Ant & Dec and Cat Deeley: what a combo that was! (SMTV)

Member Name: pmcds

Product:	SMTV
Date:	10/11/08 (51 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Highly entertaining

Disadvantages: Ran its course as the presenters changed

Saturday morning TV has long been a haven for kids, something to look forward to after the long week at school. A chance to lounge in your pyjamas and watch a few hours of fun, cartoons, entertainment and games. When I was younger, prorammes such as Going Live were on, and presenters such as Phillip Schofield and Sarah Greene were prime, as well as Andy Crane and Andi Peters.

A few years ago, Saturday mornings were ruled by SM:TV, which took ITV's Saturday morning viewing figures way above those of the BBC in terms of the kids programmes. The show was presented by the comedy duo of Ant & Dec, as well as Cat Deeley, and featured the charismatic trio's on screen chemistry making Saturday mornings highloy entertaining. Interspersed among the regular cartoons were a number of games and other pieces of entertainment, such as Challenge Ant and Chums. Chums was a take-off of friends, and just featured the three of them as they acted out ridiculous but hilarious scenes. Challenge Ant featured a boy or girl come on and have to beat Ant at something, usually a gameshow of some sorts.

Although I was well into my twenties when this was on TV, I still found it entertaining. My 4 year old son didn't get a chance to see it, and unfortunately Saturday morning TV doesn't seem to hold the magic it once did, so it is a shame he missed out on that. SM:TV was a highly entertaining show. It ended as the presenters went on to bigger and better things for them, with Cat Deeley now in the States and Ant & Dec seemingly with their fingers in every pie going. SM:TV did continue for a while, with ex-Big Brother contestant teaming up with Tess Daly to present, but this didn't last for long, and the show was replaced not long after.

For what it was and what it did, SM:TV was very good, and highly entertaining, and it is a shame that the same magic hasn't continued to be as successful. With the advent of a multitude of Sky channels for kids and some of them on Freeview boxes as well, the range on offer is far wider, and Saturday mornings are more stretched.

Summary: Top quality Sat am kids show when it was on