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Bug Alert
The title card from the first and second series
Created byTwo Sides TV
Written byPeter Eyre and Francis Wright
StarringRebecca Nagan
Alison McGowan
Sarah Wright
Francis Wright
Joe Greco
Richard Coombs
Jeremy Stockwell
Country of originUnited Kingdom
No. of series3
No. of episodes78
Production
Executive producerCatherine Robins
Original release
NetworkGMTV (Series 1-2)
Channel 4 (Series 3)
Release1996 (1996) –
2000 (2000)

Bug Alert is a British children's television series, first shown on GMTV in September 1996. It featured the antics of a range of bug-like characters who lived in the kitchen of an unnamed house. These creatures apparently only came out when the resident humans were "not about." In the final series the characters moved out of the house and opened a somewhat seedy restaurant ("Bug Bites") where they set about serving Weasel Curry to their regular clientele. 78 episodes were made in total and were repeated regularly on GMTV, Tiny Living[1] and Channel 4 between 1996 and 2004.

After the first two series, the show format was bought by Channel 4, which commissioned 26 further episodes. These, and the previous series, were aired in their weekend morning slot. The show was characterised by its somewhat adult references and themes, most of which went above the heads of watching children.

The 78 30-minute scripts were co-written by the director Peter Eyre and the main puppeteer, Francis Wright. The executive producer was Catherine Robins of Two Sides TV.

Characters

Main characters

Minor characters

Regular strands

Media Releases

List of episodes

Series 1 (1996)

No.
overall
No. in
series
TitleOriginal air date
11"Numbers"1996 (1996)
22"Liquid"1996 (1996)
33"Animals"1996 (1996)
44"Letters"1996 (1996)
55"Shapes"1996 (1996)
66"Where We Live"1996 (1996)
77"Big and Small"1996 (1996)
88"Time"1996 (1996)
99"Clothes"1996 (1996)
1010"Colours"1996 (1996)
1111"Transport"1996 (1996)
1212"Hot and Cold"1996 (1996)
1313"Taste and Smell"1996 (1996)
1414"Families"1996 (1996)
1515"Machines"1996 (1996)
1616"What’s It Made From?"1996 (1996)
1717"Light and Dark"1996 (1996)
1818"Save The Planet"1996 (1996)
1919"Over and Under"1996 (1996)
2020"Growing"1996 (1996)
2121"Food"1996 (1996)
2222"Music and Movement"1996 (1996)
2323"Weather"1996 (1996)
2424"Jobs"1996 (1996)
2525"Speed"1996 (1996)
2626"Make Believe"1996 (1996)

Series 2 (1997)

No.
overall
No. in
series
TitleOriginal air date
271"Minerals and Mining"1997 (1997)
282"School"1997 (1997)
293"How My Body Works"1997 (1997)
304"Puzzles and Games"1997 (1997)
315"Festivals and Celebrations"1997 (1997)
326"Old and New"1997 (1997)
337"Towns and Cities"1997 (1997)
348"Kings and Queens"1997 (1997)
359"Staying Healthy"1997 (1997)
3610"Feeling Ill"1997 (1997)
3711"Outer Space"1997 (1997)
3812"Feelings"1997 (1997)
3913"Reptiles"1997 (1997)
4014"Explorers"1997 (1997)
4115"Hobbies"1997 (1997)
4216"Minibeasts"1997 (1997)
4317"Under the Sea"1997 (1997)
4418"Telling the Truth"1997 (1997)
4519"Dinosaurs"1997 (1997)
4620"Birds"1997 (1997)
4721"Friends and Friendship"1997 (1997)
4822"The Countryside"1997 (1997)
4923"Likes and Dislikes"1997 (1997)
5024"Holidays"1997 (1997)
5125"Fashion"1997 (1997)
5226"Loud and Quiet"1997 (1997)

Series 3 (2000)

No.
overall
No. in
series
TitleOriginal air date
531"Homes"2000 (2000)
542"Computers"2000 (2000)
553"Babies"2000 (2000)
564"Pantomime"2000 (2000)
575"Robots"2000 (2000)
586"Treasure Hunt"2000 (2000)
597"Adverts"2000 (2000)
608"Clubs"2000 (2000)
619"Food"2000 (2000)
6210"Ghosts"2000 (2000)
6311"Wishes"2000 (2000)
6412"Sports"2000 (2000)
6513"Sleep"2000 (2000)
6614"Songs"2000 (2000)
6715"Detectives"2000 (2000)
6816"Secrets"2000 (2000)
6917"Parties"2000 (2000)
7018"Doubles"2000 (2000)
7119"Help"2000 (2000)
7220"Truth and Lies"2000 (2000)
7321"Spring Cleaning"2000 (2000)
7422"Stories"2000 (2000)
7523"Tricks"2000 (2000)
7624"Christmas"2000 (2000)
7725"Newspapers"2000 (2000)
7826"Sticky"2000 (2000)

References

  1. ^ "Guardian Unlimited | TV listings". www.guardian.co.uk. Archived from the original on 15 August 2000. Retrieved 12 January 2022.