Sunny Side Up

1 9 8 2 (UK)
13 x 30 minute episodes

Basically a rebranded version of Ad Lib with new presenters joining Nicky Christian, this ITV kids’ series featured songs, sketches and factual items on a wide range of lively topics all illustrating different ways in which people enjoy themselves.

The sun featured in the title song and was also a recurrent theme throughout the series – each week the team looked at objects, events and legends connected with this great globe in the sky.

Other items included eccentrics, fun buildings, hats, sports – from baseball to ballooning – and a look at how people celebrated with festivals and carnivals all over the world

‘The Denzil Hartington Chat Show’ (with Mario Renzullo as Denzil) featured interviews with “guests’’ as diverse as Count Dracula, Sherlock Holmes and Long John Silver (played by fellow presenter Cal McCrystal).

The Space Shuttleworths (alias Elizabeth Watts, Nicky Christian and Cal McCrystal) gave their Zirconian view of the world’s greatest inventions as they were visited each week by super earth salesman Harry Flash (Herbert Norville) who tried to interest them in earthly marvels such as tennis rackets, deckchairs, rollerskates, lawnmowers, cameras and electric toasters – all with comedic results.

Episodes also featured a spoof serial presenting the adventures of the Sunnyside Secret Service, in which incompetent secret agent Jeremy Jetlag (Tim Whitnall) fought off the dastardly deeds of JAMM (the Joyless Association of Misery Merchants). Jetlag was aided and abetted by Vee (Valerie Buchanan), an American allied agent, and her colleague Hardacre (Herbert Norville).

Cal McCrystal played the controller of the Sunnyside Secret Service, Elizabeth Watts was professor Grimes, and Mario Renzullo was the villain boss, accompanied by his henchman (Nicky Christian).

Each week, one of the team would take a solo spot on a subject of particular personal importance: Elizabeth talked about musicals; Mario about life in the London Underground during World War II; Herbert discussed science fiction; Tim admired the artist David Oxtoby, who painted portraits of rock stars; Nicky talked about guitars, Valerie discussed hairstyles, and Cal enthused about the fashions and music of the 1920s.

Presenters
Valerie Buchanan
Nicky Christian
Cal McCrystal
Herbert Norville
Mario Renzullo
Elizabeth Watts
Tim Whitnall