Ridgey Didge
| Company type | Television program |
|---|---|
| Industry | Children's television |
| Founded | 1987 |
| Defunct | 1989 |
| Headquarters | North Ryde, New South Wales , Australia |
Area served | Australia |
Key people | Ian Fairweather (Executive producer), Penni-Anne Smith (Producer), Dawn Aronie (Production manager) |
| Products | Children's television magazine program |
Number of employees | 9 (1987–1989) |
Ridgey Didge was a well-known Australian children's television magazine program broadcast on Network Ten between 1987 and 1989. The show's name, derived from Australian slang meaning truthful or authentic, highlighted its dedication to showcasing genuine aspects of Australian culture and everyday life.
Format
Each 52-minute episode, filmed in a studio setting, blended informative and entertaining segments that covered a wide range of subjects relevant to the Australian audience. The inclusion of on-location footage added variety and interest to the series. A memorable segment involved the sealing of a time capsule in 1988 to commemorate Australia's bicentennial, which was later opened in 2001.
Presenters
The hosting team featured:
- Jared Robinsen
- Rebecca Hetherington (who is the daughter of Norman Hetherington)
- Simon Watt
- Danny Carretti
- Chris Harriott
- Ashley Paske
In addition to the human hosts, puppet characters such as Shorn Sheep (manipulated by Carretti) and Buzz and Buzzle the Blowflies (operated by Watt) were part of the cast. Regular contributors included Dr. Glenn Singleman, who presented medical topics, and Dean Taylor, who covered art segments.
Catchphrase
The program's theme song prominently incorporated the phrase ridgey didge, which evolved into a popular catchphrase among its viewers. This was often accompanied by a unique hand gesture timed with the music.
Transmission
Ridgey Didge aired on weekdays at 4 p.m. on Network TEN and spanned three seasons with a total of 39 episodes.
Competition
During its run, it was scheduled against other children's shows including:
- Wombat — Seven Network
- C'mon Kids — Nine Network
- Play School — ABC Television
Production crew
The series was developed by TEN's internal production team based at their studios in North Ryde, New South Wales, Australia:
- Executive producer — Ian Fairweather
- Producer — Penni-Anne Smith
- Production manager — Dawn Aronie
- Writers — Tammy Burnstock, Simon Watt
- Location director — Lou Petho
- Production assistants — Michael Carrington, Deborah Kingsford