Operation Ouch! is a British comedy children's television series on the human body, showing what happens in A&E, the problems that doctors encounter and various medical experiments. The first series of Operation Ouch! aired on CBBC in October 2012 and ABC Australia in 2013. The show is hosted by twin brothers and doctors Chris and Xand van Tulleken.
Since 2016 the program has a Dutch version, called Topdoks. In June 2019 the programme's production company, Maverick Television, announced that an American version was in development.
Overview In order to educate children about medicine and biology, doctors Chris and Xand van Tulleken perform experiments on the human body to see how they work and investigate medical treatments and technology. The doctors also offer "try this at home" experiments for viewers to participate in. In addition, they follow paediatric accident and emergency personnel and patients at Alder Hey Children's Hospital and Royal Manchester Children's Hospital. The doctors also join West Midlands Ambulance Service and Midlands Air Ambulance rapid response teams on the road and in patients' homes as they assist with medical emergencies.
Production The first series has 13 episodes, the first of which aired in October 2012 on CBBC. A second series began in September 2013 and consisted of 10 episodes. A fourth and fifth series was broadcast in 2016 on the CBBC channel in the UK. The seventh and eighth series were both broadcast on CBBC in 2019, introducing Ronx İkharia who later departed at the end of the thirteenth series. A ninth series began airing on CBBC in 2020 with the first episode focusing on COVID-19. The thirteenth series in 2025 introduced twin doctors Daniel and Raphael Olaiya as additional presenters, and with the premiere of the fourteenth series in February 2026, they were joined by doctors Leanne Armitage and Tosin Sotubo-Ajayi. The primary hosts, Chris and Xand van Tulleken, were trained in medicine at the University of Oxford, and both graduated in 2002. Chris is a practicing medical doctor while Xand focuses on research and teaching.
Episodes run for 28 minutes.
Episodes Series 1 (2012) Series Episode Name Original air date11Operation Ouch!: Episode 12Operation Ouch!: Episode 23Operation Ouch!: Episode 34Operation Ouch!: Episode 45Operation Ouch!: Episode 56Operation Ouch!: Episode 67Operation Ouch!: Episode 78Operation Ouch!: Episode 89Operation Ouch!: Episode 910Operation Ouch!: Episode 1011Operation Ouch!: Episode 1112Operation Ouch!: Episode 12
Series 2 (2013) Series Episode Name Original air date21Operation Ouch!: Series 2, Episode 12Operation Ouch!: Series 2, Episode 23Operation Ouch!: Series 2, Episode 34Operation Ouch!: Series 2, Episode 45Operation Ouch!: Series 2, Episode 56Operation Ouch!: Series 2, Episode 67Operation Ouch!: Series 2, Episode 78Operation Ouch!: Series 2, Episode 89Operation Ouch!: Series 2, Episode 910Operation Ouch!: Series 2, Episode 10
Series 3 (2015) Series Episode Name Original air date31Operation Ouch!: Series 3, Episode 12Operation Ouch!: Series 3, Episode 23Operation Ouch!: Series 3, Episode 34Operation Ouch!: Series 3, Episode 417 February 20155Operation Ouch!: Series 3, Episode 524 February 20156Operation Ouch!: Series 3, Episode 67Operation Ouch!: Series 3, Episode 78Operation Ouch!: Series 3, Episode 89Operation Ouch!: Series 3, Episode 910Operation Ouch!: Series 3, Episode 10
Series 4 (2016) Series Episode Name Original air date41Operation Ouch!: Series 4, Episode 12Operation Ouch!: Series 4, Episode 23Operation Ouch!: Series 4, Episode 34Operation Ouch!: Series 4, Episode 45Operation Ouch!: Series 4, Episode 56Operation Ouch!: Series 4, Episode 67Operation Ouch!: Series 4, Episode 78Operation Ouch!: Series 4, Episode 89Best Of...10Don't Panic About Puberty
Series 5 – Hospital Takeover (2016) Series Episode Name Original air date51Bendy Bodies31 October 20162Ear We Go! 7 November 20163Bendy Cool Cartilage14 November 20164Awesome Oxygen21 November 20165Super Saliva28 November 20166Extraordinary Eyes28 November 20167Germ-Fighters29 November 20168Big Burps!30 November 20169Pancreas Power1 December 201610Jaw-Dropping Jaws2 December 2016
Operation Ouch! Hospital Takeover Live (2016) In December 2016, a 2-hour live special was broadcast on the CBBC website hosted by Karim Zeroual. Guests included Cel Spellman and Millie Innes.
Series 6 (2017) Series Episode Name Original air date61Jaw-dropping Joints20 September 20172Extraordinary Ears27 September 20173Super Sensory Neurons4 October 20174Colossal Coughs11 October 20175Terrific Teeth18 October 20176Exceptional Eyebrows25 October 20177Mind-boggling Brains1 November 20178Marvellous Valves8 November 20179Gob-smacking Growth Plates15 November 201710Sensational Sphinchters22 November 201711Super Strong Skulls29 November 201712Tremendous Tears6 December 201713Flabbergasting Favourites13 December 2017
Series 7 (2019) Series Episode Name Original air date71What In The World Makes You, You?2 January 20192Why Do Bones Break?2 January 20193What In The World Makes You Go Yuck?9 January 20194Don't You Dare Pick Your Scabs!16 January 20195Why Is Your Poo Brown?23 January 20196How To Grow A Brain30 January 20197What In The World Thumbs Are For?30 January 20198How Your Reflexes Can Save You13 February 20199Why In The World Is Sweat Salty?20 February 201910Get Your Body Moving!27 February 201911Why Are Some People Faster Than Others In The World?6 March 201912Is My Body Electric?13 March 201913The Human Body Roadtrip!20 March 201914The Ouch! Awards27 March 2019
Series 8 (2019) Series Episode Name Summary Original air date81We're Having a Baby 11 September 20192Doctors Face Off 18 September 20193There's a Lizard in the Lab 25 September 20194Loud, LOUD, LOUDER!2 October 20195What Are Vaccinations For? 9 October 20196Slime, Snot and Bogies 16 October 20197Flexible Arms and Triple Jumping 23 October 20198Knobbly Knees and What They Are For 30 October 20199Your Brilliant Brain and Sparky Signals 6 November 201910All Hail King Xand13 November 201911It's a Tug-O-War! 20 November 201912Xand Goes Pop!27 November 201913What Happened Next?Meeting up with people from previous episodes to see how they are now.4 December 201914The Ouch! Awards 211 December 201915Food, Poo and You!18 December 2019
Do Try This at Home (2020) No. in series Name Summary 1 Bones They do two "do try this at home" experiments. 2 Lungs They look into lungs. 3 Taste They see your taste buds. 4 Mucus They make snot rockets. 5 Poo They make a poo factory. 6 Bacteria They show you bacteria. 7 Membranes They show you what membranes are. 8 Fingerprints Dr Xand find out who ate his "Treats 4 Xand".9Eyes They show you how to find your blind spot.10HearingThey show you how to make rice dance with a soundbox.
Series 9 (2020–21) Series Episode Name SummaryOriginal Air Date9 1 Virus Alert! Coronavirus Special5 May 20202Episode 213 January 20213Stick Your Tongue Out!20 January 20214Dr Scorpion27 January 20215You're Having a Laugh!3 February 20216Superhero Ribs10 February 20217Doctor Alert!17 February 20218Snot, Snot, Snot!24 February 20219How to Train a Brain3 March 202110Stinky Dr Xand!10 March 202111Blink and You'll Miss It!17 March 202112The Ouch Awards 3!24 March 2021
Series 10 (2022) Series Episode Name SummaryOriginal Air Date10 1 Tenth Birthday Celebrating the series' tenth birthday and catching up with people who featured in previous episodes.28 February 20222Poo-Tastic!1 March 20223Eyeball Extravaganza!2 March 20224Bum Power7 March 20225Your Heartbeat8 March 20226Nailed It!9 March 20227Extraordinary Energy14 March 20228Guts Galore!15 March 20229Speedy Enzymes16 March 202210Brilliant Body Temperature21 March 202211Mighty Muscles!22 March 202212Blood Super-Highway23 March 202213Battle of the Blood Cells28 March 2022
Series 11 (2022) Series Episode Name SummaryOriginal Air Date11 1 It's Hairy!5 September 20222How Can You See in the Dark?5 September 20223Magnificent Mucus5 September 20224Mind You Don't Fall!5 September 20225Tendon Take Off!12 September 20226Mouth v Knee13 September 20227You're Mostly Made of Water!14 September 20228Explosive Energy!15 September 20229Fingers on Buzzers!19 September 202210It's a Lung Slide!20 September 202211Earmageddon!21 September 202212Heroic Hippocampus22 September 202213Totally Gross!23 September 2022
Series 12 (2024) Series Episode Name SummaryOriginal Air Date12 1 Explosive Spots!8 January 20242Feeling Nervous!8 January 20243In a Spin!8 January 20244Snot-tacular!8 January 20245Eyeball Action15 January 20246Cracking Crystals15 January 20247Don't Cry This at Home15 January 20248Who's Getting Snotted?15 January 20249Man v Monkey22 January 202410Ask Us Anything!22 January 202411What a Pong!22 January 202412Rules Are Rules!22 January 202413No Eating in the Lab!29 January 202414We Are Superheroes!29 January 2024
Series 13 (2025) Series Episode Name SummaryOriginal Air Date13 1 Fart Rocket!24 February 20252Tummy Rumble-tastic!24 February 20253Teardrop Explodes!24 February 20254Bum Noises!24 February 20255Crusty Bogies!3 March 20256The Acid Test!3 March 20257What a Stinker!3 March 20258Snot, Snot, Snot!3 March 20259Slam-Dunk Dynamite!10 March 202510Rhinovirus Attack!10 March 202511When You Need to Wee!10 March 202512Mega Muscles!10 March 202513Body-Battling Gladiator!17 March 202514No Sleeping in the Lab!17 March 202515Soaked to the Skin!17 March 2025
Series 14 (2026) Series Episode Name SummaryOriginal Air Date14 1 Awesome Earwax!23 February 20262Fart Speed!23 February 20263I'm Gonna Vom!23 February 20264What a Gas!23 February 20265Head to Head!2 March 20266Dynamite Rules!2 March 20267What's Up Doc?2 March 20268How to Build a Human!2 March 20269What a Rollercoaster!9 March 202610Pins and Needles!9 March 202611Getting Lippy!9 March 202612Take My Breath Away!9 March 2026
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