Oscar Puffin
{{Short description|Television station mascot in the Channel Islands}}
{{Use British English|date=November 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}}
{{more citations needed|date=November 2024}}
{{Infobox character
| name = Oscar Puffin
| image = Oscar Puffin.jpg
| caption = Oscar in the Puffin's Pla(i)ce studio
| first = 3 March 1963
| creator = ITV Channel Television
| species = Puffin
| gender = Male
| nationality = Channel Islander
}}
Oscar Grosnez Corbière Claud Puffin, known as Oscar Puffin, is a television station mascot for ITV Channel Television. Oscar was the star of the birthday greetings programme Puffin's Pla(i)ce and was the last remaining ITV regional mascot to have an on-screen presence. His show was on television from 3 March 1963 until 15 September 2013.{{Citation needed|date=May 2023}}
He was born on the island of Burhou in the Channel Islands.{{Citation needed|date=May 2023}}
Early development
To introduce Oscar Puffin to viewers, it was claimed that Oscar had been watching Channel Television since its inception in September 1962 and was concerned that there was no on-screen children's birthday club for Channel Islands{{Citation needed|date=May 2023}}
Puffin's Pla(i)ce TV show
Puffin's Pla(i)ce is a Channel Islands children's programme named after its star, Oscar Puffin, that was broadcast on ITV Channel Television on weekend afternoons (usually just before ITV News Channel TV). The programme, one of the longest-running children's series on the ITV network, had been broadcast since 3 March 1963.
Originally presented by Channel Television's team of continuity announcers, Puffin's Pla(i)ce presenters have included Stewart McDonald, Matthew Shaw, Kevin Pamplin, Sam Palmano, Lucy Anderson and Jenny Mullin.
In September 2013, it was announced that the show would no longer be broadcast on TV, but would move to an online format at the Channel Online website,{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-jersey-24079476|title=ITV Channel Television mascot Oscar Puffin dropped|work=BBC News|date=13 September 2013|access-date=1 December 2024}} but was quietly dropped soon after. The last TV edition was broadcast on 15 September 2013.
Present
Although Oscar no longer has his own show, he remains the mascot of the ITV regional service in the Channel Islands. He does make occasional appearances both on television and online and regularly makes updates on Twitter that have a strong element of absurdity.{{Citation needed|date=May 2023}}
In 2018, rare footage of Oscar was aired at the British Film Institute.{{cite news|url=https://www.itv.com/news/channel/2018-08-07/rare-clip-of-oscar-puffin-to-be-aired-at-bfi|title=Rare clip of Oscar Puffin to be aired at BFI|work=ITV.com|date=7 August 2018|access-date=1 December 2024}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.itv.com/news/channel/topic/oscar-puffin/ Oscar Puffin on itv.com]
- {{Twitter|name=Oscar Puffin}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Puffin, Oscar}}
Category:British comedy puppets
Category:Male characters in television
Category:Male characters in advertising
Category:Television characters introduced in 1963
Category:Culture of the Channel Islands
Category:Mascots introduced in 1963
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