The Wiggles (TV Series 1)

The Wiggles' first ever TV Series premiered on the Seven/Prime Network in Australia on the 31 July in 1998.

Every episode contains three songs, and the segments Kaz the Cat, Wigglehouse, a Henry the Octopus puppet show, and Captain Feathersword's Pirate Show. Kaz the Cat segments were replaced by Dorothy narrating scenes taking place in a kindergarten in later versions of these episodes.

It was filmed in 1997, following the production of The Wiggles Movie, and as such the sets are very similar, especially Wigglehouse, Wags World and Captain Feathersword's Dockyard. The exterior of Wigglehouse remains pink and orange in the episode Muscleman Murray, but was repainted to blue and orange in all its other appearances.

The songs used in the series are primarily taken from the remakes of Wiggle Time! and Yummy Yummy, with every studio song from both videos appearing once, in addition to one song from their newest video, Toot Toot!. Some music videos especially filmed for the series also appeared infrequently, as well as songs filmed live in concert.

Format
Every episode was structured to a specific format, which consisted of the following

Opening Intro
The shows theme was a special recording of the second verse of Get Ready To Wiggle. Each Wiggle and their friends get their own introduction. It includes a lot of alternate takes or unused footage, most notably a "Balloon Chase" scene and a video for Romp Bomp A Stomp which looks to have been filmed at the same time as other music videos used for the series.

The opening was unchanged throughout the series. Although a single frame of an alternate character card for Captain Feathersword can be seen at the end of his updated one in every episode, it was never used in its entirety, as even the original airing of the first episode is like this.

Songs
There are three songs in every episode, one after the opening theme, one after the Wigglehouse scene, and one before the credits. The first seven episodes feature songs only from the 1998 versions of Wiggle Time! and Yummy Yummy, while the next two also feature exclusive music videos for Dorothy's Dance Party (ep. 8), Wake Up Jeff!, and O Epoe Tooki Tooki (ep. 9). Toot Toot, Chugga Chugga, Big Red Car from The Wiggles' newest video at the time, Toot Toot!, was featured in the 10th episode, while the last three episodes only feature songs performed live at a concert.

By the end of episode 10, all songs from Wiggle Time! and Yummy Yummy were used once. The only songs to appear twice in the series were Hot Potato and Quack Quack, although their later appearances are different versions performed live (in fact, Quack Quack is in a lower key).

Songs from Yummy Yummy have their title cards appear exactly as they do in that video. For most of the songs from Wiggle Time!, as well as two of the music videos made for the series, an exclusive S.S. Feathersword title banner was used, while concert songs had simple text floating across the screen. Dorothy's Birthday Party, Here Comes A Bear and Rock-a-Bye Your Bear received Big Red Car banner titles, just like the ones from Yummy Yummy. Toot Toot, Chugga Chugga, Big Red Car and Wake Up Jeff! were the only two songs not to feature a song title card at all.

Kaz the Cat (original) / Kindergarten segments (later versions)
Kaz the Cat featured new characters, including Kaz herself, Max Mouse, Benjamin Bird and their friend, Carolyn. It is the simplest segment, mostly featuring the characters talking in the same location, as well as the shortest. It has its own unique theme song, sung by The Wiggles and Carolyn Ferrie.

Possibly due to poor response of the Kaz characters, or wishing for Dorothy the Dinosaur to have a greater presence in the show (perhaps a bit of both), Kaz the Cat segments were dropped after the initial run on Seven/Prime Network, and all networks to run the series afterward, as well as all home video releases of the show replace them with segments showcasing kids doing things like painting and reading in kindergarten, as Dorothy tells of her visit to the school to Wags (neither character is seen, and Wags is never heard). These segments have no official title.

As the Kaz the Cat segments were used so rarely, they were largely considered lost for some time. Recently, 12 of the 13 Kaz the Cat segments have resurfaced online, in the form of VHS recordings of Seven and Prime Network airings of the original episodes. The only one that remains lost as of 2018 is the segment from Lilly.

Wigglehouse
The Wiggles have adventures at their home, from throwing a party for the new schoolteacher, to famous actress Lilly Lavender searching for a new star, and even meeting the alien Zardo Zap. Simpler stories include Anthony having fun with his "imaginary" friend Morty the invisible giant turtle, Murray staining his red shirt and finding a new one, Jeff having to fix the Big Red Car before a concert, and Greg losing his sense of humor.

The theme song is a brief part of Get Ready To Wiggle, similar to the intro to the show, but in a different key.

Henry the Octopus
Henry's life in the sea, as he conducts his underwater big band, teaches his friend Jacques about the stars, holds a sea circus, and plays a rhyming game with all his friends. Henry's friends in the show include The Fishettes, Joey the Crab, The Catfish Brothers, Jacques the Shark, Tom the Purple Trout and Sam and Michael the Sea Snails, with all characters portrayed as puppets. It is narrated by Greg Page.

Its theme song is a short rendition of the song Henry The Octopus.

Captain Feathersword's Pirate Show
Featuring Captain Feathersword and Wags as they go to places like Pirate Park for a picnic, Slow Street while on a treasure hunt, and the Beach to have a swim. The primary locations of the segment are Wags World and Captain Feathersword's Dock.

The theme song is adapted from It's A Christmas Party, On The Goodship Feathersword.

The Chase (end credits)
As the credits roll on, we see a character be chased by the others after they take something, such as Wags running off with a pink towel that had been hung up to dry, a butterfly flying away with a net after Wags tried to catch it (accidentally getting Dorothy in the process), and Captain riding away on a bike with a ball The Wiggles were playing a game of tennis with.

The segment has never officially been given a title, but has been named by after the instrumental song The Chase which plays throughout it. An extended version of the song would appear on the North American release of the Yummy Yummy album in 1999. Part of the Chase segment used in the episodes Murray's Shirt, Wiggle Opera and Funny Greg, where Captain takes Jeff's keyboard, was used in versions of the video Wake Up Jeff! released outside of Australia/New Zealand, replacing the song Everybody is Clever, without the credits text over it. The sequence is presented in a manner similar to chase sequences in the sketch comedy series, The Benny Hill Show.

Cast
Murray Cook Jeff Fatt Anthony Field Greg Page
 * The Wiggles:
 * Captain Feathersword - Paul Paddick
 * Dorothy the Dinosaur - Leeanne Ashley
 * Henry the Octopus - Charmaine Martin, Elyssa Dawson
 * Officer Beaples - Leanne Halloran
 * Wags the Dog - Edward Rooke, Paul Field
 * Dorothy's voice, Madame Bouffant, Lilly, Ms Fez, Host of Kaz the Cat, Doctor, Radio voice-over, Penny Fleetfoot - Carolyn Ferrie
 * Zardo Zap, Lilly's Assistant, Ginger the Mechanic, Shazza Footinmouth (Sports Commentator) - Niki Owen
 * Child Dancer - Holly McGlinchy
 * Child Performers - Joseph Field, Clare Field, Anthony Silvestrini, Alyssa Bryce, Sian Ryan, Emma Ryan, Cassandra Halloran, Jessica Halloran, Amy Dunbar, Sarah Cornale

Crew

 * Series Producers: Bridget Thompson and Nick Pike
 * Episode Producer: Paul Field
 * Production Completion: Paul Field
 * Series Director: Martin Murphy
 * Puppet Director: Graeme Haddon
 * Song Directors: Dean Covell and Chisholm McTavish
 * Choreographer: Leanne Halloran
 * Writers: Greg Truman, Paul Field and Maria Silvestrini
 * First Assistant Director: Kimberly Lipschus, Sheryl Talmage (Puppet)
 * Continuity: Honor Bannister
 * Production Manager: Ian MacArthur
 * Production Assistants: Lou Porter, Karen Smith, Matt Acland and Kimberly Lipschus
 * Production Designer: Michelle Dado, Adrienne Chisholm (Puppet)
 * Assitant Art Director: Juliet John
 * Art Dept Buyer & Props: Jane Shadbolt
 * Props Construction: RWE Couhourn and Hard Love
 * Set Construction: Greg Murphy Scenery
 * Head Scenic Painter: Gary Wade
 * Art Department Assistants: Narelle Wilson, Vaughan Alexander, Peter Baylor and Sarah Stokes
 * Puppet Construction: Balooga Puppets
 * Puppet Maintenance: Sheryl Talmage
 * Costumes: Maria Petrozzi and Nikki Harrington
 * Director of Photography and Steadicam Operator: Borce Damcevski
 * Camera Operators: Murray Kelso, Jon Matthews, Barry Armstrong, Scott Preston, Martin Covell and Steve Rees
 * Camera Assistants: Jason Pangas, Grant Jordan and Hugh Thorpe
 * Lighting: Brad Landi, Scott Preston and Borce Damcevski
 * Lighting Assistant: Jeff Field
 * Gaffers: Ian Bosman and Scott Copeland
 * Assistant Gaffer: David Holmes
 * Sound Recordists: Scott Watkin-Sully, Chris Brook and Eric Putre
 * Studio Sound Assistants/Boom Operators: Paul Miskin, Emma Jakovich and Matt Acland
 * Makeup & Hair: Jan Ziggenbein, Nicole Spiro, Adele Durno and Margaret Aston
 * Runner: Matt Acland
 * Signage: Evolution Signs
 * Catering: Set Menu
 * Wigs: Ascot Wigmakers
 * Studio: Zap Productions
 * Studio Painting: Peter Firminger
 * Graphics: Tony Melov
 * Additional Graphics: Swampmagic Pictures
 * Sound Mix: Tony Douglass
 * Post Production Supervisor: Chisholm McTavish
 * Editors: Steve Rees and Mark Tamone - Control Secret Headquarters
 * Sound Editors: Craig Abercrombie, Tony Douglass and Rohan Taylor
 * SFX Editor: Tony Douglass
 * Sound Design: ARCOM

DVD
Main article: TV Series 1 Collector's Box Set

In 2005, the entire series was released on DVD in Australia and New Zealand, across three discs. Kaz the Cat segments remain replaced by Dorothy's Kindergarten segments, and the "Wiggly Trivia" questions asked in Wigglehouse segments before commercial breaks are also removed, as there are no breaks. The songs Teddy Bear Hug, Numbers Rhumba, and Baby Baluga are also cut from their respective episodes, as they are covers of songs by Raffi.

Around the same time, the episodes Anthony's Friend, Murray's Shirt, Wiggle Opera, and Haircut appeared on various DVDs released in the US and Canada of shows such as such as Barney, Bob the Builder and Thomas and Friends by The Wiggles' then-North American distributor HiT Entertainment, as part of the "HiT Extras" section of their DVD bonus features. Although Kaz the Cat segments are expectedly missing, all episodes retain their "Wiggly Trivia", and Numbers Rhumba remains intact in Murray's Shirt (in fact, it marks the only time that music video was released on DVD in either country). After HiT Entertainment lost the rights to The Wiggles in 2007, all these DVDs were either re-released without The Wiggles episodes, or simply went out of production altogether.

VideoNow Jr.
Main article: Playskool VideoNow Jr. PVDs

In 2005, HiT Entertainment released the same four episodes mentioned above, in addition to Foodman and Jeff the Mechanic, on Playskool's VideoNow Jr. format. These "Personal Video Discs" (or PVDs) are only playable on VideoNow hardware. Episodes are presented as uncut, save for Kaz the Cat segments being replaced.

Foodman and Wiggle Opera were only available in packs with other HiT Entertainment shows, and each contain bonus Let's Wiggle segments of live concert clips, most notably Get Ready To Wiggle, which was never released elsewhere.

Digital
All 13 episodes were available on digital platforms such as iTunes and Google Play in Australia and New Zealand for some time, but are currently no longer available. Once again, all episodes had their "Wiggly Trivia", and the songs missing from the DVD release were intact, although Kaz the Cat segments were of course still gone.

Like many other Wiggles videos and TV series on iTunes at the time, they were presented in the NTSC resolution of 480p rather than the proper PAL resolution of 576p (not to mention they were cropped ever so slightly), and were in mono sound despite being made in stereo.

The iTunes version of Building Blocks contained a placeholder not aired or seen anywhere else in place of the commercial breaks, containing the Toy from the intro to Wiggly, Wiggly Christmas counting down to the episode starting back up.

Trivia

 * The series was shown each week on Channel 7, first airing on Friday at 3:30pm and then repeating on Saturday at 10:30am.
 * It was shown later on the ABC in 1998 and on the Disney Channel in 1999, around which point Kaz the Cat segments began to be replaced by the kindergarten scenes.
 * This was the second Wiggles series aired in America, specifically in 2002, after TV Series 2 debuted on Playhouse Disney first in 2001.
 * Every episode is named after its Wigglehouse segment.
 * Paul Field voices the trivia announcer during Wigglehouse segments.
 * Footage of Murray in the theme song is taken from Big Red Car, specifically from Can You (Point Your Fingers And Do The Twist?) and his introduction to Georgia's Song.
 * Wigglehouse now has a garage attached. The garage's inside was never shown in the series, though it was in the original 1998 version of Toot Toot!.
 * Clips from an unused Chase segment with balloons, and an exclusive version of Romp Bomp A Stomp are shown in the theme song, but neither appear in any episode.
 * It's worth noting that these are the only clips from Chase scenes or music videos to appear in the opening. This could mean they may have been shot just for the theme song, or that full versions of each were made but intentionally scrapped, and to make use of the footage, shots were put in the intro.
 * Although Muscleman Murray and Funny Greg were among the last episodes put together and aired, their segments were likely filmed first.
 * The Wiggles all wear socks matching their skivvy colours in these episodes, but black socks in all others.
 * Anthony's hair is longer and curlier in both episodes.
 * Greg is seen wearing a watch in both, the same one that he wore since the beginning of The Wiggles in 1991, but never after these were shot in 1997.
 * Wigglehouse's exterior appears pink in Muscleman Murray, like it was in The Wiggles Movie, despite being blue in other appearances in the series.
 * Perhaps the most notable evidence that it was shot first, the Pirate Show segment of Funny Greg has Wags appear in his 1995-1996 costume at the beach, and after Captain tells him to go into the dressing shed to dry off, he comes out in his new costume, and proceeds to show off his new look as Captain appears amazed.