Aimed for hearing impaired children, the show was broadcast on ITV (later ITV1) and ITV2 (although it was later re-ran on CITV) between 8 January 1993 to 21 September 2001.
Two running gags throughout his sketches show Cuthbert reaching out and taking the comic book frame from the edges of the screen before throwing it away, as well as pushing it away, tripping over it or walking over it and Cuthbert repeatedly getting his hand crunched by anyone he tries to shake hands with.
Cuthbert is also a friend of Smart Arty and made a few cameos in his sketches mostly helping him solve a problem such as opening a pot of paint or looking after a baby.
From Series 2-9, the square features Cuthbert bursting into his Title Card, which mended behind him (an effect possible because, to aid the camera operator in aligning shots with the comic frame, the shots began aligned with the panel and finished with a wide shot, which was then reversed in Post-production); In Series 10, frames containing the characters floated around the screen, the respective character's segment would continue when the roulette stopped at them.
Cuthbert also has the distinction of being the only character in the entirety of the show's run to speak whole proper sentences, which occurs in Cuthbert's Diary (a special episode created for CITV's Comedy Week — The moniker for Series 3 of Goggle Watch, released during the Spring Half-Term of 1997).
Smart Arty is a caricatured French painter who featured in Series 1-7, played and voiced by Neil Buchanan.
This is performed in the style of Maurice Minor sketches in Kenny Everett's shows and the cartoon Penny Crayon.
Smart Arty's first sketch on the program is in Series 1, Episode 1, when he makes a black sellotape picture of Laurel and Hardy.
Accompanying them, are various cardboard signs on a white stick describing an instruction, step, object or passage of time.
A frequent characteristic of The Handymen is that, mostly between Series 1-7, but sporadically thereafter, the sign stays in shot slightly too long, and one of the hands taps it, prompting it to leave the scene.
His comic sound effect bubbles appear in different colors such as black, white, blue and green.
His sketches involve him in his secret office, writing a challenge on his typewriter, that then has to be performed by a selection of children.
Daisy is always seen wearing yellow and black checks, and is supposedly a young, freckled, cheeky schoolgirl in dungarees.
Much like the Tricky Dicky sketches featured in the first series, Daisy sets difficult challenges for a small group of children who were selected from local schools or drama organisations.
She has a mop of curly orange hair, freckles and wears black rimmed circular glasses.
Minnie often uses her magic performances to try out new things, make new discoveries or just to do a simple task, but they usually go wrong or backfire on her, and whenever they do, she sighs her catchphrase of "Oh well!"