Neil Buchanan
Born (1956-10-11) 11 October 1956
Aintree, Merseyside, England
Alma materLiverpool Institute for Performing Arts
Occupation(s)TV presenter, TV producer, musician, artist
Years active1976–present
Notable work
SpouseNicola K. Buchanan
Children2
Musical career
GenresHeavy metal
Instrument(s)Guitar
Labels
  • Mountain
  • RCA
  • Ultranoise
  • Gas Station Music
Websiteneilbuchanan.co.uk
Notes
Co-founder of The Media Merchants

Neil Buchanan (born 11 October 1956)[1][2] is an English artist, photographer, and musician, best known for his work on British children's television. During his tenure as a children's television presenter, he hosted the CITV programme Art Attack, a television program that he co-created, during its original run from 1990 to 2007, as well as Finders Keepers and It's a Mystery, while he also produced and starred in CITV's ZZZap!.

Early life

Buchanan was born in 1956 in Aintree, which was then in the county of Lancashire. He attended Barlows Lane primary school and Liverpool Institute High School, now the Paul McCartney-sponsored Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts.[3][4]

Career

Buchanan was in a heavy metal band called Marseille which formed in 1976: they were part of the new wave of British heavy metal scene, releasing four albums and six singles, touring America and performing with Judas Priest, Nazareth and Whitesnake.[5][6][7] The band reformed in 2009 with a performance at The Cavern Club, Liverpool.[7]

Television

Buchanan made his television debut on a Saturday morning show called No. 73, later renamed 7T3.[3] He had attended the original audition, having met the No. 73 producers when his band Marseille appeared on Southern Television's Saturday Banana. He did not become a regular until the third series of No. 73 shown in 1983. After production ceased on 7T3 in 1988, he went on to present Motormouth, another Saturday morning children's program made by TVS alongside Gaby Roslin. Buchanan stayed with Motormouth until the show's cancellation in 1992.

He was the creator and presenter of the CITV show Art Attack from its inception in 1990 until the show ended in 2007.[6] The show won two BAFTA awards.[8] In March 2000, Britt Allcroft (subsequently Gullane Entertainment) purchased the rights to the series from Buchanan in a £14 million transaction.[9]

In 1991, he hosted the British version of Finders Keepers, a room-raiding game show for TVS, then Scottish Television when TVS lost their license to broadcast. He co-hosted the show with Diane Youdale, the former Gladiators star, in its final series in 1996. He also presented Animal Crazy with co-host Jenny Powell for two series between 1994 and 1995 which was produced by the Media Merchants for Granada Television, and It's a Mystery alongside Sophie Aldred, from 1996 to 1999.[10]

From 1995 to 1997, Buchanan presented the awards show The CITV Awards, which gave viewers a chance to vote on who they think should win a CITV award.

Buchanan briefly appeared as a guest on Celebrity Juice on 8 November 2012 during series 8 episode 11,[11] in which he discussed ending Art Attack and his current activities, playing with his band.

In 2017, Nigel Roberts, vocalist for Marseille, announced that Buchanan had stepped away from the band owing to his consultancy work for children's television.[12]

In September 2020, due to rumours spreading online, Buchanan released a statement denying suggestions that he was the English-based street artist Banksy.[13]

References

  1. ↑ "Neil Buchanan - Personal Appointments". Companies House. Retrieved 17 June 2021.
  2. ↑ "Neil BUCHANAN personal appointments - Find and update company information - GOV.UK". find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 21 September 2021.
  3. 1 2 "Meet Neil". HitEntertainment.com. Archived from the original on 18 July 2016. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
  4. ↑ "Neil Buchanan". Educate magazine. 2 April 2014.
  5. ↑ Banim, Julia (14 June 2018). "Art Attack Presenter Neil Buchanan Is In A Metal Band And Looks Completely Different". www.unilad.co.uk.
  6. 1 2 McCoid, Sophie (5 September 2020). "Where Art Attack star Neil Buchanan is now". Liverpool Echo.
  7. 1 2 "Why Children's TV star Neil Buchanan has hung up his pencil for life as heavy metal rock star". Liverpool Echo. 11 September 2009.
  8. ↑ Bland, Simon (23 June 2020). "Neil Buchanan on 30 years of Art Attack: 'Every kid thinks they're Picasso until they're six or seven'". i. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
  9. ↑ Robins, Jane (16 March 2000). "Sooty firm snaps up 'Art Attack'makers for £14m". The Independent. Archived from the original on 18 June 2022.
  10. ↑ "Finders Keepers (2) - UKGameshows". www.ukgameshows.com. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  11. ↑ "Celebrity Juice" Episode #8.11 (TV Episode 2012) - IMDb
  12. ↑ "Marseille The Band - Home". Marseilleonline.co.uk. Archived from the original on 31 May 2017. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  13. ↑ "Neil Buchanan: Former Art Attack host denies Banksy rumours". BBC News. 7 September 2020.
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