''Saturday Superstore'' is a British

children's television series Children's television series (or children's television shows) are Television show, television programs designed specifically for Child, children. They are typically characterised by easy-going content devoid of sensitive or adult themes and are ...

that aired on

BBC1 BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's oldest and Flagship (broadcasting), flagship channel, and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includ ...

from 2 October 1982 to 18 April 1987. It was shown on Saturday mornings with presenters including

Mike Read Michael David Kenneth Read (born 1 March 1947) is an English radio disc jockey, writer, journalist and television presenter. Read has been a broadcaster since 1976, best known for having been a DJ with BBC Radio 1, and television host for mus ...

, Sarah Greene, Keith Chegwin, and

John Craven John Raymond Craven (born 16 August 1940) is an English journalist and television presenter, best known for presenting the BBC programmes '' Newsround'', '' Countryfile'' and '' Beat the Brain''. Early life Craven was born in Leeds, West Rid ...

. The show was very similar to its predecessor ''

Multi-Coloured Swap Shop ''Multi-Coloured Swap Shop'', more commonly known simply as ''Swap Shop'', is a British children's television series that aired on BBC1 from 2 October 1976 to 27 March 1982. It was groundbreaking in many ways: by broadcasting on Saturday morning ...

'', which had ended the previous October–March season following its presenter

Noel Edmonds Noel Ernest Edmonds (born 22 December 1948) is an English businessman, and former television presenter, radio DJ, writer and producer. Edmonds first became known as a disc jockey on Radio Luxembourg before moving to BBC Radio 1 in the UK, pres ...

moving away from children's TV to present his prime-time '' Late Late Breakfast Show''. A regular spot on the show was their children's talent show "Search for a Superstar". The winner of the 1986 search were Claire and Friends, spawning the top-20 hit "It's 'Orrible Being in Love (When You're 8½)". In 1987, the contest was won by Juvenile Jazz, which included future OMD and occasional Stone Roses keyboard-player Nigel Ipinson. For much of its run, ''Saturday Superstore'' retained the same famous phone-in number, 01-811-8055, as its predecessor. Amongst its most memorable moments were the pop group Matt Bianco being verbally abused by a phone-in caller"Cult: Reviews"
bbc.co.uk. and The Flying Pickets offering as a competition prize a tea-towel bearing the face of

Karl Marx Karl Marx (; 5 May 1818 – 14 March 1883) was a German philosopher, political theorist, economist, journalist, and revolutionary socialist. He is best-known for the 1848 pamphlet '' The Communist Manifesto'' (written with Friedrich Engels) ...

. Other notable guests included

Wham! Wham! were an English pop duo formed in Bushey in 1981 consisting of George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley. They were one of the most successful pop acts during the 1980s, selling more than 30 million certified records worldwide from 1982 to ...

, who answered questions about their lives to callers and read out competition answers and winners. The presenters released a single entitled "Two Left Feet", though it failed to chart. The theme tune, entitled "Down At The Superstore", was also released by The Assistants, consisting of

Dave Edmunds David William Edmunds (born 15 April 1944) is a Welsh retired singer, songwriter, guitarist and record producer. Although he is mainly associated with Pub rock (United Kingdom), pub rock and New wave music, new wave, having many hit record, h ...

, B. A. Robertson,

Cheryl Baker Rita Maria Stroud (''née'' Crudgington; born 8 March 1954), known professionally as Cheryl Baker, is an English singer and television presenter. She was a member of pop group Bucks Fizz, which won the 1981 Eurovision Song Contest and, followi ...

, Junior and

Suzi Quatro Susan Kay Quatro (born June 3, 1950) is an American singer, bass guitarist, songwriter, and actress. In the 1970s, she scored a string of singles that found success in Europe and Australia, with both "Can the Can" (1973) and "Devil Gate Drive" ...

. Then

Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

Margaret Thatcher Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher (; 13 October 19258 April 2013), was a British stateswoman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of th ...

appeared in one show in 1987 leading up to that year's election campaign, making the newspaper headlines when she was repeatedly asked by a girl "In the event of a nuclear war, where will you be?".

''It Started With Swap Shop''

Saturday Superstore had its own section of the BBC's ''It Started With Swap Shop'' in 2006. It featured Keith Chegwin chatting to

and Crow.

and Keith Chegwin took part in the 'Now That's What I Call Saturday Mornings Quiz' for the ''Saturday Superstore'' part of the show and a selection of clips from the show were shown.

Transmissions

References

External links

*
British Film Institute Screen OnlineSaturday Superstore
at Saturday Mornings

on Paul Morris' SatKids {{British Saturday morning television BBC children's television shows 1980s British children's television series 1982 British television series debuts 1987 British television series endings Lost BBC episodes Saturday mass media British television shows featuring puppetry British English-language television shows