"Pete's
Place"
(Photo
from 1977 by Trisha Katson, GMU)
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Aired
on WTTG-TV 5
Mondays
through Fridays
February
1956 to May 1957
(2/20/56
to 3/24/56)
Shown
as "Looney Tunes,
with
Host Pete Jamerson"
12:00N
to 12:30PM |
(3/26/56
to 12/7/56)
Renamed
"Pete's Place"
12:00N
to 12:30PM |
(12/10/56
to 5/10/1957)
3:30
to 4:00PM |
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Host:
Pete
Jamerson as "Pete"
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Broadcast
live from WTTG-TV 5 studios in
the Raleigh Hotel at 12th St. & Pennsylvania Ave., N.W. with puppet
bits and cartoons.
In the
Sunday
Star's "News of D.C. Studios" column of April 1, 1956;
Dis
is da Place:WTTG-5 may have the season's local small fry sleeper in
"Pete's Place" weekdays, noon to 12:30... The eyes of the front office
help opened wide when a contest conducted by Pete (Pete Jamerson who doubles
as announcer and weatherman) drew 1578 pieces of mail. This is Pete's first
click in the kiddie circuit... Did you know he has a Hollywood background,
appearing in such films as "The Crystal Ball" and "Between Us"?
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Tom
Fielding recalls that the show's theme music was "a full
orchestra
version of the 'Comedian's Gallop'. Pete used the
part
of the piece that sounds very similar to the 'Can-Can'."
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Hear
A Modern Performance of the "Comedian's Gallop" Recorded by Cuttime
Players at Kidshow
Klips!
(Visit
Cuttime
Players' Website at www.cuttime.com)
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In
1954, prior to "Pete's Place", Pete hosted "Peter Jamerson's
Matinee
For You" on TV 5, every weekday, 1:30 to 2:30PM..
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Pete
Jamerson in the '70s at WGMS Radio
(From
an ad in Washingtonian Magazine)
(Donated
by Dave Statter)
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In
1977, Trisha Katson spoke with Pete Jamerson for an article titled "Whatever
Happened To Those Kiddie Show Hosts?".
He told
Katson that "Pete's Place", directed by Lee
Reynolds,
was
"a chance to play himself and rely on puppets for laughs."
-
he article
states Pete Jamerson directed and produced musicals
in Fairfax
County Virginia with high schoolers for "S.T.A.G.E., Inc.".
Karen
Callen shares: "I was in those S.T.A.G.E.
shows Pete spearheaded in the late '60s. The acronym stood for "Summer
Theatre And Good Entertainment." Pete and his wife, Cornelia, were
great to all of us kids. I dated his stepson, then known as Sandy
Jamerson. Sandy's legal name is Alexander Chadwick, better known
now as Alex Chadwick of NPR and National Geographic."
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Pete
Jamerson (on right) in his later TV-7 program "Pete & His Pals",
with
Michael Ansara of ABC-TV's "Broken Arrow" (on left).
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Jamerson
took the "Pete's Place" concept to WMAL-TV 7
in the
Summer
of '57 as "Pete &
His Pals". (Later, he did a different
AM show
for Channel 7 titled "P.J.'s
Club".) At one time or
other,
he worked for TV 7 News and as a staff announcer.
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Washingtonian
Magazine, March 1977 Ad
for
Pete Jamerson's WGMS Radio show.
(Donated
by Dave Statter)
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After
leaving Channel 7, for many years Jamerson hosted
a morning
program at WGMS 103.5 FM/570 AM radio (above).
Scott
Wykoff wrote in the DCRTV Mailbag:
"In
my first job in radio I worked with Pete at WMER (1440) in Portland, Maine.
Pete hosted a morning information show on the talk & business station.
Pete retired to Maine but still had the radio bug and worked for the station
for several years. He also had a love for the water and enjoyed spending
time out on his boat in Casco Bay. I was sad to hear a few years ago that
Pete had passed away. He was a good friend and a true gentleman.
"
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Sources:
"Whatever Happened To Those Kiddie Show Hosts?" by Trisha Katson, 1977,
George Mason University's Phoebe Magazine, (provided by John Ahmad &
Jack Maier). Basic data by "John" on 3/14/00 and Mr. Jamerson's later history
by Scott Wykoff, on 3/16/00 in the DCRTV Mailbag. WGMS ad (from Washingtonian,
3/77) and the blown-up picture of Pete with headphones provided by Dave
Statter.
Information
on the program's theme music was provided by Tom Fielding.
Airtimes
confirmed from TV listings in the Evening Star and Washington Post.
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