Buzz and Tell

Buzz and Tell is a CBeebies programme created and produced by Jon Doyle. It is a comedy puppet panel show following a format that parodies University Challenge.

Format

There are five contestants in each episode. Each show begins with a humorous introduction from each contestant. These introductions are normally centred around one specific theme, e.g. their interests or their aspirations.

Each show includes a "missing word round", a "picture round", a "numbers round", a "sound round" and "general knowledge". The latter round does not occur in every episode, however. Once the correct answer is given to a question, that contestant will be awarded one point. There have been several rare instances where everyone has buzzed in at once, and the host has allowed each contestant to receive one point each.

In the instance of any two or more contestants with the same level of points, the host will give a tie breaker question based on simple general knowledge. Once this question is answered correctly, that contestant will win the game. It is unclear whether those who do not have the greatest number of points are allowed to answer the tie breaker question or not.

At the end of each episode, the winner receives a silly prize; for example, Mr. Biscuits once was given a wooden spoon.

The main running gag in each episode in the host's increased frustration through each question as the contestants fail to answer simple questions, even those with the answer worded in the question, e.g. "'The tooth fairy visits when a wobbly, "what" falls out?", or "What colour is an orange?" The contestants can also frequently go off topic from the question they need to answer and chat amongst themselves, further annoying the host.

Characters

Different contestants appear in different episodes. Mr. Biscuits and Charles Cheese have appeared in every episode alongside Walter Flipstick, the quizmaster.

• Host: Walter Flipstick – He is a walrus who is the long suffering quizmaster of the show. He always tries to move through the questions at speed and control his unruly contestants. It is unknown where Walter sits as his podium is never seen on the same screen as where the contestants sit. Despite this, it can be implied he sits somewhere to the contestants' left, as Walter regularly turns towards his right when he is asking the questions.
• Orange Bernard – He is an orangutan who is obsessed with bananas. His greatest achievement is the ability to eat a banana sideways. In the Christmas special episode, Bernard swapped places with Walter, who allowed him to be the quizmaster only for the tie breaker question (which Walter, as a contestant, answered correctly instantly).
• Ken Koala – He is a very shy koala with an Australian accent. Despite his shyness, he is depicted as the contestant with the most knowledge of all the contestants.
• Karl – He is a squirrel with a large knowledge of nuts. He is depicted as being very foregetful around the simplest of things. Consequently, Karl regularly forgets to press his buzzer, and once reminded by an irritated Walter, often forgets the answer he was going to give.
• Miss Honkover – She is an exotic bird who loves singing at the most inappropriate of times during the show. Walter frequently has to stop her due to this, and focus her back on the questions.
• Callista Croak – She is a frog who loves to keep fit, and aspires to be the fittest frog in the world one day.
• Charles Cheese – He is a mouse with a cheese fascination. He is also the smallest of all the contestants.
• Melanie Wiggles – She is a rabbit who studies carrots.
• Henrietta Peck – She is a very large chicken who is often joined by one of her eggs hatching into a deep-voiced chick partway through the show. Her chick always gives the correct answer to each question, without fail, giving Henrietta an advantage.
• Mr. Biscuits – He is a dog who likes biscuits.
• B1N – He is a rubbish bin robot made from a pedal bin. B1N frequently gives a ridiculous answer to every question, which he claims to be due to all the rubbish he is filled with each episode, causing him to give those answers in return. Walter often has to ask him to power down if he ever overheats during the show.

Episodes

External links

• at BBC Online
• at IMDb