What Now facts for kids

What Now is a New Zealand children's television programme that premiered on Saturday 9 May 1981. It is currently filmed before a live audience at a random school in New Zealand, which is selected every week.

The show airs every Sunday at 8 am on TVNZ 2 and has segments such as Tamariki Titans, DareDevil Levels and Hoover Hover. It has no adverts, due to the Broadcasting Act 1989 which states that no advertising can be shown on New Zealand television between 6 am and noon on Sundays.

Current presenters

Previous hosts and segment presenters

• Steve Hooper 1981 - 1982 (along with intermediate school-aged children Merryn, Richard, Oliver and Lucy)
• Peter Williams and Yvonne Moore 1982 (just for the New Games Competition segment)
• Steve Parr 1983 - 1984
• Jim Hopkins 1983 - 1987 (as Clive Grumble character)
• Alasdair Kincaid (as Frank Flash character) 1983 - 1988 and then returned as The Answer Guy in the 1990s
• Michelle Bracey 1983 - 1987 (various segments and then as one of the main presenters)
• Eddie Sunderland 1984 - 1992 (arts and crafts segments)
• Danny Watson 1985 - 1987
• Michele A'Court 1987 - 1988
• Fifi Colston 1987 - 1993 (arts and crafts segments)
• Steven Zanoski 1988
• Catherine McPherson 1988 - 1992
• Simon Barnett 1988 - 1992
• Carlos Miller 1989-1990 (for the "Let's Cook" cooking segment)
• Thingee 1989 - 1997 (puppet who also co-hosted The Son of a Gunn Show and Chatterbox)
• Jason Gunn reoccurring guest/presenter since the early 1990s (and also creative writer and producer from the 2000s onwards)
• Aaron Devitt 1993 - 1994
• Darren Young 1994
• Fiona Anderson 1994 - 1997
• Stacey Morrison (Daniels) 1995 - 1997 (in a cooking segment)
• Steve Joll 1996 - 1998
• Mike Carpenter (as the character Props Boy) 1996 - 2000
• Anthony Samuels 1995 - 2003
• Jason Fa'afoi 1997 - 2004
• Shavaughn Ruakere 1997 - 2001
• Carolyn Taylor 1999-2004, 2005–2006 and on WNTV (2008)
• Tamati Coffey 2004 - 2007
• DJ Vinyl Richie (Richie Mills) 2004 - 2007
• Vicki Lin 2005
• Charlie Panapa 2005-2011
• Virginie Le Brun 2005 - 2006
• Serena Cooper-Rongonui 2006 - 4 July 2010
• Camilla the Gorilla 2006-2013
• Tumehe Rongonui 2007 - 2010 (Roving Reporter/Slam Host)
• Red the Mailbot 2008-2012
• Gemma (Gem) Knight 2010-2015
• Johnson Raela 2011-2012
• Adam Percival 2011-2015 (He was a host in The 4:30 Show that was replaced by The Adam and Eve Show before he left. He later returned to What Now as a Content Producer in 2020 and will be a Creative Producer in 2021.)
• Ronnie Taulafo 2011-2018
• Bianca Seinafo 2015-2016
• Chris Kirk 2015-2020
• Evander Brown 2019
• Luke Tumaru (Funge HQ Presenter)

Regular segments (past and present)

• Serial Stuff - Serial comedy/drama, with outdoor scenes realised in Chuckimation style. Late 1990s - early 2000s
• Celebrity Traffic Island - Satirical take-off of Celebrity Treasure Island. Written by Andy Gunn - Jason Gunn's brother.
• Pie-in-Yer-Ear House - Satirical take-off of Pioneer House. Also written by Andy Gunn.
• Game Zone
• The One
• SLAM!
• Toilet Humour - The first locally produced lip-sync CGI animated series.
• Foul's Kitchen
• Stars in Disguise
• Balls of Fortune
• Splat Cave
• Live in Your Living Room
• Fairytales Got Talent
• LOL
• Wobblies - Satirical take-off of children's music group The Wiggles.
• Phone and Away - Based on Home and Away.
• Tamariki Titans
• Emoji Dojo
• Up Nose and Personal
• Doodlezone
• Birthdays
• Show Us Your Room
• WN Wild Ride
• What Now Vivor - Based on Survivor (TV series)
• Kidtubers
• Mysteryville
• Hoover Hover
• DareDevil Levels
• Win A Wish
• Smoothie of the Week
• Animal Antics
• How Will It Travel?
• Best Town Ever

Gunge

Throughout the years, What Now has maintained the use of gunge and foam. Children, celebrities, parents and sometimes the presenters are often the subject of embarrassment in various gunge games. Examples include Happy Feet, Gunge Matters, Target your Teacher and Tug of War and general gunging.