{{Short description|British children's TV series (1973–1995)}} {{about||the 2010 song by Gramophonedzie|Why Don't You (song)|the 1936 song by Kansas Joe McCoy|Why Don't You Do Right?}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}} {{Infobox television | image = | caption = | runtime = 25 minutes | creator = | starring = Ensemble cast of children | channel = BBC1 | first_aired = {{Start date|1973|8|20|df=y}} | last_aired = {{End date|1995|4|21|df=y}} | num_series = 42 | num_episodes = | producer = Peter Charlton, Patrick Dowling, Catherine MacFarlane, David J. Evans, Kirstie Fisher, Russell T Davies, Trevor Stephenson-Long | related = }}
'''''Why Don't You?''''' was a BBC children's television series created by producer/director Patrick Dowling and broadcast in 42 series between 20 August 1973 and 21 April 1995. The format consisted of groups or "gangs" of children responding to letters from viewers who wrote into the show suggesting games, 'makes' and days out. Typically these were arts-and-crafts activities or games and magic tricks children could learn to impress their friends. The full title, as heard on the title sequence, is "Why don’t you just switch off your television set and go and do something less boring instead?"
==Broadcast history== The show was originally broadcast in the morning during the school summer holidays and once was shown during the weekday evening children's TV slot. Later it went out during the Easter and Christmas school holidays although it was also broadcast once on Saturday mornings.
Russell T Davies was at one time a producer and director for ''Why Don't You...?'' before going on to greater fame as writer of ''Queer as Folk'' and producer of the 2005 revival of ''Doctor Who''. Under Davies's direction, the format of the series shifted from magazine show to drama, with plots frequently centring on harebrained young Welsh presenter Ben Slade and his increasingly elaborate inventions. Slade was the longest serving presenter in the show's 22-year run.<ref name=bb5>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7510372.stm In praise of summer mischief], Finlo Rohrer, BBC news magazine, 17 July 2008</ref> During the Russell T Davies/Ben Slade era viewing figures rose from 0.9 to 3 million up against stiff competition on ITV. Slade and Davies reunited in 2019 in a BBC Radio Wales documentary, first broadcast in December of that year.
Many of the episodes are now lost, having been wiped from the BBC archives.<ref>{{cite web |title=TV Archive |url=https://www.tvbrain.info/tv-archive?showname=why+don%27t+you&type=lostshow |website=tvbrain.info |access-date=13 January 2026}}</ref>
== Geographical variations == The 1972 pilot for ''Why Don't You'' was filmed in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, with a team of children from Valley Road Primary School. When the series proper launched in 1973, the gang's studio had been moved to Bristol and resembled a dusty basement; however, from 1980 the show also featured gangs from other parts of the United Kingdom, and these shows were made by the respective BBC regional centre, although all were broadcast nationwide.<ref>[http://www.screenonline.org.uk/tv/id/549322/index.html "Screen Online"], BFI</ref> The first "alternative" gangs came from a barn in Scotland and a church hall in Belfast, followed by a seaside café in Cardiff. As the 1980s continued, all four studio settings were abandoned and the gang became based in other UK locations.
==Theme tune== The original 1973 theme was "I Say, I Say, I Say", from the De Wolfe Music Library, written by Paul Lewis and credited to The London Studio Group. This theme was retained until 1975.<ref>{{Citation|title=1973: Why Don't You...?: First Edition Intro|url=https://www.facebook.com/BBCArchive/videos/363430217931765/|language=en|access-date=2022-02-17}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Why Don't You...? (1975)|url=https://www.ravensbourne.ac.uk/bbc-motion-graphics-archive/why-dont-you-1975|access-date=2022-02-17|website=Ravensbourne University London|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Citation|title=The London Studio Group - Music Of The Victorian & Edwardian Era|url=https://www.discogs.com/release/7709590-The-London-Studio-Group-Music-Of-The-Victorian-Edwardian-Era|language=en|access-date=2022-02-17}}</ref>
In 1976 the theme changed to "Kings Road Raspberry Parade", written by Roger Greenaway & Roger Cook and performed by George Martin & His Orchestra.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Why Don't You...? (1976)|url=https://www.ravensbourne.ac.uk/bbc-motion-graphics-archive/why-dont-you-1976|access-date=2022-02-17|website=Ravensbourne University London|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Citation|title=George Martin And His Orchestra - British Maid|url=https://www.discogs.com/master/667111-George-Martin-And-His-Orchestra-British-Maid|language=en|access-date=2022-02-17}}</ref>
By 1979 the opening theme had changed to the "Why Don't You?" song, written by Faron Brooks.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Why Don't You...? (1979)|url=https://www.ravensbourne.ac.uk/bbc-motion-graphics-archive/why-dont-you-1979|access-date=2022-02-17|website=Ravensbourne University London|language=en}}</ref> This series retained "Kings Road Raspberry Parade" as the closing theme, but by 1981 this had been replaced by a reprise of the opening song.
By 1984 the opening song had been re-recorded by a children's choir.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Why Don't You...? (1984)|url=https://www.ravensbourne.ac.uk/bbc-motion-graphics-archive/why-dont-you-1984|access-date=2022-02-17|website=Ravensbourne University London|language=en}}</ref>
By 1991 the theme tune had changed to one by Norman Cook.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001g4p1|title=BBC One - Why Don't You?|website=BBC}}</ref> The last theme tune was introduced in 1994.
== Notable presenters == {{more citations needed|section|date=July 2017}} * Gideon Coe * Andy Crane * Daniel Evans * Alexandra Fletcher * Anthony McPartlin * Pauline Quirke
== See also ==
* ''Wise Up''
== References ==
{{reflist}}
== External links == * [https://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/classic/titles/whydontyou.shtml ''Why Don't You?'' opening title sequence] at bbc.co.uk * [http://www.screenonline.org.uk/tv/id/549322/ Screenonline: ''Why Don't You?''] * {{IMDb title|0266205}}
Category:1973 British television series debuts Category:1995 British television series endings Category:1970s British children's television series Category:1980s British children's television series Category:1990s British children's television series Category:BBC children's television shows Category:English-language British television shows Category:Lost BBC television shows