That Poor Bimbo...the Birthday Clown

May 24, 2007 10:14 AM

Uncle Bobby dies at 82 If you were a kid in Toronto and surrounding area in the '70's, then you watched The Uncle Bobby Show every day at lunchtime, right before the Flintstones. Previously mentioned in these threads about kids' TV shows from the past.
posted by chococat (20 comments total)

Two personal notes:
One day when I was in grade 7, I got on the schoolbus and he was the driver. He drove school buses part time (he says it helped him stay in touch with the kids, some articles claim it was to supplement his low income.) You could hear the murmurs of "holy shit, is that Uncle Bobby?" as it dawned on everyone on the bus.
My wife's uncle came to Canada from Iran in the late '60's and was a part time cameraman for Hockey Night in Canada and The Uncle Bobby Show. One day while working on The Uncle Bobby Show he was bitten by a monkey.
posted by chococat at 10:15 AM on May 24, 2007

I think that was broadcast Canada-wide. Who could forget Bimbo the birthday clown!
posted by fish tick at 10:23 AM on May 24, 2007

That was the worst of the kid shows I grew up with. Next was Buckshot. Mr. Dressup was okay. The Friendly Giant was great. The Hilarious House of Frightenstein was the best.
posted by No Robots at 10:24 AM on May 24, 2007

Willy and Floyd!
posted by Armitage Shanks at 10:43 AM on May 24, 2007

The one law enforcement figure I would never question is Sheriff John. Let's all sing the "Birthday Cake Polka" for Bob Dylan today, shall we?
posted by wendell at 10:46 AM on May 24, 2007

.

I watched it! When I was a kid, my dad worked at GE in Toronto and he came for one of the Christmas parties. He got all the kids to play musical chairs. Also, Hilarious House of Frightenstein was the best.
posted by phirleh at 11:37 AM on May 24, 2007

Holy crap! I'd completely forgotten about House of Frightenstein. Thanks for that link No Robots.

And I totally remember Willy and Floyd as well!
posted by smcniven at 12:06 PM on May 24, 2007

I didn't know this guy -- but given that it reminds me of how I felt when I heard Ray Rayner died....

.
posted by eriko at 1:33 PM on May 24, 2007

I think that was broadcast Canada-wide.

We got it out in Newfoundland, so that's a yep.

Who could forget Bimbo the birthday clown!

"And Son of Happy!"

Let's model a story, let's do it today!
Let's model a story, out of modelling clay!
posted by hangashore at 1:53 PM on May 24, 2007

The news stories have been saying Uncle Bobby ran for only two years across the CTV network... but that doesn't take into account all the years it was picked up by local CTV stations. Still, it must have ended its run just as I was in my formative years, because I have no memory of watching it.

.

P.S. I AM the Wolf-MAN!
posted by evilcolonel at 2:34 PM on May 24, 2007

Uncle Bobby came to my school many times, and I watched his show regularly - but sadly, my last memory of him was at a Christmas dinner in the Four Seasons hotel in downtown Toronto, when he came in to hand out presents to all us kiddies...and he was drunk. So .
posted by biscotti at 2:52 PM on May 24, 2007

. . .

(one each for Wilson Keppel & Betty)
posted by pracowity at 2:54 PM on May 24, 2007

This reminds me a lot of J.P Patches, a staple of childhood tv watching in the Pacific Northwest.

The stuff folks like these came up with, doing a live show every day, with little to no budget, is pretty inspiring.
posted by stenseng at 4:36 PM on May 24, 2007

Uncle Bobby came to my school many times, and I watched his show regularly - but sadly, my last memory of him was at a Christmas dinner in the Four Seasons hotel in downtown Toronto, when he came in to hand out presents to all us kiddies...and he was drunk. So .

I'm split on how to respond to this post:

a) Thanks for raining on my mourning.

b) An uncle drunk at Christmas? Or alcoholism. Either one is hardly news.

I guess I'll just skip both, and just say RIP and remember Happy, Mrs. Happy, and Son of Happy...
posted by fairmettle at 5:53 PM on May 24, 2007

Used to watch him on on CBC station in Detroit. All these years later, my friends and I sing "Bimbo, Bimbo, I'm the birthday clown-i-o, Bimbo, Bimbo, here on the Uncle Bobby Show..." instead of the traditional "Happy Birthday to You."
posted by Oriole Adams at 6:36 PM on May 24, 2007

Aw, that's sucks. Uncle Bobby was a cool cat.
posted by bwg at 7:08 PM on May 24, 2007

Uncle Bobby kissed me when I was six or so. Mostly, it freaked me out.
posted by dobbs at 8:02 PM on May 24, 2007

Uncle Bobby traumatized a friend of mine when we were little. She assisted him in performing an embarrassing (but, in retrospect, hilarious) bit of sleight of hand where he reached into the arm of her shirt and pulled out an enormous bra. She promptly burst into tears and ran away.
posted by atropos at 8:40 PM on May 24, 2007

I got a letter from Uncle Bobby once... god, I loved that early Canuck T.V. And Bimbo! Geez, that brings back old memories. And of course, . (or should I say *<| :*p, which is my attempt at a smiley clown).
posted by rmm at 12:29 AM on May 25, 2007

I'm surprised I never heard of him. Rest in peace.
posted by Roger Davis at 2:45 AM on May 25, 2007