Live and Kicking: Zoe and Jamie's first show

[@MultiVince95]

Saturday 21st September 1996

[@naveedrafiq7923]

LIVE AND KICKING Series 4 Episode 1 Presenter Zoe Ball & Jamie Theakston On Saturday 21st September 1996 On BBC1.

[@jackdoe1883]

Zoe loved her PVC pants didn't she? The good ol' days, brightened up my teen years!

[@Hertfordshire247]

Fit.

[@classicsportclassictiyl8547]

The arrival of Zoe and Jamie heralded the golden era of Live and Kicking. Andi Peters and Emma Forbes had successfully launched the show after its evolution from Going Live in 1993, overcoming early challenges. Their rapport with third presenter John Barrowman was hampered by his frequent absences from rehearsals due to acting commitments. As a result, Peters and Forbes were sometimes aided by Kristian Schmid, recognized for his roles in the '90s The Tomorrow People and as Todd Landers in Neighbours. Yet, it was Zoe and Jamie who took the show to unprecedented levels, becoming the first 'rock n roll' icons of Saturday morning TV. Zoe was famed as a vivacious party-goer, and Jamie was known for his connections with prominent pop stars of the era. Moreover, the BBC's forfeiture of F1 broadcasting rights to ITV serendipitously played to Live & Kicking's advantage, resulting in a less competitive Saturday morning schedule on ITV. Scratchy & Co was the only show that could compete with Live and Kicking, with SM:TV initially struggling before it hit its stride following Zoe and Jamie's exit.

[@KNIGH7]

Blimey, what a jam-packed show.

[@DJimpatient]

I was on live and kicking when Zoe and Mark presented it. I went with my drama school. It was great fun!

[@Hertfordshire247]

Zoe and who?

[@97channel]

Story goes, when The Big Breakfast was planning to give the show a massive revamp in 1996 they had no plans to replace her, despite bringing in a wave of new hosts. But Zoe, apparently, had not had a particularly good time there, so chose to jump ship off her own accord when Live & Kicking was offered. The rehearsals for Live And Kicking crossed over with her still hosting The Big Breakfast, she had only presented her last show three weeks prior to the launch of Live & Kicking's new series.

[@CameronInglis1999]

Steve Redgrave at 2:08 was competing and won Celebrity Gladiators 1996 (transmitted in 1997) weeks before his appearance on Live and Kicking, Full episode is on KZbin.

[@Hertfordshire247]

Cheers Zoe! When I saw her in PVC jeans, I said to my Mum I want a pair (Clement Danes School used to do a start of year party at year 9) for the year 9 disco as I knew damn well that most of my mates and all the other guys would be wearing the same old dross. Mum went "that's what goths wear". I didn't care about that, I just knew Zoe was stunning at age 13, balls dropping, she was fit in them. Down Camden market, brought a pair (which I kept on as I loved the power it gave lol) new pair of red laced DM's, school party rolls around in October and I had my first full-on snog (which I would later go on to hate, I hate snogging, it's filthy lol) I owe it all to Zoe Ball, anytime I wore them out for the next few years (plastic trousers last a while, funnily enough, lol) it was just easy to pull. I was the only guy who had a tongue piercing as well. Tongue piercings were everywhere due to Mel B (I think!). Still have a shaved head, tongue pierced twice and still wear PVC and leather and still find it easy with woman. Trust me guys, if you can pull it off, the ladies will come to you. My pride has never allowed me to start chatting up a bird, so I don't, they have always come to me. Arrogance, confidence, call it what you like, I don't give a fuck but I will say it again, Zoe Ball, cheers mate!

[@rajnirvan3336]

I remember this episode clearly. As wrestling fan always watched interviews when on any Saturday morning show. Especially when either Undertaker or in this case Bret Hart

[@vinnydurham8964]

Does anyone remember the krazies?

[@chainggangsolider]

Aww damn its a shame u dont have anymore clips from this L&K cause i would of love to see clips of Bret Hart

[@foxmulderGC]

‘We don’t do Duvets!’

[@fenix182]

I remember this exact show :O

[@chriscanyon4910]

Still have my PVC jeans I got from Burton's Mens Wear. Ahh the 90's. I know I was the only boy to wear them on non-uniform days at school.

[@CourtneyComments]

Every episode of Rugrats always runs for more than ten minutes.

[@Betgany]

Yay!

[@Kousaburo]

Trevor and Simon as well! FTW!

[@2001JamesTV]

They never should have got rid of the old phone jingle if you ask me ;-)

[@jamesdelboy]

I enjoyed Run the Risk if I had my chance I would have applied to be a contestant it would be the same process to apply to be a contestant in the gunge games that L&K had in their last series(I would have done it when the relocated to Glasgow due to me living in Scotland)

[@Hertfordshire247]

Really annoying that there are only a few episodes of Run The Risk online. I loved it as a kid and would love to see the Shane Richie era again. The gunge they used in the 2 series was so thick, loved it.

[@jamesdelboy]

@@Hertfordshire247 Yes that 's true I liked the Bobby Davro era don't get me wrong Shane Richie was ok but when John(can't remember his second name) Run The Risk went downhill I liked other gameshows that were part of CBBC like 50/50 Get your own Back The Movie Game and of course to me to you

[@Hertfordshire247]

@@jamesdelboy Yeah, I am not sure what happened with the John Eccleston series (John had just moved over from ITV at that point, he was some of the lot that flew after What's Up Doc, he did the voices of them 2 wolf puppets, I forget their names but What's Up Doc had pushed the envelope a little bit to close to the edge in terms of the language they were using and were severely punished by the ITC and so management took a firmer grip meaning the likes of Eccleston flew to the BBC) I remember distinctly it moving away from what it was. Little things like the gunge always being green. Peter Simon didn't fall in the gunge until like show 5 or 6 and I still remember John Eclestone saying "Wow, it took a lifetime for that". I was only 9, I just remember it as it stood out because it had taken ages for him to go in. They messed with the format far too much, like the Finale which was an obstacle course. It took itself to seriously. What Bobby Davro did was take it back to its roots but there were still things I disliked about it, I didn't like the moat of gunge, I prefered the one long one at the front and 2 at the back (I am sure during the Shane Richie era they used them 2 back gunge tanks to throw people in during the questions bit with Shane Richie and is the reason them 2 gunge tanks at the back were there) Green gunge every week. With the Shane Richie era, at Xmas as an example, they used white gunge. I am rambling but next to Ghostbusters, as a kid I was Run The Risk mad lol. Eclestone would obviously remain on Live & Kicking doing The Leprechauns.

[@jamesdelboy]

@@Hertfordshire247 The wolf puppets on What's Up Doc were called Bro and Bro they resurfaced in 2005 as hyenas called Scratch and Sniff on ITV's final Saturday Morning show Ministry of Mayhem

[@Hertfordshire247]

@@jamesdelboy Ahh, now I remember. By 2005, if Live & Kicking or Going Live were like they were when I was growing up I.E. It catered to everyone, whether by accident or by design, adults also enjoyed it and so I would've watched. I had heard of MOM but never watched it. I was 20 and just about to join the Old Bill which took up most of my time learning law etc.

[@vinnydurham8964]

Saturday mornings are so shit now