Whatever Happened to all the Great Kids' Shows?
May 19, 2002 7:54 PM   Subscribe

Whatever Happened to all the Great Kids' Shows? When my wife was growing up in central Connecticut, she was a big Sandy Becker fan. (The original host of Wonderama, also seen here with a very young Linda Blair). She still remembers the characters he created for his show - Norton Nork, the Big Professor, and of course Hambone. She was naturally pleased to discover Christopher Gross' excellent site celebrating the popular kid's show host and his show. Even though so much early television has been lost to the ages, the site has accumulated several video clips, including a few, um, off-color clips. (Warning - both RealPlayer and a brief dirty word). Now if only someone would give the same treatment to the show I had growing up - Foreman Scotty, on channel 4. Sigh.
posted by yhbc (6 comments total)
 
Bob McCallister was the Man, yhbc, at least by the time I was watching, around 1976. I remember that big-ass goodie bag he went through at the end of the show. A girl in my second grade class actually was in the studio audience and got one of those bagel-shaped pendants they were always giving away. And of course, I remember the Disco Kid.
posted by jonmc at 8:04 PM on May 19, 2002


Even without the childhood memories, the Hambone song has insinuated itself into my brain. Help!
posted by yhbc at 8:05 PM on May 19, 2002


Foreman Scotty! With those four TV screens holding today's feature. I remember that.
posted by mdeatherage at 10:07 PM on May 19, 2002


Many of the kids' shows that I knew and loved when I was growing up have recently been released on video and DVD: Camberwick Green, The Flumps, Button Moon, Bagpuss etc.

See that nostalgia thing? It's a goldmine, I tells ya.
posted by MUD at 12:58 AM on May 20, 2002


> Whatever Happened to all the Great Kids' Shows?

The kids are extinct. What passes for kids these days (I couldn't help but squeeze in that phrase) are teenagers in hairless midget suits. They would tell you where to put your hambone, and then they would return their attentions to the video games in their hands. But, as MUD points out, there's always the nostalgia market. I don't know if I'd pay to see old episodes of Commander Tom or Rocketship 7, but I'd get a good laugh out of old Uncle Bobby (from Toronto), and I wish I had every Friendly Giant on DVD. I don't even own a DVD player -- in fact, the TV's still broken -- but I might buy one to watch the Friendly Giant and regress.
posted by pracowity at 4:17 AM on May 20, 2002


For some reason, my girlfriend is obsessed with Bagpuss. So far, she has bought: slippers (2 types), Beanie toy, larger stuffed toy, car window stuffed toy, mobile phone cover, jigsaw, advent calendar, lunch box, rucksack, water bottle cover, fridge magnet, pencil box and toiletries bag. Oh yeah, and the video.

I kid you not. She's 27 by the way...
posted by salmacis at 5:46 AM on May 20, 2002


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