Later that year, on 9 October 1971, "Hey Hey It's Saturday" started. Somers at first co-hosted with footballer Peter McKenna, but eight weeks later, his co-host became the pink hand-puppet Ossie Ostrich, which was operated by former "In Melbourne Tonight" staff writer Ernie Carroll. McKenna continued to appear on the show for some time. Originally created as a Saturday morning children's cartoon show, the program gradually expanded in both size and scope. Soon, additional cast members joined, including booth announcer John Blackman, who also voiced many (unseen) characters, and, later, co-host Jacki MacDonald.