SMTV Live(1998)

SMTV Live is a British Saturday morning children's television programme that aired on ITV from August 1998 to December 2003. Hosted by Ant & Dec alongside Cat Deeley, the show combined cartoons, competitions and live studio entertainment with a format that appealed equally to kids and their parents through clever comedic writing. The series became ITV's most successful children's programme since Tiswas, regularly drawing 2.5 million viewers at its peak and consistently outperforming the BBC's rival Live & Kicking. Much of its cultural impact came from the broadcast of the hugely popular Japanese anime Pokémon, which drove viewership among younger audiences. SMTV Live's winning formula—energetic hosting, sharp humour with adult appeal, and premium content—made it a defining fixture of 1990s British children's television.