start Line

Slippy Slope/The Musical Tubes

Roller Squeeze Straight

Ball Pond Plunge
Super Suckers (Twist)

Big Wide Wedge (Kit)

Blow-Up Bouncers (Ninki)

De-tangler (Mystery, Twist)
9 March 2011
2 4 Kit Twist Spooky Speedway Hairy Scary Hallway

Room of Choices

The Web Way
Bat Wings (Kit)

Lending Hand (Ninki)

Glower (Twist)

Spooky Sheet (Mystery, Ninki)
10 March 2011
2 5 Kit Kit The Speedy Greedy Bake Race Steady Bready Bridge

Donut Tunnel through the Middle of Meringue Mountain

Tackle the Bumpy Bun Jumps

Frisky Whisk (Kit)

Getaway Tray (Twist)

Icing Bag (Ninki)

Dreamy Creamy Fondant Fancy (Mystery, Twist. not taken)
11 March 2011
2 6 Ninki Ninki Wild West World Tumble Weed Trail

Tin Can Canyon

Old Pine Gold Mine
Sheriff's Badge (Ninki)

Lasso (Twist)

Burpalo Nickel (Kit)

Cowboy Hat (Mystery, Kit)
14 March 2011
2 7 Twist Twist The Overgrown Garden Getaway Long Forgotten Lawn

Park and Glide Pond

Tree-mendous Avenue
Hopping-glad frog legs (Twist)

Creaky-Squeaky Lawnmower (Kit)

Long Stick (Ninki)

Hairdressing Set (Mystery, Ninki)
15 March 2011
2 8 Kit Kit City Speedway The Statue of Ribbity

The Subway

Skyscraper Caper

The Showtime Shimmy
Beat Bop Baton (Kit)

Subway Tickets (Twist)

Big Onion (Ninki)

Year's Supply of Popcorn (Mystery, Ninki)
16 March 2011
2 9 Ninki Ninki The Giant Jungle Jetway Undergrowth Expressway

Tree Trunk Trail

The Leaves
Leaping Lizard Legs (Ninki)

Frog's Tongue (Twist)

Zapper (Kit)

Rain Cloud (Mystery, Ninki)
17 March 2011
2 10 Ninki Twist Arty Crafty Caper Origami Forest

Glitter Falls

Natter Stamp Street

Paper Plane Pass
Safety Scissors (Ninki)

Super Sticker (Twist)

Perfect Painter (Kit)

Ball of Super String (Mystery, Twist)
18 March 2011
2 11 Twist Kit Treasure Island Trail Pirate Ship Wreck

Coconut Grove

Quick Sand Land
Hook (Twist)

Main Sail (Ninki)

Rope (Kit)

Treasure Map (Mystery, Twist)
21 March 2011
2 12 Twist Ninki The Toy Factory Track Toy Toad Travelator

Burpalloon Way

Toy Pong Parade
Quick and Slick Oil Can (Twist)

Top Popper (Ninki)

Spanner (Kit)

Toy Model of Kerwhizzitor (Mystery, Ninki. not taken)

"Thingamajig" (extra mystery item, Ninki)
22 March 2011
2 13 Twist Twist Planet Snout Sprout Wood

Crackle Crater

Snoutsville
Fantastic Fan (Kit)

Which-Way Dish (Ninki)

Pepper Pot (Twist)

Sprout Recipe Book (Mystery, Ninki. not taken)
23 March 2011
2 14 Twist Ninki The Zoom Around the Moon Lunar Lane

The Spaceship

The Crater

The Dark Side
Fiery Flare (Ninki)

Force Field (Twist)

Space Helmets (Kit)

Super Duper Boosters (Mystery, Kit)
24 March 2011
2 15 All All The Deserted Desert Dash None Eye Spy (Ninki)

Big Ears (Twist)

Nifty Nose (Kit)

Magic Lamp (Mystery, shared by all)
[NB all teams score equal points and are allowed to choose Mods cooperatively]
25 March 2011

In other languages

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Broadcast

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Reception

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British psychologist Aric Sigman refers to Kerwhizz as a perfect example of what television makers claim is educational, despite his insistence to the contrary.[4] Sigman goes on to say that "the phrase 'educational television' was, of course, invented by people who make television", "to me it's an oxymoron.".[4]

Lawsuit

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In 2011, cartoonist Michael Mitchell sued the BBC and CBeebies, claiming that Kerwhizz's human CGI characters were based on his own designs for a proposed series called The Bounce Bunch. The BBC and CBeebies denied these claims. In the England and Wales Patents County Court in December 2011, His Honour Judge Birss, QC found that the Kerwhizz characters did not infringe Mr Mitchell's copyright.[5]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Holmwood, Leigh (4 April 2009). "Cbeebies to launch pre-school quiz show". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 April 2009.
  2. ^ "Kerwhizz, a new Cbeebies, mixed media pre-school quiz show" (Press release). 1 January 2009. Retrieved 9 April 2009. Episodes were written by various writers including: Stephen Cannon, Barry Quinn, Alan Robinson, Helen Baker, Katie Simmons, Robbie Sims, James Shovlin, Sam West and Matt Lyons, Feri Tezcan
  3. ^ "Kerwhizz kid" (Press release). 7 June 2010. Retrieved 9 April 2009.
  4. ^ a b Kelland, Kate (12 February 2008). "Psychologist warns of "educational television" myth". Reuters. Retrieved 9 April 2009.
  5. ^ "Mitchell v British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) (2011) EWPCC 42". British and Irish Legal Information Institute website. 21 December 2011. Retrieved 12 July 2011.
  1. ^ Animation outsourced to Blue-Zoo Productions.
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