વોટ નાઉ
વોટ નાઉ (What Now, ગુજરાતી: હવે શું) એ ન્યુઝીલેન્ડનાં ટેલીવિઝન પડદા પર લાંબા સમયથી ચાલ્યો આવતો એક બાળકો માટેનો કાર્યક્રમ છે, જેનું સૌ પ્રથમ પ્રસારણ ૧૯૮૧માં થયું હતું. તેનું રેકોર્ડીંગ ન્યુઝીલેન્ડનાં ક્રાઇસ્ટચર્ચ નગરમાં આવેલા સ્ટુડિઓમાં પ્રેક્ષકોની ઉપસ્થિતિમાં કરવામાં આવે છે.

The current show has cartoons such as Class of 3000 and segments such as Game Zone, SLAM!, Foul's Kitchen and Brain Freeze. There are also weekly competitions. It has a group of people who answer the phones between the current hours of 8:00AM and 10:00AM and they have been given the name "Teleops", a portmanteau of telephone and operator. They are there to enter the children who call the show into competitions and give them information.

History 

What Now? was created by Rex Simpson before he left to head up his own production company, Kids TV. It originally screened on Saturday mornings on TV ONE between 7:30am and 10am. Hosted by Steve Parr, he introduced segments covering morning keep-fit exercises, sketches involving recurring characters such as complaining old man Clive Grumble, simple recipes by Alison Holst, trivia from Frank Flash, law and safety with Constable Keith and Sniff, interspersed with regular cartoons. The theme song was Get Out of Your Lazy Bed, by Matt Bianco.

When Steve Parr left the show after a couple of years, the format changed to live broadcast, which allowed it to be more interactive. The hosts increased in number, usually to three, beginning with Danny Watson (from Spot On) and Michelle Bracey added, and Frank Flash (Alasdair Kincaid) given a more central comedic manic role. When Michelle left the show, she was succeeded by Michele A'Court. Comedy sketches, interactive phone calls and competitions with the viewing audience, plus magazine-style segments going out and about, all became a more central part of the format. 

The style remained this way for many years, as hosts evolved and were replaced, until today where the format now involves live audiences of crowds of children, but still is closely faithful with the core concept established early on.

In 1989 the show moved to TV2 and then in 1996 to Sunday mornings. An after school version of What Now also ran on TV 2 during the week between 1997 and 2002. 

The show was moved to TVNZ's Avalon studios in Lower Hutt in the late nineties until it was moved back to Christchurch in 2004 to be produced by independent company Whitebait Productions, headed by Janine Morrell-Gunn and Jason Gunn. What Now? has been funded by NZ On Air since NZOA's inception in 1989; prior to that it was funded by TVNZ.

In 2004 the afternoon show was cancelled and replaced with the current children's afternoon TV show Studio 2. 

Various programme partnerships over the years have seen What Now? promoting ‘healthy eating healthy action', water safety and old-fashioned letter writing amongst many other things. What Now? has a long-standing association with the Weetbix Kiwi Kids Tryathlon, and with Sport and Recreation New Zealand whose ‘Push Play' message encourages children to be physically active.

Early What Now? presenters were also credited as writers. They were people like Michelle A'Court, Danny Watson, Al Kincaid, Michelle Bracey, Simon Barnett and Catherine McPherson, some of whom have gone on to roles as directors and writers. A more recent presenter who made a significant behind-the-scenes contribution was Anthony Samuels, who also trained as a director.

Off-screen personnel who have shaped What Now? over the years are many. They include camera operator and director Alan Henderson (also secretly rumoured to be the brains behind Jason Gunn's sidekick Thingee), Directors Keith Tyler-Smith, Bill de Friez, Peter Verstappen, Mark Owers, Mike Ritchie, Jason Gunn and Richard Hansen. Producers include Richard Driver, Tony Palmer, Anne Williams, and Janine Morrell-Gunn. Emma Gribble got her start opening the mail for the fan club and 10 years later became producer of the show.

Regular segments: past and current 

Serial Stuff
Serial comedy/drama. Late 1990s - early 2000s
Celebrity Traffic Island
Satirical take-off of Celebrity Treasure Island. Written by Andy Gunn - Jason Gunn's brother.
Pie-in-Yer-Ear House
Satirical take-off of Pioneer House. Written by Andy Gunn.
Game Zone
SLAM!
Charlie and the Chipmunks
Foul's Kitchen
Stars in Dusgise
Da Apprentice
based on the USAs and New Zealands The Apprentice

Current presenters 
 Charlie Panapa (Studio Host) 2005 - current
 Serena-Jane Chante Cooper-Rongonui  (Studio Host) 2006- current (Announced on 2nd May, 2010 that she will be leaving What Now after they find a new presenter)
 Camilla the Gorilla (WN Mascot)
 Tumehe Rongonui (Roving Reporter/Slam Host)
 Red The Mailbox (mail robot)

Previous presenters 
 Steve Parr 1981 - 1982
 Jim Hopkins (as Clive Grumble) 1981 - 1987
 Alasdair Kincaid, A.K.A. Frank Flash 1981 - 1988 and The Answer Guy (in the 90s)
 Eddie Sunderland (arts and crafts) 1984(?)-1992
 Danny Watson 1982 - 1987
 Michelle Bracey 1982 - 1983
 Michele A'Court 1984 - 1987
 Darren Young 1987 - 1990
 Fifi Colston (arts and crafts) 1987 - 1993
 Catherine McPherson 1988 - 1992
 Simon Barnett 1988 - 1992
 Thingee 1989 - 1997 (puppet who also co-hosted Son of a Gunn show and Chatterbox)
 Jason Gunn reoccurring guest/presenter since the early 90s. Creative writer
 Steven Zanoski 1994 - 1995
 Fiona Anderson 1995 - 1998
 Stacey Morrison (Daniels) in a cooking segment 1995 - 1997
 Anthony Samuels 1996 - 2003
 Jason Fa'foi 1997 - 2003
 Eugene Blick (first DJ on what now) 1996 - 2002
 Shavaughn Ruakere 1997 - 2001
 Richard Hamond 1999 - 2001
 Carolyn Taylor 1999-2002, 2002 - 2003 and on WNTV (2000)
 Danny Talbot 2002 - 2004
 Antonia Prebble 00's (WNTV)
 Tamati Coffey 2002 - 2007
 Vicki Lin 2002 - 2003
 DJ Vinyl Richie 2002 - 2007
 Steve Joll 2003 - 2004
 Mike Carpinter (as the character Props Boy) early 00's
 Virginie Le Brun 2004 - 2006

Gunge 
Throughout the years What Now? has maintained the use of gunge and slime. Children, celebrities, parents and sometimes the presenters are often the subject of embarrasment in various gunge games. Examples include Fill Ya Pants, Foam a Friend, Flushed Away, Gunge on the Run, Weekly Gunge Games, The Gunge Machine, Tank of Terror, Super Circuit, and general gunging.

External links
What Now Official Site
Tvnz What Now Site
What Now at IMDB.
What Now 20th Anniversary Special at IMDB

New Zealand children's television series
1981 television series debuts
1980s television series
1990s television series
2000s television series
2010s television series