If only The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour was still around to help us through another tumultuous US Presidential election. Pat Paulsen — where are you when we need you? A key writer/producer back on that 1966-69 comedy variety show was a Canadian — Allan Byle. Before the Smothers, he worked for Fred Rogers as well
If you’ know who’ve heard of Casey and Finnegan, you likely are over 30 and grew up in Canada watching Mr. Dressup. The gentle children’s series, hosted by Ernie Coombs, ran on CBC from 1967 to 1996. The documentary “Mr. Dressup: The Magic of Make-Believe” won the People’s Choice award at last month’s Toronto International
The power and enduring legacy of a children’s television show was on full display Saturday night at a gala screening at the Toronto International Film Festival. “Mr. Dressup: The Magic of Make-Believe,” is the heartfelt new film from director Robert McCallum. He was embraced by a packed house Saturday at the TIFF Bell Lightbox Theatre.
I’m a bit late posting this, but if you’re a fan of the PBS animated children’s series Arthur, you can catch up on-line. After a 25-year, 250-episode run, four final episodes featuring the young aardvark and his pals from Third Grade aired this past Monday on PBS. In a unique twist, the final half-hour casts
Rod Coneybeare, the puppeteer and CBC radio host who brought Rusty the Rooster and Jerome the giraffe so vividly to life over 24 season of The Friendly Giant, has gone to the big castle in the sky. He passed away last Thursday in Lindsay, Ontario. He was 89. The CBC children’s classic, which ran weekday
Twenty years ago, when my young adults were young children, Sharon, Lois & Bram were superstars. Because I worked at TV Guide at the time, the children’s entertainers were also on my radar thanks to their very successful TV ventures, The Elephant Show and Skinamarink TV. Eric Nagler and Fred Penner were frequent guests. It
BEVERLY HILLS, CA–It was a beautiful day in the neighborhood this morning as PBS hosted a breakfast for early risers at the TCA press tour. On each table were several machine washable coffee thermos, compete with a little red knit sweater–just like Mister Rogers used to wear, only shrunk. Fred Rogers died in 2003 at