Clay Paky Sharpy on BBC's Blue Peter

The BBC series Blue Peter - the world's longest-running children's show -- has welcomed the arrival of new co-host Barney Harwood. Lee Allen, the show's lighting director, upgraded the show's look with 12 Clay Paky Sharpy units, part of a trove of 100 units recently purchased by Richard Martin Lighting. Blue Peter marks the British TV debut of the Sharpy.

Weighing just 35lbs the tiny, 189W Sharpy produces a parallel beam capable of outshining far larger fixtures with much higher wattages, the company says. The secret is a new optical design that creates a crisp, sharp, zero-degree beam - free of any fuzz or discoloration around the edges. The laser-like beam won an PLASA Award for Innovation in September, and has since gone on to win wide acclaim and positive reviews from industry commentators in the press.

When recently asked about the Sharpy, Allen said, "The light output from such a small package is amazing. The fast speed of movement was breathtaking. The lamps were small and discreet enough not to draw the eye in the set, but the effect they produced was gigantic."

To complete the lighting design, Allen also used Novalight Nova Flowers and PixelRange PixelPar 90s.

The Sharpies also lit the show's guest performance by Britain's Got Talent winning gymnasts, Spellbound.