Why Don't You?

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Why Don't You?
A screenshot of the programme
Format	Children's TV.
Run time	25 minutes.
Channel	BBC1
Production company	Peter Charlton, Patrick Dowling, Catherine MacFarlane
Air dates	20 August 1973 – 21 April 1995
No. of series	42
IMDb profile

Why Don't You? or Why Don't You Just Switch Off Your Television Set and Go and Do Something Less Boring Instead? or WDYJSOYTSAGADSLBI was a BBC children's television series broadcast in 42 series between 20 August 1973 and 21 April 1995. The format consisted of gangs of children performing suggestions from viewers who wrote in to the show. Typically these were arts-and-crafts activities involving cutting up paper, or games and magic tricks children could learn to impress their friends.

Russell T. Davies was at one time a producer and director for Why Don't You? before going on to greater fame as writer of Queer as Folk and producer of the 2005 revival of Doctor Who. Under Davies' direction, the format of the series shifted from magazine show to drama, with plots frequently centering around harebrained young Welsh presenter Ben and his increasingly elaborate inventions.