# A childhood flashback



## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

Anybody else remember this?

[youtube=Option]moVmHzcawvw[/youtube]


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## Kenmac (Jan 24, 2007)

Yep, I used to watch Uncle Bobby when I was a kid. Later on in the late 70's they renamed the show "Kids Corner." From what I've heard, after the show ended Bobby Ash became a school bus driver.


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## Starbuck (Jun 15, 2007)

Nah, we lived in the Boonies and didn't have that, we had Mr Dressup and The Friendly Giant.


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

You didn't actually post that did you?


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## simescan (May 15, 2007)

I miss the Friendly Giant,...Rusty and Jerome too... :-(


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## Starbuck (Jun 15, 2007)

shoretyus said:


> You didn't actually post that did you?


LOL!! 

[youtube=Option]NF8V9g61n9s[/youtube]


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## Rugburn (Jan 14, 2009)

This was one of my favorites

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFYMijdQ_sA&feature=related

Shawn:smile:


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## Guest (Apr 30, 2009)

Hey yea. Actually...I do. But it was probably done before I was really aware of TV.

Actually, you know what show pops in to head pretty frequently but I can't find any clips of? Switchback. Anyone remember that? I loved watching that show on Sunday mornings when I was kid. I was watching the Halifax version, being located in Lower Sackville during my early years....


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## Starbuck (Jun 15, 2007)

iaresee said:


> Hey yea. Actually...I do. But it was probably done before I was really aware of TV.
> 
> Actually, you know what show pops in to head pretty frequently but I can't find any clips of? Switchback. Anyone remember that? I loved watching that show on Sunday mornings when I was kid. I was watching the Halifax version, being located in Lower Sackville during my early years....


I remember that one! We DID get CBC and that was on before Bugs!


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Razzle Dazzle with Al Hamel, Michelle Finney, and Howard the Turtle; usually on at 5PM weekdays. Always loved the "groaner" jokes. Also an avid fan of "Time out for adventure", a Sunday afternoon CBC show (with opening theme of Brubeck's "Time Out") that seemed to take British kids movies (often featuring some old "professor" who was a cross between Dumbledor and the weird old scientist on "Fringe") and split them up into 30-minute segments.

Perhaps more fun were the closed-set type shows where the performers could improvise and get really demented and weird. In Montreal we used to get "Johnny Jellybean", with the late Ted Zeigler, that eventually morphed into "The Buddies" with Zeigler and Peter Cullen, both of whom later went to Hollywood and the Smothers Brothers and Sonny and Cher shows, and a spate of cartoon voiceover work. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Cullen (who had been a Montreal DJ with a ton of character voices) was THE voice of Optimus Prime. I'll have to tell my older son (who made himself an Optimus Prime costume for an engineering halloween party one year) that the hero of his youth was one of mine too!

Another great 2-guy improv show was the locally-produced Uncle Willy and Floyd ( http://www.tvarchive.ca/database/19444/willy_and_floyd/details/ ), featuring Bill Luxton and Les Lye. Luxton was a local CTV affiliate do-everything guy for years. I first remember seeing him do TV Bingo and he also did the news and other things before taking on the Uncle Willy role. I think he has a seniors-oriented travel agency now. The link above has a number of notables listed as guests on the show, including Alanis Morisette and.....Ferguson Jenkins (?!!?).

Finally, you can still watch the timeless Hilarious House of Frightenstein on Space TV and other places, featuring the late but ever-enduring and brilliant Billy Van, who also appears to have worked with Zeigler and Cullen on the Sonny and Cher show. Regular guest appearances by that other star of kids TV, Vincent Price.

EDIT: Last-minute addition. The Uncle Chichimus show. I watched it as a tike, and when we saw a display on puppets about a decade or more ago at the Museum of Civilization, I was stunned to turn a corner and find myself staring at the actual Uncle Chichimus and Hollyhock. It was like staring into the face of God....blinding. You have to realize that I had NEVER seen them in colour, yet there they were, with complexion, hair colour, rosy cheeks and everything. Of course those much younger than I were responding similarly to the Polkaroo display. http://www.tvarchive.ca/database/18900/uncle_chichimus/details/ I also used to watch Maggie Muggins ( http://www.tvarchive.ca/database/17633/maggie_muggins/details/ ) along with Friendly Giant and Chez Hélene, long before Mr. Dressup came along.


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## keeperofthegood (Apr 30, 2008)

Starbuck said:


> LOL!!
> 
> [youtube=Option]NF8V9g61n9s[/youtube]



 wow, watching this, I was so put into a Corner Gas mood :O


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## allthumbs56 (Jul 24, 2006)

Chez Helene - wow. That's a piece of my growing up that's been dormant forever. Thanks for bringing that memory forward.

I was a big fan of Friendly Giant as well as Captain Kangaroo (and Mr. Greenjeans). We got Buffalo around here so I also spent my mornings with Rocketship 7.


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## Sneaky (Feb 14, 2006)

allthumbs56 said:


> Chez Helene - wow. That's a piece of my growing up that's been dormant forever. Thanks for bringing that memory forward.
> 
> I was a big fan of Friendly Giant as well as Captain Kangaroo (and Mr. Greenjeans). We got Buffalo around here so I also spent my mornings with Rocketship 7.


Wow, lots of memories in this thread. I remember Rocketship 7 and also Commander Tom on the Buffalo channel, who was also the outdoor weatherman for his other gig on the station (Tom Joles??? memory failing). For me it was like a Bruce Wayne/Batman thing at the time. 

One of my elementary school buds was actually on the Uncle Bobby show, and another friend on Romper Room once. 

Pete


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## ezcomes (Jul 28, 2008)

i grew up with romper room...mr dressup (with casey and finigan)...littlest hobo (i still whistle that song sometimes)

my sisters were into the polka dot door and the subsideries!

these were the days prior to the saturated tv waves now...

oh...i loved the filmation ghostbusters too...they were great...they really loved the stock footage!!


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## Rugburn (Jan 14, 2009)

I grew up in Sherbrooke, Montreal and Ottawa. My mom being francophone, I watched this show a lot. Leave it to the french to have such a somber theme song.LOL

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0D-4Nq2on1I&feature=related

Shawn


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Rugburn said:


> I grew up in Sherbrooke, Montreal and Ottawa. My mom being francophone, I watched this show a lot. Leave it to the french to have such a somber theme song.LOL
> 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0D-4Nq2on1I&feature=related
> 
> Shawn


Did you ever see this one? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSDQSqe6T_E

The "hero" shows I would watch (most of them westerns) included:
Wild Bill Hickok,
Bat Masterson,
Roy Rogers,
Rin Tin Tin,
Cisco Kid,
Hopalong Cassidy,
Robin Hood (the Richard Green one)
Thierry la Fronde,
Danger Man and Secret Agent Man (both Patrick McGoohan)

Used to love the harpsichord theme from Danger Man and now that I listen to it again for the first time in decades....I still do!:smile: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=071JRYV8bsY&feature=related


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## keeperofthegood (Apr 30, 2008)

allthumbs56 said:


> Chez Helene - wow. That's a piece of my growing up that's been dormant forever. Thanks for bringing that memory forward.
> 
> I was a big fan of Friendly Giant as well as Captain Kangaroo (and Mr. Greenjeans). We got Buffalo around here so I also spent my mornings with Rocketship 7.


I grew up in Niagara Falls. Same shows. We had rabbit ears forever. Channel three, through the snow:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Z3SBnt5Ssc]0Z3SBnt5Ssc[/youtube]


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## allthumbs56 (Jul 24, 2006)

keeperofthegood said:


> I grew up in Niagara Falls. Same shows. We had rabbit ears forever. Channel three, through the snow:
> 
> [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Z3SBnt5Ssc]0Z3SBnt5Ssc[/youtube]


"Hammy the Hamster" - too much, you're killin' me :smile:


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## allthumbs56 (Jul 24, 2006)

Sneaky said:


> Wow, lots of memories in this thread. I remember Rocketship 7 and also Commander Tom on the Buffalo channel, who was also the outdoor weatherman for his other gig on the station (Tom Joles??? memory failing). For me it was like a Bruce Wayne/Batman thing at the time.
> 
> One of my elementary school buds was actually on the Uncle Bobby show, and another friend on Romper Room once.
> 
> Pete


Yup - Tom Joles and Promo the Robot .... ahh the memories. I remember one Uncle Bobby where it was "Backwards Day" and it was quite funny that he referred to himself as "Bunkle Obby".......... why is it that I remember that but not what I had for lunch?

I mentioned Tom Terrific and Beanie & Cecil to somebody the other day and they just looked at me strange............ how about Roger Ramjet, Tom Slick, and the Beatles cartoons? Great stuff.


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## Michelle (Aug 21, 2006)

My favorite show of all time.


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## keeperofthegood (Apr 30, 2008)

allthumbs56 said:


> Yup - Tom Joles and Promo the Robot .... ahh the memories. I remember one Uncle Bobby where it was "Backwards Day" and it was quite funny that he referred to himself as "Bunkle Obby".......... why is it that I remember that but not what I had for lunch?
> 
> I mentioned Tom Terrific and Beanie & Cecil to somebody the other day and they just looked at me strange............ how about Roger Ramjet, Tom Slick, and the Beatles cartoons? Great stuff.



WHOA

What about:
The Great Grape Ape
Top Cat
Sinbad
Popeye
George of the Jungle
Casper
Mighty Mouse
Tom and Jerry
The Jetsons

OMG AND!

Scooby Doo :rockon2:


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## Beatles (Feb 7, 2006)

Gotta love black and white TV:smile:

Sky King
Pauncho and Cisco
Zorro
Johnny Quest
Heckle and Jeckle
Howdy Doodie of course
Mickey Mouse Club


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

Lots of other shows there I watched--some of those jolted my memory, as I'd forgotten about them.

Some like Hammy--I tried to forget. :smile:

It's amazing how much I liked some of them, but when I got older I was--I liked this?

Some I like even more, like Rocky & Bullwinkle.

And here's a list of 5-including one of the worst ever--Rocket Robin Hood.
I've seen them all.

And this one's on that list-
[youtube=Option]88X8K_PCBS8&feature=related[/youtube]

But in a way nothing beat those old Made in Canada kids shows, whether the ones out of CFTO or the local ones.


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## nitehawk55 (Sep 19, 2007)

When I lived in Montreal in 1963-65 used to be this guy called "Johnny Jelly Bean" that was on at lunchtime daily during the week . Highlight of that show to me was when he would wack this mocked up wooden radio hanging by a wire everyday usually busting a piece off till sometime if totally fell apart then a new one would be set up and this daily ritual began again. 

Anyone remember this guy/show ?


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## Starbuck (Jun 15, 2007)

keeperofthegood said:


> WHOA
> 
> What about:
> The Great Grape Ape
> ...


Well Scooby Doo is STILL a staple in my house! my (almost) four year old LOVES it. AND I can still stand it, that and good ole Bugs Bunny, Tweety and the Roadrunner! "I came to see a highdiving act and I'ma gonna see a high diving act!"


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## simescan (May 15, 2007)

Rugburn said:


> I grew up in Sherbrooke, Montreal and Ottawa. My mom being francophone, I watched this show a lot. Leave it to the french to have such a somber theme song.LOL
> 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0D-4Nq2on1I&feature=related
> 
> Shawn


My mother was from Hull,...the Passe Partout tune still rings in my head sometimes.....maybe I should tab it...


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## Rugburn (Jan 14, 2009)

simescan said:


> My mother was from Hull,...the Passe Partout tune still rings in my head sometimes.....maybe I should tab it...


Then you'll have heard of this one!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vBmCKvrJGk

The Passe-Partout theme begs for a classical guitar interpretation. What with that lovely mixolydian resolve at the end.

Salut Shawn :smile:


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

nitehawk55 said:


> When I lived in Montreal in 1963-65 used to be this guy called "Johnny Jelly Bean" that was on at lunchtime daily during the week . Highlight of that show to me was when he would wack this mocked up wooden radio hanging by a wire everyday usually busting a piece off till sometime if totally fell apart then a new one would be set up and this daily ritual began again.
> 
> Anyone remember this guy/show ?


Watched it regularly, as well as "The Buddies" with Bibi LaTuque, Toomey, and the rest.


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## nitehawk55 (Sep 19, 2007)

mhammer said:


> Watched it regularly, as well as "The Buddies" with Bibi LaTuque, Toomey, and the rest.


It seems ages ago but I don't recall these other shows as I was only 8 or 9 at the time . The highlight for me was that ritual " wacking " of the radio :smile:


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Johnny jellybean morphed into The Buddies. It came a couple of years later, so perhaps you weren't living in the region at the time. The late Ted Zeigler, who WAS Johnny Jellybean, was one of The Buddies. Peter Cullen, who was a DJ on CKGM, when AM radio was king and the big 3 Montreal pop stations were CKGM, CFOX and CFCF, was the other buddy. Cullen went on to be the voice of Optimus Prime in The Transformers, among many other things.


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