But don't forget "Shrimpenstein", his 60s kid show collaboration with Gene Moss (the guy with the small monster puppet) - Thurman did all the supporting characters, mostly appearing as a big fuzzy arm reaching in from off-camera.
"Shrimpenstein
Was created in just half the time
That it takes to make a Frankenstein..." posted by wendell at 2:49 AM on November 3, 2007
.
Now, here's one for you guys....
Does anyone here remember a classic-era Nickelodeon show called Turkey Television? It collected weird comedy clips and music segments, some produced for the show but most from many sundry sources, including the Uncle Floyd Show. Sorta like Dr. Demento for TV, in a way. Now in the era of YouTube it seems greatly ahead of its time, but it's almost completely forgotten nowadays.
Anyway, the mascot character for the show was Thurman T. Turkey, and a very recognizable Jim Thurman did the voices for him and a pilgrim who hunted him like a kind of proto-Squigglevision Wile E. Coyote.
Does anyone else remember this show? It's been a kind of minor obsession for me.... posted by JHarris at 4:14 AM on November 3, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]
Teeny Little Super Guy was my favourite too! The first thing I ever use Youtube to find. posted by teststrip at 4:34 AM on November 3, 2007
Wow. This is great. I remember sitting in front of the TV as a kid, practicing his voice over and over again, trying my best to replicate it. Keen.
On the other hand, why Effigy2000 linked to clips of those horrible nightmarish aliens is beyond me. To this day, I'm still not sure what Jim Henson was thinking when he decided he should make muppets based on the spawn of Cthulhu. posted by Greg Nog at 5:31 AM on November 3, 2007
There's an extra bit of sadness when you read about the passing of someone whose work you loved and respected, but you didn't even know their name until you read the obituary.
Thank you, and farewell, to a big giant super guy. posted by Rock Steady at 6:49 AM on November 3, 2007
Roger Ramjet he's our man,
The hero of our nation,
For his adventures just be sure
To stay tuned to this station.
I loved Roger Ramjet as a kid and my son, and I, loved Teeny Little Super Guy twenty years later. posted by Sculthorpe at 7:50 AM on November 3, 2007
I guess TLSG appeared after my Seseame Street years were over. Thank you so much for bringing this to my attention.
Effigy is right, those Yip Yips still have me in tears. What a fucking brilliant stroke of surreal magic. posted by Slarty Bartfast at 8:16 AM on November 3, 2007
Rangeboy: do you remember the Rear Window send up? The bad guy from that one, who is making a bomb, as seen when he finally lays eyes on spying Kate Monday, used to recur in my nightmares, slowly stalking me through supermarkets.
If I could get any TV writing job in the world, ever, I would want Square One. posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 12:26 PM on November 3, 2007
That sounds vaguely familiar. The one Square One segment I remember best is "Neighborhood Super Spy." I still find myself humming it from time to time.
And yes, as a liberal arts major and hardcore mathphobe, I will admit that Square One was awesomely great. I wish they would put it out on DVD. posted by Rangeboy at 1:00 PM on November 3, 2007
Ooh, this brought back memories! I'd completely forgotten about this [teeny little super] guy. posted by Xere at 8:26 PM on November 3, 2007
Square One. Man...
cazoo hit the nail on the head. Isn't it great when you remember something being awesome when you were a kid, and then you rediscover it as an adult and it's still awesome?
In South Dakota, where I grew up, the PBS station runs entire seasons of educational shows overnight to make it easier for teachers to record them. When Square One first started, my dad read about it in the PBS program guide. He thought it might be a good thing for his kids to watch, so he set the VCR to tape the first season. The first five years of that show are still on VHS in my parents' house.
According to Wikipedia, I must have been six years old. I literally don't remember that show not existing. It introduced me to concepts that I wouldn't take any tests on until high school, and yet that never seemed to matter. They didn't go over my head when I was six, and they don't feel the least bit infantilizing now.
I mean, come on! Look at this humor! Can you imagine Dora the Explorer popping up and saying, "Great to be on for another season"? I see Square One as a model for a different sort of educational television, a sort that can educate kids and adults at once without making anyone feel stupid. Maybe in another universe there are lots of shows like this and not just one.
Because of Square One, a first grade substitute teacher laughed at me for saying that a square was also a rectangle. I didn't feel hurt by it; I knew that the other kids would learn one day, and that the sub would also learn one day while teaching older kids.
And it's likely because of Square One that I loved math through high school, and still enjoy reading about math whenever I get the chance. True, my current artsy fartsy life isn't very mathematical, but I refused to leave college without two years of Calc. Pretty good for a kids' show. posted by roll truck roll at 12:50 AM on November 4, 2007
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posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 12:37 AM on November 3, 2007