Why did we think it was ours? Because it featured absolutely . With no accents to give it away, the physical comedy and slapstick visuals felt universal. It belonged to us as much as it did to the UK. What on Earth Was the Show About? Imagine a giant, physical comic book. The camera pans across the page, and the reader (played by the late, great Neil Buchanan—yes, the Art Attack guy) turns the pages. Inside each panel is a different segment.
If you grew up in South Africa during the 1990s or early 2000s, there is one TV memory that unites us all: a giant, white-gloved hand hovering over a comic book.
Because the show relied entirely on visual gags and sound effects (a slide whistle, a loud SPLAT , or a sarcastic round of applause), any kid from Soweto to Sandton could watch it. It was the ultimate inclusive show. No subtitles, no dubbing—just pure visual chaos. For those of us who watched it, Zzzap! was more than just a time-filler. It was a masterclass in visual storytelling. It taught us that you don't need words to be funny.