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The Snozbarg and Wozbarg Show was a childrens' television programme broadcast on Canadian television in 1963 by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It was summarily cancelled over accusations that it had promoted alcohol to children.

Setting

The setting of the programme was that the main characters, Snozbarg and Wozbarg, were aliens who were stranded on the planet Earth because the "wonbongulator" of their spaceship had run out of its fuel "strapontium". Unfortunately the two aliens did not know what this was called on Earth and so had to visit a variety of locations examining common substances to see if they were what was needed to power their spaceship.

Each week the hapless pair would report to their superior officer, Throzbarg, that they had failed to locate any strapontium. The cameo role of Throzbarg was played by a different well-known television actor each week.

Cast

• Ultra Snozbarg - Gustave de Zarbouble
• Hyper Wozbarg - Robert de Baldoque

Influence

The programme was influential in developing a number of TV tropes.

• Having a different actor play Throzbarg each time was repeated by the 1967 British show The Prisoner for the character of Number Two.

Cancellation

In the sixth show of the series, the two characters investigated the possibility that strapontium might be beer. They were shown visiting a brewery and a hospital clinic where alcoholics were being treated. An MP raised a question in the House of Commons of Canada and the CBC summarily cancelled the show.

References

• Peter Kenter and Martin Levin, "TV NORTH: Everything you ever wanted to know about Canadian television", Whitecap Publishing (2000) ISBN 155285146X