While trying to verify my decades old memory of Pick Temple, I stumbled upon your wonderful site and explored it for a couple of hours!  It sure brought back wonderful childhood memories!    There was plenty about Pick Temple, but there also were many other programs I have not thought about in years.  Your site triggered memories of Miss Connie from Romper Room both from when she was on TV and again when I was in High School and I boxed a lacy blouse she bought at Phillipsborn, where I worked during the Christmas shopping season. I am sure I have not thought of Ranger Hal in decades, but a flood of memories came back when I visited that site.  I also have fond memories of Willard Scott as both Bozo and Ronald McDonald.  I thought my memory was incorrect and that he must have only played one of those clowns, but was delighted to learn that my memory of him in both roles was accurate.

I particularly enjoyed reading about Claire and Coco and Grandpa’s Place, both of which I was on as a child.  I also enjoyed Pick Temple, although I was never on that show, but my brother was.  I remember playing Winnie the Pooh in a pantomime that appeared on Claire and Coco sometime around 1965.  I was taking some community acting class for some reason while I was in about 5th grade, and a few of us in the class were invited to perform for a holiday show.  I can not remember if it was Thanksgiving or Christmas, but I believe it was the latter since the pantomime was called “Pooh discovers the North Pole.”  It was great fun, but I was very disappointed when I met the dog.  The dog was unfriendly, powdered, and had painted toenails. I can not remember if the color was red or black, although it did not really matter since our TVs were in black and white. 

I managed to appear on Grandpa’s Place one day quite by accident. I was about 4, making it around 1958.  My brother had been selected to appear on Pick Temple so my mother packed up my brother and I and a neighbor to watch me while my mom and brother were sitting in audience of Pick Temple.  While they were waiting to go on, I sat in the waiting room (something like a Green Room) with our neighbor.  All of a sudden someone came dashing into the room and said “Little Girl, would you like to be on TV?”  I was shy and said “no” but when the person explained that the child to be featured on the show that day had gotten sick, our neighbor said “of course she would.”  So I was taken to the set of Grandpa’s Place.  I sat in a big rocking chair and Grandpa talked to me about all kinds of things, between introducing cartoons. Grandpa asked me repeatedly to shake my head so everyone could hear my bells that were attached to the bands holding up my pony tails.  One time while I was shaking my bells, I turned my head and noticed a picture behind and above the chair where I was seated.  The picture was of a view through a window.  I remember saying “Hey!  Now I know why you always have such good weather when we don’t at home.  Your window is only a picture!”  At that point, Grandpa shoved a Hostess Cupcake into my mouth and introduced a commercial for Hostess cupcakes.  He then told me “We don’t say things like that!”  I also remember they were demonstrating different breeds of dogs.  That day they were up to the Ws so they showcased a Weimaraner.  The dog was very well behaved and held by a trainer, but I was still so frightened by that dog that I hid behind the chair and cried.  I was told that the cameramen could not resist filming me and my tears. 

Until reading your site, I never knew that Grandpa and Cap’n Tugg were played by the same person.  I was also a big fan of Cap’n Tugg!

I have emailed my parents and brother with a reference to your site.  I know they will enjoy it, too.  Thanks for making my day!

Kathy Kurke

I just bookmarked your website, and I think it's awesome!

I was just feeling a little nostalgic this afternoon doing search engines for "Sam and Friends" and came across your site. That old show (one of Henson's very first) I understand is probably long gone now. Do you own copies of it per chance?

I remember seeing the actual puppets on display the Science Center in Seattle several years back and what a thrill it would be to go through a time tour to see them again. Heck, I wish Muppet Show Season Ones would air with their original opening. Maybe they'll all be out on DVD soon.

Again great job, email me anytime!

-Michael J. Chrush

Do you know anything about a crafts program for children that aired on WTTG,  probably in the '50s or '60s? It would have been hosted by Margaret (I think that was her first name) Doran, who once worked as a hand and foot model.

Any information you have would be greatly appreciated.

Marya Place

... Do you remember the 15 minute (or less) tv weather program that came on in the afternoon in DC called "TOP OF DE VEDDER", sponsored by Tops Drive-Inn and hosted by "Professor Felix Von Topshnak"? The Professor was this white-haired guy in rimless trifocals dressed in a morning coat (I think) and smashed-up-looking top hat who had this crude, hand-drawn map of the USA that he stood in front of, on which he'd chart the weather. All performed by the professor in this wild burlesque of German-accented English.

Pretty funny at the time. I don't remember which station broadcast this; I think it was on in the late '50s.

Best,
Will Ravenel

Hank Jacobs adds: "...He hosted the 3 stooges show and would break in every so often for a commercial. One of the things he did - was to show a hand drawn outline of the U.S. (one simple curved line - very crude) and say "Und now here's a look at duh veddah! (weather)"- "Up in Alaska, it's cold! Down in Florida, It's hot" "Und dare, vee haff a look at duh veddah!" (And there we have a look at the weather). A few days later, he said it (I'm sure intentionally) "Up in Alaska it's hot! Down in Florida it's cold!" I remember this was about when I was in 5th grade - so that would have been school year 1960-1961.  I think he advertised for Tops Drive-Inn and I think there was at least one Tops on Wisconsin Ave in Bethesda - possibly near the intersection of Old Georgetown Rd and East-West Highway."

Last night I ran into some guys from D.C. and we started talking about old local TV shows. We all live in NYC now and we spent hours talking about Captain 20, Creature Feature and others. One guy actually admitted that he was on WOW! I have a vague recollection of being on Romper Room, but that may just have been a childhood fantasy. Anyway, thanks again for the website.

Best,
Ben Silverman
Columnist, The New York Post - http://www.nypost.com
Columnist, PR Fuel - http://www.prfuel.com

Imagine my surprise when talking to my coworkers about my childhood... telling them that I used to be the talent for two local DC TV shows, The Beth and Bower Half Hour and Stuff, and then doing a cursory search of the Internet and finding your site????

How funny!

Beth Arnold

Just came across your website.  OUTSTANDING!

Do you know where I can get any videos or memorabilia on any of the old DC shows?

Greg Laxton 

Can't believe there's no mention on your excellent site about why I watched Ranger Hal: the serial cartoon he ran called "The Space Explorers." http://www.astronautix.com/articles/theorers.htm

More about it here http://www.cartoonresearch.com/faqx.html

Been giving it a lot of thought and I think it HAD to have aired in the Summertime, (otherwise I'da been in school) and it was either '62 or '63. 

The internet needs a Weile's page!

RL

Kap notes: A new website named www.TheSpaceExplorers.com has emerged as of March 2004.

I don't remember if this was the same program or several programs.

There was a host who showed cartoons or as he called them "film funnies" and he had a small projector that he would pretend to be cranking by hand to show the cartoons. Do you know what program this might have been? Another program had a host and two puppets, Reggie and Ginzie whose voices were done by slowing down and speeding up recordings. I'm from Baltimore so these could have been local Baltimore programs too but I remember we watched the DC stations also. Channels 5, 7, and 9. Thank you. 

Larry Hale