Squirt (TV series)

Squirt
StarringRyan Inglis, Jo Holley, Spike T. Penguin
Country of originNew Zealand
Production
Camera setupSingle
Running time30 minutes (plus commercials)
Original release
NetworkTV3 (1996–1997)
TV2 (1997–2006)
Release1 March 1996 (1996-march-01) –
26 November 2006 (2006-november-26)

Squirt was a New Zealand children's television show, produced in Dunedin. It began airing in 1996 on TV3 and moved to TV 2 in 1997, before coming to a close on 21 November 2006. Squirt was aired every Saturday morning, originally from 7 am to 9 am, then from 8:30 am to 10 am, eventually running from 8:30 am to 9 am for only 30 minutes. In the original time, cartoons were aired, such as Cow & Chicken, Batman of the Future and Earthworm Jim. There were also weekly competitions, and many informational segments such as "Out There!" and "Astounding Squirt Facts".

It was notable for Dunedin-based production company TaylorMade, and Animation Research Limited's (ARL) pioneering use of "live" motion capture, used in the 3D animation of the digital co-host Spike The Penguin. A performer was off camera in a special costume, making all the moves and vocal responses to the main host's comments, which played back in real time on a monitor for the crew, while all the motion was digitally recorded, which could then be applied to a fully rendered Spike, and composited into shot in post-production, ready for broadcast.

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Programmes