Editing Take Hart

{{Short description|British children's TV art series (1977–1983)}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox television
| image                = Take Hart.jpg
| caption              = Final title card, used from 1982 to 1983
| runtime              = 30mins (Special: 60mins)
| creator              = 
| starring             = [[Tony Hart]]
| open_theme           = "[[Left Bank Two]]" by the Noveltones (1977–1982)<br />"Passion Punch" by [[Stanley Myers]] (1982–1983)
| end_theme            = "[[Cavatina (Myers)|Cavatina]]" by [[John Williams (guitarist)|John Williams]]
| country              = United Kingdom
| language             = English
| network              = [[BBC1]]
| first_aired          = {{Start date|1977|2|15|df=y}}
| last_aired           = {{End date|1983|12|30|df=y}}
| related              = ''[[Vision On]]''<br />''[[The Amazing Adventures of Morph]]''<br />''[[Hartbeat]]''
| num_series           = 8
| num_episodes         = 102
}}

'''''Take Hart'''''  is a British children's [[television]] programme about [[art]] presented by [[Tony Hart]]. It took over from ''[[Vision On]]'', and ran from 1977 until 1983.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Sheridan |first1=Simon |title=The A-Z of Classic Children's Television: From Alberto Frog to Zebedee |date=2004 |publisher=Reynolds & Hearn Ltd |isbn=1903111277 |pages=236–240}}</ref>

==Format==
The programme featured Hart and the animated [[Plasticine]] character [[Morph (character)|Morph]], and other characters created by David Sproxton like 'Smoulder the Moulder', which was a lump of mould which would create props by 'spraying' them out of a spray can. The only other human to appear on a regular basis was Mr. Bennett, the caretaker, played by [[Colin Bennett (UK TV)|Colin Bennett]]. The programme won a [[BAFTA]] award for Hart in 1984.

As well as demonstrating small-scale projects (the type that viewers might be able to do), Hart also created large-scale artworks on the TV studio floor and even used beaches and other open spaces as 'canvases' (to be viewed from a camera-crane). This idea was later adopted by ''[[Art Attack]]'', which began in 1990.

A regular feature of the programme was 'The Gallery', which displayed artworks sent in by young viewers. The easy-listening [[vibraphone]] music accompanying this feature – "[[Left Bank Two]]", composed by Wayne Hill – has passed into British TV musical lore. In later series, "Left Bank Two" alternated with [[John Williams (guitarist)|John Williams]]' recording of "[[Cavatina (Myers)|Cavatina]]", and in the final three series, the theme music was replaced by the more reggae-like "Passion Punch", composed by [[Stanley Myers]], and The Gallery music was replaced by "Marguerite", by Bob Morgan, which is also well-remembered by many viewers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7837849.stm |title=UK &#124; Magazine &#124; A bit of vibraphone nostalgia |publisher=BBC News |date=2009-01-19 |accessdate=2013-07-24}}</ref>

==Demise==
By the end of the eighth series in December 1983, Hart felt that the format of the programme, which essentially continued with much of the format of its predecessor ''Vision On'', had become somewhat outdated and routine. Despite the award of a [[BAFTA]] in early 1984, viewing figures for ''Take Hart'' by 1983 had gradually fallen since the series' heyday in the late 1970s. In an attempt to update the image of the series, ''Take Hart '' was dropped in December 1983, and replaced by the relatively more popular series ''[[Hartbeat]]''.

Some [[2 inch Quadruplex videotape]] master copies of ''Take Hart'' episodes were irretrievably [[Lost television broadcast#Wiping|junked]] by Adam Lee of the [[BBC]] [[archives]] in 1993 on the assumption that they were 'no use' and that examples of some other episodes were sufficient. A few months later, access to the material was requested by the head of [[Children's BBC]]'s light entertainment department for a documentary on Tony Hart.{{Citation needed|reason=please list a source or origin for this story|date=May 2019}}

==Series guide==
*Series 1: 13 editions first shown 15 February 1977 – 17 May 1977
*Series 2: 6 editions first shown 14 March 1978 – 18 April 1978
*Series 3: 13 editions first shown 3 January 1979 – 28 March 1979
*Series 4: 13 editions first shown 2 January 1980 – 26 March 1980
*Series 5: 15 editions first shown 14 January 1981 – 22 April 1981
*Special:  Take Hart on Holiday By the Sea, first shown 12 June 1981
*Series 6: 15 editions first shown 6 January 1982 – 14 April 1982
*Series 7  15 editions first shown 5 January 1983 – 13 April 1983
*Series 8: 10 editions first shown 28 October 1983 – 30 December 1983

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Screenonline TV title|572583}}
*{{IMDb title|id=0303543|title=Take Hart}}

[[Category:BBC children's television shows]]
[[Category:British television series with live action and animation]]
[[Category:1977 British television series debuts]]
[[Category:1983 British television series endings]]
[[Category:1970s British children's television series]]
[[Category:1980s British children's television series]]
[[Category:British English-language television shows]]
[[Category:Television series about art]]
[[Category:Lost BBC episodes]]