"Kids'
Break"
(Donated
By Dick Dyszel)
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.
Aired
on WDCA-TV 20.
Pre-taped
and Broadcast
from
WDCA River Road studios.
Mondays
through Fridays
1980
- 1987
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Host:
Howard
Huge
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-
In
1979, Taft Broadcasting bought WDCA-TV,
but the license
transfer
was challenged by some local parents' groups who opposed so-called "violent"
kid's programming (such as Ultraman,
Speedracer,
and
even Bugs Bunny) that had aired on Channel 20.
So, Taft
promised to produce two daily shows with educational or informational content,
a bunch of Public Service Announcements
and
a number of kids' specials. In January of 1980, long-time producer/host
Dick Dyszel was asked to create and produce one of those shows... resulting
in the long-running favorite, WOW!
"Kids'
Break" (the second Taft-produced program) premiered at the end of June
1980. Initially it was the responsibility of a different producer.
But, after several months, Dyszel was asked to take over and re-think the
project. (The only feature he retained was the catchy theme music that
had been composed for the show.)
-
Also
Featuring:
Chef
Combo (above) and
Milton
M. Milton (below)
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---
As
Dyszel was already producing one "live audience" studio show, he really
didn't have time or resources to do another. He turned to the Sesame
Street model and designed a program made up of pre-produced short segments
that would be held together by an "in studio" host.
Captain
20 was busy as host of WOW!,
so Dick sought a new anchor for this show. He acquired a number of puppets
and started working on various character voices... settling on "Howard
Huge" as MC.
The all-new
Kids'
Break format premiered on Tuesday 11/4/1980.
-
--
The
show began and ended with the spelling
and
definition of a word.
-
The
Word of The Day is "Skip"
|
-
-In
between, Kids' Break covered a mix of subjects
that
might have included nutrition (with "Chef Combo")...
-
Chef
Combo hosts.
"The
Food Game" Nutrition For Kids..
 . |
..
or arithmetic
(with "Nick Numbers")...
--
Nick
Numbers Teaches Arithimetic
 |
-
or memory
games, craft projects,
or simple
manners (with "Manners The Butler")...
-
"Manners
The Butler" Knows Best!
 .
Can
You Spot The Captain's Faux Pas?
 |
.
or book
reviews (with "Milton M. Milton").
.
Milton
M. Milton ReviewsTwo Books
|
.
And
each show also had a special locally produced feature.
It could
be about a fancy new park, a kids' play, or a
"How
it's done" piece. Dyszel relied heavily on teachers and
other
early childhood experts to help guide the contents.
.
Consistent
with WDCA-originated kid shows of the past was the
on-going
display of viewer's artwork on Kids' Break and WOW!.
.
A
Budding Van Gogh???
|
.
First
presented in 1972 as Bozo's
Art Gallery,
the
feature would evolve into Captain
20's Space Gallery
when
the Bozo's Circus
program departed in 1977.
The
feature ran 15 years altogether... until May 1987.
(Dick
Dyszel still gets mail from folks who say how
much
it meant to them to see their drawings on TV.)
-
 t |
-
Kids'
Break received several local Emmy nominations
and
finally won that honor in 1984. All of the images
shown
on this page were taken from the winning
entry
program which was taped on March 27, 1984.
.
-..
Kids'
Break aired until Channel 20 was sold to TVX Broadcast Group.
The
new owners dropped all local programming after May 1st, 1987.
-...
-.
All
Photos and Historical Data
Generously
Donated by Dick Dyszel
|
-.
|
|
Dick
Dyszel
runs
his own
CD mobile-DJ
company
Sounds
Fabulous
in Northern VA. |
|
If you
enjoyed
learning
about
Capt.
20 on WOW!,
you'll
also want
to visit
his scary
distant
relative,
Count
Gore de Vol. |
 |
|
|
|
WATCH FOR:
SOUNDS of KIDS' BREAK at Kidshow
Klips
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All
Photographs and Historical Data Generously Donated by Dick Dyszel
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All
Shows Originated From Metropolitan Washington, D.C. Studios
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..
.
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Outstanding Sites
you'll also want to visit...
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Kaptain
Kidshow
Saluting
Vintage TV Kid Shows
Produced
In Washington, DC
|
Page
Revised: 8/26/04
.
.
Complete
List of Shows
.
Complete
List of Hosts
.
Sounds
From The Shows
.
Your
Own Recollections
.
Send
Email To Kappy
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