1 9 9 2 (UK)
5 x 30 minute episodes
This afternoon children’s comedy series from Yorkshire Television featured an intergalactic TV station (IGTV) and its Earth-located reporter, Wysiwyg (Nick Wilton) – whose real name was Dave – and his hapless technician, Globyool (Clive Mantle).
A weird blend of Monty Python and Marty Feldman-style humour, the series took an extremely offbeat – and at times darkly cynical – view of life on “Flurts Globe” (planet Earth to you and me) through Wysiwyg’s mission to observe humans in various surroundings and activities.
Their investigations were intercut with parodies of other TV programmes such as Blockbusters and a generic Australian soap opera (Around These Parts). There were also some rather personal jokes about Kylie Minogue and about how babies are made.
At one stage a surprising announcement came over a supermarket loudspeaker read out by a bored and gormless girl: “Staff pronouncement. Staff pronouncement,” she droned. “There is no such thing as eternal life. We are all transient shadows in the mind of an unwilling Creator. Thank you”.
The title comes from the computer-related acronym “What You See Is What You Get”. Nick Wilton also acted as the series script editor.
Wysiwyg (Dave)
Nick Wilton
Globyool
Clive Mantle
Maz
Julie Dawn Cole
Various
Linda Hartley
Norman Mills