IZZY WIZZY – It’s a Sooty celebration! New Illuminations projection show marks 70th birthday this Friday

Soo, Sooty, Richard and Sweep. Photo by Steve Ullathorne

A new projection show celebrating the 70^th birthday of one of TV’s most enduring children’s characters is to be premiered at Blackpool Illuminations.

The specially-commissioned Sooty Show film will be premiered on the evening of Friday 5th October as part of the nightly 3D projection shows on the front of The Blackpool Tower building. The film, produced in association with his presenter pal Richard Cadell, features Sooty, Sweep and Soo enjoying a whistle-stop journey through Blackpool’s numerous attractions.

It was back in 1948 that puppeteer and magician Harry Corbett originally discovered the glove puppet on North Pier. He first appeared on TV four years later, and according to the Guinness World Records, Sooty is the longest-running continuing children’s TV programme in the UK with more than 850 episodes to date – and more to come.

The free launch event will take place on the Tower Festival Headland from 7pm on October 5th when Sooty and Richard will make a special guest appearance prior to the premiere of the film.

That will be followed at around 8.30pm by the finale of the resort’s World Fireworks Championships, with a spectacular display by firework experts, Titanium.

Cllr Gillian Campbell, Deputy Leader of Blackpool Council, said ‘We are delighted to be able to unveil this fantastic film tribute to Sooty. Sooty has entertained families for generations and has timeless appeal – I was a big fan as a kid and my youngest child is now a big fan too! The projection show will take place just a few hundred yards away from his original home on North Pier and the fact that it will be followed by a spectacular fireworks display makes it a fitting birthday celebration.’

Richard Cadell added ‘I thought nothing would top Sooty’s 70th birthday party that was held earlier this year on the North Pier. However this has! To see Sooty, Sweep and Soo star in their own adventure film and have it projected onto the iconic Blackpool Tower is mind blowing. Blackpool is truly Sooty’s home, and this amazing feature of the Blackpool Illuminations is an absolute must see for everybody that grew up watching The Sooty Show’

As well as this fantastic event we’ve still got all this to look forward to so save the dates in your diary:

• Blackpool Illuminations and Lightpool – 31 August – 4 November – Britain’s most spectacular light show returns to Blackpool Promenade for another year with Lightpool projections from 7^th September – FREE!

• The World Fireworks Championship Blackpool – 7/14/21/28 September – Blackpool plays host to the best fireworks display teams in the world with the competitors planning more dramatic and spectacular displays than ever before to wow the crowds – FREE

• Nickelodeon SLIMEFEST – 20, 21 & 22 October – The Nickelodeon SLIMEFEST ticketed shows will take place on Saturday, Sunday and Monday at the Arena, Blackpool Pleasure The six shows across 3 days will feature live performances, games, characters and plenty of slime, music and mayhem! All shows sold out but check www.nick.co.uk/SLIMEFEST for competitions to win tickets.

• Lightpool Festival – 25–27 October – Blackpool’s award-winning Lightpool Festival is back for October half-term. The festival will provide a spectacular mix of live performance, light-based art installations, the return of the illuminated tram parade and a special collaboration with the BBC Philharmonic on 18 October.  For more information go to www.visitblackpool.com/lightpoolfestival