Sharky's Friends
| Company type | Television program |
|---|---|
| Industry | Children's entertainment |
| Founder | Ambience Entertainment |
| Headquarters | Australia |
| Products | Children's game show |
Sharky's Friends is a children's game show from Australia, presented by Miranda Deakin and starring Sharky, a clever puppet shark character. The 30-minute program, created by Ambience Entertainment, is designed for viewers aged 8 to 14. In each episode, Sharky challenges young participants, known as 'friends', in various word-based competitions. Typically, two or three friends face off against Sharky individually to earn prizes; if Sharky prevails, the contestant receives a consolation reward.
The series originally aired on weekday afternoons but shifted to weekend mornings after just two weeks. Episodes often revolve around specific themes such as tropical settings, pirates, spooky elements, the color yellow, and topics involving numbers and dates.
Gameplay
Miranda provides clues by revealing only partial letters of a word. Contestants attempt to identify the word first; if they fail, Sharky takes a guess. When both miss, additional letters are shown for another try by the contestant. This process repeats until someone correctly identifies the word and earns a "fish cake"—a large decorative cupcake adorned with plastic fish but not edible. The game continues until a player collects three fish cakes; achieving this with a 3-0 score is termed a Shark Blitz and is marked by Miranda ringing a distinctive bell.
Smelly Telly
Typically introduced when the score stands at 2-1 and used no more than twice per episode, Smelly Telly involves presenting a covered silver platter on stage while Sharky performs an improvised song about the game. Contestants are blindfolded—one wears goggles while Sharky uses headphones due to his eye placement. Miranda then reveals the origin of a scent; even pleasant aromas often provoke groans from the audience. Each participant smells and attempts to identify it; correctly naming the scent earns a fish cake. If both guesses are incorrect, no fish cakes are given, with only one guess permitted per player.